The Happiness Equation – Neil Pasricha
90% of our happiness isn’t based on what’s happening in the world! It’s based on how we see the world.
I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet
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#4 Never Retire
Remember that retirement is not always the key to happiness. It’s more important that you remember your ikigai (the reason for waking up in the morning) and remain active for the rest of your life.
In a week, you have a total of 168 hours; divide it into 3 buckets of 56 hours each. 1st bucket is for sleep (8 hours/ day), the next 56 hours is for your work life, and the remaining time is your purpose work which will make you happy.
Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time, who never loses any.
#5 Overvalue You
The way you spend your time is more important than how much money you earn in a week or month.
Money is not the key to happiness, but it is needed to go through life, just like you need fuel for your car to go from one destination to another. Money is just that fuel in life.
#6 Create Space
In order to reduce stress in your life and enjoy the things that really matter, you have to give yourself enough time and ensure that you have less to choose from.
- Automate the tasks that have low importance and take less time.
- The tasks that have high importance but take less time – just do those tasks then!
- Regulate or set time for those tasks that are less important but take more time.
- Those tasks which have high importance and take a long time – discuss it with someone.
#7 Just Do it
It’s important that you break the barriers to do the things you love most, but it seems scary to you.
Just try this cycle: Just do that task; then it will feel like something you can do; then you will feel like doing it again; then do the task…
Motivation doesn’t cause action.
Action causes motivation.
#8 Be YOU
Be yourself! The Authentic YOU! The most important thing in life is your relationship with yourself, not with another person.
You can’t be yourself until you have a high opinion of yourself and others.
What do you do on a Saturday morning when you have nothing to do?
Your authentic self should go toward that.
There is nothing more satisfying than being loved for who you are and nothing more painful than being loved for who you’re not but pretending to be.
#9 Don’t Take Advice
Be confident in your thoughts and emotions, ensuring that you don’t live a life based on others’ opinions.
You make up your own mind. My advice is to become creatively indifferent to all advice. Hear it, but decide what to do yourself.
