The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed On Your Own Terms

by Vishen Lakhiani

1. Happiness from Special and Unique Experiences This is the happiness that comes from unique human experiences. There’s the heart-pounding bliss of incredible sex. The fist-pumping elation of winning a sports game. The chest-thumping excitement of closing a major deal. The mind-bending bliss of ecstatic experiences, chemically induced or otherwise. This bliss is powerful—present moment and short-lived. Sometimes there’s a crash or letdown afterward as your brain chemistry descends from this high. In small doses, it’s fantastic, but it can be distracting, addictive, and potentially destructive. If we were hooked up to instant bliss machines that pumped this chemistry through us 24/7, civilization would cease to progress (and we’d be too blissed-out to care). Happiness from unique experiences is a kind of short-term happiness—but it can’t be the only kind. 2. Happiness from Growth and Awakening While bliss from experiences is wonderful, there’s a second type of happiness. It’s more rare but seems to be more enduring. It’s the happiness advocated by spiritual practitioners and transcendent practices. I call it happiness from growth and awakening. This type of happiness comes from reaching higher states of consciousness. People seek awakening in many different ways—from mindfulness practices to spiritual paths and practices of all kinds. The millions who pursue some type of spiritual path show how important this level of happiness is to human beings. 3. Happiness from Meaning...