More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Tom Rath
Read between
October 1, 2024 - March 8, 2025
Life is not about you. It’s about what you do for others. The faster you are able to get over yourself, the more you can do for the people who matter most. Yet external forces keep pulling you toward self-centered pursuits. From books pushing “happiness”
He also taught me the best way to fill my own bucket was to spend time filling other people’s. Like Don, I want to ensure most
We are, to a large degree, the product of what others have contributed to our lives.
Acknowledging that all our stories have an end can be deeply beneficial. In my own experience, orienting my efforts to where I could make the greatest contributions, both during and beyond my lifetime, helped me to push through major challenges and made life far more meaningful. Life is about what you put back into the world, not what you take out of it.
Let go of what’s beyond your control.
Look through the lens of what will outlive you, and you’ll quickly see past self.
What you put back into the world is built one interaction at a time. This is why contributions to others typically start small. Eventually, these efforts create new relationships and strengthen existing ones.
You may not get to control how another person initiates your next interaction, but you always get to choose your response. Even when you’re having a horrible
You always have a choice of how to respond. Start by assuming
the other person has positive intent.
The worst thing you can do during a challenging time is to withdraw from relationships and social circles.
relationships and deepen existing ones. At a minimum, when you plan and choose to spend time with a friend, make it count.
Invest your time and attention wisely. They are your most precious resources.
The greatest strength is helping another person to uncover a hidden talent.
When you see a rare opportunity, take it. Life is too brief for living with regrets.
he found it odd that we essentially wait until people die to praise and celebrate all their contributions in life and “fill their bucket.” So
Tell someone how they have contributed to your life . . . while they are still around to hear it.
It was a lasting reminder of how the most important things we do in a lifetime start small and are almost always directed at others. You don’t need any kind of permission or position to have a positive influence like this . . . you just have to start, today.
You have to find work that you know in your heart is making a positive contribution.
You can’t be anything you want to be, but you can be a whole lot more of who you already are.
Knowing who you are—and who you are not—is essential. But it is only a starting point. All the talent, motivation, and hard work in the world will not be valued or remembered if it does not help another human being.
Most people agree life is not about focusing on self-oriented or monetary ambitions. It is about what you create that improves lives. It is about investing in the development of other people. And it is about participating in efforts that will continue to grow when you are gone. In the end, you won’t get to stay around forever, but your contributions will.
Contribution starts when you see beyond self.
Real growth is the product of following your contributions more than your passions. Simply asking, “What can I contribute?” leads to a better path and result than starting with yourself. This applies far beyond the realm of careers.
A growing body of evidence suggests that the single greatest driver of both achievement and well-being is understanding how your daily efforts enhance the lives of others. Scientists have determined human beings are innately other-directed, which they refer to as being “prosocial.” According to top researchers who reviewed hundreds of studies on this subject, the defining features of a meaningful life are “connecting and contributing to something beyond the self.” Knowing we’re making meaningful contributions to others’ lives leads not only to improved work outcomes but also to enhanced health
...more
Work can actually improve your health and well-being every day. Work can also be about doing something each day that improves your relationship with your family and friends. I believe we all inherently know this—which makes the gap between what we’re currently contributing and what we have the ability to contribute all the more frustrating.
The work you do should improve your
well-being so you can do more...
This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
As Mark taught me, every hour you devote to answering the question “What are you doing for others?” becomes something that gets to live on. In the end, you are what you contributed to the world.
Every morning, wake up and remind yourself: it’s not about me. Then ask yourself: How can I contribute to another person’s life today?
