How to Silence Your Inner Critic →
From Lifehacker:
Whenever Attia would catch himself having a negative self talk, he would have to immediately stop whatever activity he had just messed up. Then, he would have to pretend it was actually a dear friend who had just flunked the task, and replace the self talk by audibly speaking to that person as if they were there. He would record the “conversation” on his phone and send it to his therapist.
Naturally, he would speak in a much kinder way to this friend, rather than angrily to himself. After about several months of doing this activity four or five times a day, Attia claims he can’t remember how his inner critic even sounds anymore.
The trick has to do with the brain’s ability to changing, or as he talks about in his book and is known in the scientific community, its neuroplasticity—the ability of the neural networks in the brain to change and adapt throughout an individual’s life.
While people who have a toxic inner monologue lack empathy for themselves, most still have it for other people. Ultimately, he is hacking his brain into talking to himself in a much more loving way and undoing 47 years of toxic inner monologue.
If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food, it's a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.
—Anthony Bourdain
Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it. They just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while; that’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.
—Steve Jobs
Sometimes people use "respect" to mean "treating someone like a person," and sometimes they use "respect" to mean "treating someone like an authority."
And sometimes people who are used to being treated like an authority say, "if you won't respect me, I won't respect you," and they mean "if you won't treat me like an authority, I won't treat you like a person."
And they think they're being fair but they aren't, and it's not okay.
The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.
Be the change you want to see.
In my work experience, I've come to the conclusion there are two types of entrepreneurs:
- those who focus on money, hiring cheap labor to just do what they say
- those who invest in great ideas, surrounding themselves with smarter people who share the same goals & values
The average American spends $15 a day eating out. $450 a month. $600-$750 including drinks. In 2 months you can buy a ticket to travel anywhere in the world. You can afford to travel, you're just too lazy to cook.
The Four Agreements
1. Be Impeccable with Your Word
- Speak with integrity.
- Say only what you mean.
- Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others.
- Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don't Take Anything Personally
- Nothing others do is because of you.
- What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dreams.
- When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don't Make Assumptions
- Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want.
- Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama.
- With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
- Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick.
- Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse, and regret.
