Reinvent Yourself

by James Altucher

Your legacy is not what you do. It’s what the people who you teach do.

So speak to influence. Don’t speak to call a flower yellow.

Speak to breathe spirit into an idea, to be enthusiastic, to convey emotion, to influence. This is the only way to have impact with your unique creativity.

The key to the Tao of Louis C.K. is to not expend extra energy on things that don’t matter, things that you can’t change, things that you’re being stupid about, things that won’t be issues a billion years from now. Instead, figure out the real issue: How do I talk to my kid, for instance? How do I talk to my wife? How do I avoid the people who are bringing me down? How do I stop wasting time thinking about these topics that are draining my energy? Preserve energy for the people that need you. For the actions you can take that require all of that energy.

It’s when betrayal and disappointment visit you that you can test what you are made of, process it, transform it.

“Despair = Suffering - Meaning. Find the things that bring you meaning. Suffering is always there in this world. But if you have meaning, you will have less despair. You will find your calling.”

No matter what happens in the world around us, no matter what happens to us, there is a place inside of you where you are 100% in control of what happens. “Maybe you can’t control the terrible things that happen to you, but you’re in control of how you respond.” You’re in control of your feelings and your own happiness. That’s not to say that it’s not incredibly difficult, but the point is that NO ONE ELSE has the power over your mindset. “Inside your chest, you are sovereign.”

In modern society we all feel like we have to be Darth Maul. Pacing, finding a “purpose,” being anxious, stressed, waiting for doors to open.

But it is great to just rest and be happy and not move when you don’t have to. Those doors will open eventually.

10.“[My biggest mistake is probably] weighing too much on someone’s talent and not someone’s personality. I think it matters whether someone has a good heart.”

How often we forget the immense benefits a simple touch makes.

How many of us do that simple act, the creation of art and beauty, every day? I don’t.

The media sells subscriptions. But every day we have a choice. To focus on what is growing in our lives, or the negativity and fear that try to bring us down.

As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”

The brain has a tendency to believe things even more if they are repeated, regardless of whether or not they are true. This is called an “availability cascade.” There is a cascade of information that is available to you and it’s all the same, so you feel the need to believe it. It must be true.

So a great sales technique is to address all of the objections in advance.

There is something called humor bias. People remember things that are stated humorously more than they remember serious things.

Reduce the supply of yourself while demand is going up and what happens? Basic economics. Value goes up.

Many studies have shown that when you compliment children on “growth” versus specific accomplishments, they perform better in the long run.

We hang onto whatever we can believe in that gives us some sense of peace. It doesn’t matter what it is, whether it’s Buddha or Jesus or Moses or the yoga sutras. Something needs to give us a little bit of hope that there is something better out there than the spider webs gathering in the musky attic of our head.

“It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to have to paint it.”

What are your emotional anchors? The events that staple the timeline of your life to something that totally destroyed who you thought you were? They can be small moments or big moments. These are the moments where you choose yourself.

Ultimately we are the sum of our experiences and not the sum of our belongings. There is nothing wrong with making money but it is only one small part of living a life of comfort, of compassion, of calm.

Everyone wants the keys to your self-esteem so they can lock you in your own jail. Success doesn’t mean money if it causes misery. Success is every day, feeling contentment. Contentment is every day: *Improving your relationships *Improving your competence in something you love *Improving your freedom

1.“Nothing is permanent in this world, not even our troubles.”

2.“I like walking in the rain, because nobody can see my tears.”

3.“A day without laughter is a day wasted.”