Darius Foroux wrote an article for The Mission where he listed 7 principles for a happy life, good health and prosperity. At first glance, these are simple truths familiar to everyone. But 99% of people don't do what they know. LABA publishes an updated translation of the material.
At the beginning of 2015, I was worried about what would happen to my career. The year before, I had given up my entrepreneurial ambitions and moved to London to work for an IT company.
Actually, there was nothing wrong with that. The company paid well, employees received many benefits, and the team was great. But it seemed to me that this was not for me and that I had betrayed my dream of entrepreneurship.
On top of that, my personal life went downhill. My girlfriend and I ended our relationship, and that same week my grandmother, whom I loved dearly, passed away suddenly.
I was overwhelmed with various experiences, it seemed that I did not understand anything in this life. Have you ever had this feeling?
What is life? What should you do? When you appear in this world, you are not given instructions on how to become a worthy person.
Tired of my aimless existence, I began to look for answers - for the first time in my life.
Returning to Holland for my grandmother's funeral, I met with one of my mentors. The last time we spoke was before I moved to London. I told my mentor about what was happening to me, to which he replied:
There is no right or wrong way to live your life, but there are still some principles based on which you can live happily, in good health and prosperity.
Naturally, I asked him what these principles were. And Mr. Miyagi answered me in his own style: “I think you know these principles. Everyone knows about them. But 99% of people don’t do what they know.”
This is one of the wisest truths I have heard, because we rarely do what we say. And I'm no exception.
I spent the next year thinking and searching for these principles. I was trying to figure out, “What do people usually talk about but never do?”
Courses on the topic:
Business and management
Project management 2.0
Pavel Kharikov, Head of IoT at Veon Group (Kyivstar, Beeline)
Business and management
Top manager
Vitaly Nuzhny, ex-Vice President, Automotive Engineering at Luxoft
“You can’t catch a fish out of a pond without effort”
In words, we will do anything: climb a mountain, run a marathon, jump with a parachute, create our own business, travel around the world, write a book, record an album, make a film, and so on ad infinitum.
Think about your list of things to do in life? Now can I ask a question? Why haven't you done this yet?
Head of the music department at 20th Century Fox, composer Alfred Newman:
The difficulty with doing nothing is that it is impossible to complete and rest.
Most often the answer is that it is not easy. I don't want to upset you, but life is supposed to be hard. This is probably one of the most valuable lessons I have learned in my life.
There is no need to run from difficulties. Instead, learn to overcome them physically and psychologically.
French philosopher Voltaire:
There are never great things without great difficulties.
All great companies began as startups, most of them were on the verge of death and bankruptcy.
For example, the American cargo airline FedEx Express, founded in 1971 by student Fred Smith, found itself on the verge of bankruptcy within 3 years due to rapidly rising fuel prices.
The company's management even had to raise $5 thousand of personal funds in order to stay afloat for some time.
Since this money did not save the situation, Fred Smith had no choice but to fly to Las Vegas and play in the casino. He returned to the company with $27 thousand, which allowed him to cover fuel costs and start looking for investments.
Today, FedEx is one of the leading companies in the express delivery and freight transportation market.
This proverb “You can’t even catch a fish out of a pond without effort” is overused, but it is 100% true. If you don't train your muscles, they lose tone. If you don't turn on your brain, cognitive abilities decrease. If you don't test your character, you can become spineless.
Helen Hayes:
When you don't move, you become rusty.
Secrets of longevity from the 100-year-old surgeon Uglov
- Do exercises and walk. Walk as much as possible.
- Leave the table slightly hungry. Move from the dining table to the work table, and not to the sofa.
- Not a single glass of alcohol, no cigarettes. Otherwise, all other recommendations will be useless.
- Do not wish evil and do good without expecting gratitude. Do good; evil, unfortunately, will happen on its own.
- Love your homeland. And protect her. The homeless don't live long.
- Love the job. And physical too.
- Know how to control yourself. Don't lose heart under any circumstances.
- Love your family. Know how to answer for her.
- Maintain your normal weight, no matter the cost. Don't overeat!
- Be careful on the road. Today it is one of the most dangerous places to live.
- Don't be afraid to go to the doctor on time.
- Spare your children from health-destroying music.
- The mode of work and rest is laid down in the very basis of the work of your body. Love your body, spare it.
- Individual immortality is unattainable, but the length of your life largely depends on you.
For more details, see the article in Komsomolskaya Pravda about the surgeon Fyodor Uglov and the list of “12 principles of life of Fyodor Uglov.”
Avoid negative thinking at all costs
Everyone knows about this, but I have almost never met people who do this. People cope with negativity at work, at home, with family and friends.
And there is no strangeness here, because negativity surrounds us everywhere.
Negative thinking is literally installed in our brain and passed on through generations.
That’s why there are so many complaints, lies, accusations, betrayal, jealousy and cruelty around.
This prevents us from enjoying life. Why then do we allow ourselves to be drawn into the cycle of negativity? The problem is that people try to see only the good in others.
"He didn't mean anything bad."
"She'll turn around and look at me."
"He didn't mean to offend me."
"Everything will change".
You know that it is impossible to change a person, right? Then why are you trying to do this? People change only when they themselves want to.
Avoid negativity. At any cost.
Scientists are increasingly talking about the psychological factor as one of the causes of cancer. Cancer is a multifactorial disease (several factors favorable to the disease need to “meet”).
And negative emotions in this tandem can play the role of a catalyst that triggers the mechanism of cancer cell division.
Introverted
These are life principles and values aimed at self-development. They are professed by many great people who, with the help of these credos, achieved success in their profession and became respected and popular in society. The most important one is: “Live in the present.” Of course, we must remember the past and plan the future, but we must emotionally experience only what is happening at the moment. This principle helps you become more collected and teaches you to concentrate on the current moment.
Be persistent is another popular life principle. No, this does not mean that you need to brazenly go over your head in the direction of the goal. You just need to not give up and stay true to your decision. Separately, I would also like to highlight the internal harmony of the individual and her desire for self-development: these two credos will certainly be beneficial and bring positive results. And added to them sincerity and goodwill, self-control and the ability to forgive will multiply the result several times.
Give more than you receive
When you are little, you are constantly looked after. Your parents feed you, give you shelter and, if you're lucky, give you love.
But even if you didn't have a happy childhood, you still received food, education, etc.
The habit of pulling the blanket over ourselves is rooted in our character. It seems to us that it is normal to constantly receive something from others. And in fact, we are sure that we need to take everything from life.
For many years I lived with this worldview. And only now, looking back, I see how wrong I was. We don't own anything.
Who says we have to get the job or promotion we want? Or an attractive girl/guy at the gym? Or success in a broader sense?
Stop thinking about what you want to get from this world, and rather think about what you can offer the world.
Humanitarian mission of Angelina Jolie (UN Goodwill Ambassador)
In life you can't just take. Do yourself a favor and start giving more. And then you will be surprised that you started to receive the most.
Jim carrey:
Your influence on others is the most valuable currency in the world.
Helping other people is the most valuable thing you can do in life.
In the book “Take or Give?” Wharton School of Business professor Adam Grant demonstrates the influence of interaction styles (taker, exchanger and giver) on achieving success.
As it turns out, most people manifest themselves as takers (for them, personal gain comes first). Exchangers build relationships based on the principle of mutual benefit.
Givers are willing to help others at the expense of their own interests. They are a minority, but they are the ones who reach the pinnacle of success, regardless of the type of business.
According to zodiac signs
Mostly the characteristics of the signs are filled with humor. But nevertheless, they accurately reflect the behavior of people and their position in life:
- Aries. It's better not to argue with me. Stubbornness is not a vice.
- Calf. A bad peace is better than a good quarrel. I don’t need someone else’s, I won’t give you my own.
- Twins. I'm different every day. Those who didn't have time are late.
- Cancer. He who seeks will find. My home is a fortress.
- A lion. Pleasant manners are half the battle. Doing it is big.
- Virgo. Everyone lives for themselves, but serves others. Patience and a little effort.
- Scales. Only fools are principled. Win by agreeing.
- Scorpion. Not everyone can bear my gaze. The world is lost without knights.
- Sagittarius. The key issue is scale. There must be many good people.
- Capricorn. Don't break the law: someone else will do, you'll get caught. No man is an island.
- Aquarius. It's hard to be an angel, but it's necessary. The good intention is more important than the deed itself.
- Fish. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow. A promise is fun, and a bad person is joy.
Summarizing all of the above, we can draw the following conclusion: what principles of life to profess, each person decides independently. The main thing is that they make not only you personally better, but also the world around you, bring good to people and serve for the benefit of society.
Time is more valuable than money
Of all the world's resources, time is the most valuable. “Dude, it’s kind of obvious.” Why do we collectively waste time as if we have an eternity at our disposal?
Do you sometimes wonder how long you have left on Earth? Even if you live to be 80, it's not that long if you waste your time.
Be judicious with your time management. Don't throw it around like you can get it back. You can always earn more money spent, but you will never get back the lost time.
Time passes irrevocably and forever.
German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer:
The average person is concerned with how to kill time, but the talented person strives to use it.
Manifestations of weak will
- Do not smoke tobacco or anything else.
Also see the article “On limiting tobacco smoking.” - Do not drink alcohol of any kind.
Also see the article “On attitudes towards alcohol and more.” - Do not use drugs and avoid strong medications.
- Don't be lazy.
Laziness is the greatest evil, as even Carl Jung testifies to:Of all the passions, laziness is the least familiar to us. She is the most ardent and the most dangerous of all, although her power is invisible and the harm she causes remains hidden. By carefully studying its power, we will understand that, at every opportunity, it takes possession of our feelings, our interests and our pleasures: it is an obstacle that can stop the largest ships, it is a calm that is more dangerous for the most important matters than pitfalls and the strongest storms .
- Help others gain strength, rather than indulge their weaknesses.
We need to help people become better.
Go your own way
We often take our cues from those around us: fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, bosses, mentors, authors, entrepreneurs, artists.
I've done this before and, to be honest, I still do this to this day. Learning from others is one of my best life skills. Humility is a quality that is undoubtedly positive.
But here’s the problem: you are not all these people. You are you.
Get off the beaten path and create your own. Of course, it is much easier to follow the beaten path, but you will not get satisfaction. Your achievements in life are worth more than money, status, or even comfort.
Don't be afraid to go in an unknown direction. Go where no man has gone before. How can you tell when you're moving in a new direction? They won't understand you. And this is good.
“Anything for $10” is the slogan of the American company The Something Store. The principle is this: anyone can pay $10 and receive a parcel with an unknown product for exactly that amount.
The store owners guarantee that all products are new and not prohibited for sale in the United States.
At the time of the startup's launch, observers called the founders crazy. But the idea turned into a profitable business.
Niccolo Machiavelli:
People almost always follow paths made by others, imitating the action.
Change for the better
Along the way to new goals, you will inevitably acquire new skills, so you can’t stand still. Each person has areas where they can improve their skills and gain new knowledge.
Think about what qualities and useful habits you would like to develop in yourself. Using the same technique of small steps, do a little every day and teach yourself useful things: learn a new language, switch to healthy eating, be more grateful and polite to others.
Achievements in one area lead to others. Changes in one area will force changes in others.
Do what life expects of you
Look around you - life is uncertain. Why were you born to your parents? Why do you live here? Why were you bullied at school? A million questions.
Do you know the answers to them? I doubt it.
Instead of fighting reality, accept your life circumstances. No matter how bad they are.
Everything is exactly as it should be. Look at life from the perspective that no matter where you are, there is always a reason for it. God, the universe, invisible forces.
It doesn’t matter what is happening right now, but if life requires some action from you, be kind enough to play your role.
general characteristics
To understand what it is, you need to turn your attention to religion. For example, in Orthodoxy the commandments are clearly stated: do not kill, do not commit adultery, and so on. These are the same life principles or frameworks in which a believer is placed. He lives by these creeds, listens to them, behaves in accordance with them, and preaches them to others. It turns out that in worldly society principles are an analogue of commandments.
They can vary, but are generally designed to build character, balance achievements and contributions, define values, and outline goals. The life principle is the core, the core around which the very essence of man revolves. It gives an individual firmness and confidence, helps him overcome difficulties and withstand adversity. Principles will always be the basis for making important and everyday decisions. But it happens that they limit a person: strictly observing them, he becomes less flexible, misses the chances and opportunities given by fate.
Chinese list of "8 virtues and 8 vices"
- Love your Motherland, do not harm it.
- Serve the people, never betray them.
- Follow the science, don't be ignorant.
- Be diligent, not lazy.
- Be responsive, help everyone, don’t profit at the expense of others.
- Be honest and decent, do not compromise your principles for profit.
- Be disciplined and law-abiding, no to chaos and lawlessness.
- Live simply, work hard, do not wallow in luxury and pleasure.
For more information, see the list of “8 Virtues and 8 Vices.”
Bookmark and share...
From the “Memo to the Manager” by aircraft designer Ilyushin
- Be principled. Never conform to someone else's opinion if you don't agree with it.
- Be truthful even if it may cause you trouble.
- Don't justify your mistakes by being too busy.
- Never get irritated. It degrades your dignity.
- Never give in to despondency, it undermines faith in your strength.
- Never, under any circumstances, lose your ability to reason.
- One of the most powerful tools in educating subordinates is your personal example in work and in life.
- If during the day you personally have not learned anything, then consider this day lost for yourself.
For more details, see the corresponding entry in “Goblin's Dead End”.
