Quotes
"Read what you love until you love to read." — Naval Ravikant
“There is no doubt with certainty.” — Richard L. Johnson
“When there is no enemy within - the enemy outside can't hurt you” — African Proverb
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." — Marcus Aurelius
“When someone has no context on your life and gives advice, they’re not talking to you; they’re talking to themselves." — Alex Hormozi
"I believe in myself, my talent, and my abilities" — Teronie J. Donaldson (yup, that's me -cool, right? 😎)
Notes/Observations
This lesson is a constant reminder. Lately, I have been self-auditing my time. It is a practice I have tried often and stopped but revisited with great results this week.
Articles
Watched
Strategy (Reading Times)
Read at every opportunity you get.
I read a minimum of 1 hour per day.
20 minutes in the morning (mindset/growth), 20 minutes in the afternoon (business), and 20 minutes in the evening (Biography).
The times can vary as I steal moments throughout the day, but that is the general routine.
If you can find a way to read more around your schedule and your life situation, you will be surprised how many books you will get through.
Don't make excuses like you're tired or too busy because we all have the time. If you took the average person's phone and tracked their time on it, you would see the data for yourself.
According to recent data, the average person spends 3 hours and 15 minutes daily on their phone. And 1 in 5 smartphone users spends upwards of 4.5 hours on average on their phones daily.
So if you can peel off some time from there, it would be a great start.
If you make time to read, you will find that you have time to do so during break times, wait times at Doctors' offices-- you name it. You will get very creative.
One time I read a short book during an NBA game I watched at home: I made it a game to read during every commercial break.
If you fail in the habit of doing that while everyone else is wasting their time watching the news or on an endless scroll of feeds, you'll read more than 80 books in a year.
That is a good return on your time investment.
Books of the Week
"The Richest Man Who ever lived; King Solomon's secrets to success, Wealth and Happiness" by Steven K. Scott
A powerful book with wisdom that has withstood the test of time.
Regardless of your religious beliefs, this book teaches you without judgment.
I was reminded about many money skills, but the ones that resonated greatly in this read were diversifying my life and reducing debt.
Diversifying my life means balancing my ambition with practicality and being thankful for where I am currently while steadily improving daily.
Here is a great video describing other money rules from this book:
And
2. "Mob Rules: What the Mafia Can Teach the Legitimate Business Man" by Louis Ferrante
This was a fascinating read. Ferrante is an excellent storyteller. Many times reading this book, I laughed out loud. Keep in mind that the realness of the stories was no laughing matter, as there were many victims in his schemes. However, Ferrante manages to teach valuable and funny lessons.
Louis Ferrante backstory:
As an associate of the Gambino Family, Ferrante pulled off some of the biggest heists in U.S. history before the age of twenty-one, netting millions of dollars. His natural talent for management led bosses like John Gotti to rely on him. Now he offers time-tested Mafia wisdom, such as:
* Three can keep a secret (if two are dead): Build trust with your colleagues.
* You don't always need a gun to hit a target: Lead people without force.
* It's never personal: Never hesitate to pull the trigger when circumstances demand it.
Here is a video of Ferrante:
Question
Are you taking care of yourself today?
What plans do you have to take care of your physical, mental, and spiritual health?
Music
I have been listening to many of Bobby Nsenga's playlists this year. I highly suggest you subscribe His mixes are amazing.