Hard Truths

Tonight I have a masterclass to be delivered to a bunch of lovely women at Leap.Club and I haven't even started thinking about the topic 🙈

As I am sipping my black coffee, a number of thoughts are flashing and I have so much to say. My mind is circling on so many topics. I don't want to miss sharing these reflections with you here. I'll manage the evening topic after this 😉

Here are some hard truths of life I have picked up on the way. I have observed that knowing these truths calmed me down, reduced my anxiety and liberated me in some sense. Hope they do the same to you as well.

1. Human relationships work on fitment basis only. Whether it is a collegue or a boss or a stakeholder or spouse or friend, they all work on fitments (mutual value exchange) only.
   
   A fantastic filter to figure out a true relationship is by observing who sticks with you when you have no value to offer and they don't expect a thing from you. Cherish them as they are going to be only handful.
2. Playbooks and prescriptions don't take you far. What takes you very far is relentless consistency and tireless action. Don't waste your time looking for hacks and shortcuts. They don't exist.
3. There is no work-life balance. It is a myth. There is life and work lives within it. A holistic view of life is more liberating than truth itself.
4. There are only two possible answers to anything you ask (Yes or No). If you ask, you will know the answer (yes or no). If you don't ask you will never know. Just ask and be ok with both answers even before you ask.
5. There is a difference between good and great. 95% can acheive the former and only 5% acheive the later. Being great at something means that you are rooted in ignorance. You are enthusiatic to learn with a beginner's mind. Excellence is in the details and details are hidden in complexity.
6. Your degree of desire determines your magnitude of achievement. Ordinary people become extraordinary with that extra high degree of desirability and a determination to see through it.
7. It is so much easier to be joyful and giving than otherwise. You will get more done in this life when you give joyfully. Very few people understand this equation.
8. Be like an earthworm. It keeps growing even if you cut it into pieces. It just doesn't stop.
9. Listening with compassion is the best secret sauce of networking. No one wants your advice or frameworks or theories. They just want to be heard.
10. You have five options in life at all times.
    
    Start.
    Stop.
    Pause.
    Restart.
    Repeat.
    
    Choose one for the context.
    Choosing the wrong one is costly.
    Choosing the right one is profitable.
    Ultimately it is your choice.

🥂 to life!