Truly skilled individuals have already simplified their lives to the utmost

Minimalism is a form of wisdom, a choice in life that helps us cleanse our inner restlessness.

"Life is a continuous process of choosing and letting go. By letting go, we can unleash the maximum energy from our limited lives."

In our ignorant youth, we often pursue accumulation, constantly adding to our lives.

As we age and experience the ups and downs of life, we increasingly feel that the essence of happiness lies in simplicity.

When some people in life are exhausted by the noisy world, those who are truly skilled have already simplified their lives to a "minimalist" mode.

01 Less Comparison, Minimalist Desires

Do you experience the following situations:

You see others carrying designer bags while you can only afford mass market ones, feeling envious but powerless;

You see others' children excelling in both academics and character while yours are constantly criticized by teachers, feeling anxious but helpless;

You see others getting promoted and receiving raises every year while you remain stagnant, feeling increasingly fearful but clueless.

Desire is like quicksand—appropriate pursuit can provide endless motivation, but excessive desire born of comparison only leads to endless troubles.

A friend runs a small business, earning a considerable income at a young age, owning a house and a car, slightly ahead of peers.

But he is a person with high desires. Despite his achievements, he is never satisfied.

Due to work, he often attends industry events where he noticed his peers all drove luxury cars, exuding confidence. Compared to them, his car costing only half of them made him feel extremely inferior.

He felt conflicted and feared being looked down upon. So, he decided to take out a loan and buy a luxury car.

Since buying the luxury car, he has been under significant financial pressure every month. Although he feels a sense of prestige when driving it for social events, whenever the company's performance is not optimistic, he frequently suffers from anxiety and insomnia, finding no joy in owning the luxury car.

"Many of life's troubles stem from our blind comparison with others, forgetting to enjoy our own lives."

If we blindly lose ourselves in comparison, we will only exhaust ourselves.

In fact, true happiness in life always comes from comparing ourselves with who we were yesterday, not with others.

The more we compare, the more desires we have, and we may end up controlled by those desires, ultimately reaping what we sow.

Those truly skilled individuals have learned to subtract desires early and stay true to their original intentions.

In life, only by learning to compare less can we live more relaxed lives and enjoy simple and happy lives.

02 Less Self-Conflict, Minimalism Thinking

Often, we cannot control external opinions, but if we cannot manage our own minds, constantly exhausting ourselves and being swayed by emotions, it will only lead to life's tragedies.

There is a lady in the neighborhood who owns a convenience store and enjoys making short videos in her spare time.

Although she is middle-aged, she remains graceful and charming.

In her videos, she showcases her elegance and eloquence, often bringing joy to others. In less than a month, she gained a large following.

At this time, many people started leaving negative comments on her videos, saying she's too old to act cute, her beauty filters make her overconfident, and she's just bored, having too much time to make these videos.

Seeing these comments, she remained silent for a while. When others thought she would give up, she decisively blocked some people.

Afterwards, she continued creating videos as before because they always brought joy and positivity. Her fanbase grew, and some fans even visited her store just to meet her.

There's a saying: "External voices are only references. If it doesn't make you happy, don't pay attention to it."

In life, many people are easily disturbed by external voices, causing self-conflict. Truly blocking out external disturbances means practicing mind minimalism.

Try the following three-step method:

1. When disturbed by negative external voices, the first reaction should be to recognize that one shouldn't be easily affected by negative energy and should simplify one's mindset;

2. When negative effects are noticed, one should immediately awaken to avoid being immersed in negativity and shift focus;

3. When thoughts begin to change, action should not be delayed. To divert attention, one can watch a TV show, movie, or go for a walk.

These three simple methods are actually avocating minimalism. It helps us isolate ourselves from the outside world, focus entirely on our inner world, avoid unnecessary negative interference, and focus on our goals for success.

"Since there is no escape, it's better to be joyful; since there is no pure land, it's better to calm down; since wishes may not come true, it's better to let go."

Those truly skilled in life can regulate their minds to some extent. It's not that they don't experience self-conflict; it's that they can minimize it in time.

In the journey of life, with sunshine and rain, only by broadening our minds, focusing more on ourselves, and consuming less energy on negative people and things, can we enjoy the beauty of life.

Less socialization, minimalist relationships

Have you heard this philosophical saying: "Every piece of wood can become a Buddha if unnecessary parts are removed."

Life is the same. Instead of entangling oneself in useless relationships, it's better to streamline beneficial relationships, enriching one's spirit and expanding one's cognition.

"Life is a journey, encountering all kinds of people. Not everyone should be invited into your life."

If a relationship drains too much of our energy, we must learn to cut losses in time. We shouldn't blindly please others or become others' dumping grounds.

Those truly skilled individuals, capable of living high-quality lives, do so by minimizing their social relationships.

In life, one must learn to subtract from one's social circle, spend less time on superficial connections, and more time with those worth socializing with, in order to live a positive and optimistic life.

"Minimalism is not having nothing but another form of possession. We're not abandoning ourselves or desires. We're acknowledging our needs and possessions."

Less comparison, minimalist desires, leads to contentment;

Less self-conflict, mind minimalism, leads to naturalness and tranquility;

Less socialization, minimalist relationships, leads to abundant and easy living.

In the years to come, may we all maintain a minimalist lifestyle amidst the complexities of the world, cultivate stronger selves, and embark on a more beautiful journey in life.

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Six Habits to Thrive in the New Year

In life, happiness and sorrow coexist; joy and sadness walk hand in hand. No one's life is completely smooth sailing. However, we must believe that the current difficulties will pass, and what lies ahead in our future will be joy and happiness. In the new year, each of us should care more about ourselves. Starting with small things and making the best use of the present is the best way to make life more beautiful. Today, I'm sharing six good habits to help us embrace the new year and live a more fulfilling life.

1.Think Less

People without anxiety aren't without it because they are solving the problems causing anxiety. The most effective way to eliminate anxiety is quite simple: to immediately do what causes your anxiety. Often, the more you think, the more anxious you become. No matter how big the problems in life, excessive worry only makes the situation worse. Life presents challenges; everyone faces various pressures. In the New Year, what we truly need to do is to reduce our worries and take more practical action. Remember, the true way to change things is through practical action.

2.Be Optimistic in Everything

If a person's heart is filled with clouds of worry, life will inevitably be full of obstacles. If you live with negative emotions, not only will you feel unhappy, but you won't be able to have a positive impact on others. Worries come from within. To live comfortably, one must positively interpret and understand life. We have many choices in life. To stay optimistic, realize that many people in the world face greater difficulties than you. Face life with a mindset that 'as problems arise, solutions arise', then every day will be filled with beautiful scenes.

3.Find Happiness in Life

In life's journey, there's an endless stream of tasks. If your heart is full of anxiety, happiness will stay far away. When feeling exhausted, stop and take a break. Everyone faces difficulties and grievances; continuous tension will undoubtedly rob life of its joy. The writer Gogol once said, "Happiness prolongs life." Happiness is the vitality of body and mind, hope and belief, confidence in the present and future, and faith in all progress. No matter the situation, with a happy attitude, life will become more fulfilling.

4.Follow a Regular Diet

Food plays a crucial role in life. In daily diet, the balance between meat and vegetables is crucial, with more fresh vegetables. Many health experts also advise: "Eat well for breakfast, eat until you're full for lunch, eat less for dinner." Oily foods and irregular eating habits are not good for health. Reduce meat intake, eat more vegetables, and keep food consumption to about 70% full.

5.Work Diligently

"Life doesn't have too late a start; it's just too lazy to fulfil it." Laziness will consume a person's willpower and enthusiasm, leading to inaction and feelings of defeat. No matter what you do, it doesn't depend on timing, but on whether you are willing to put in the effort. In the new year, working diligently and completing the tasks assigned by your superiors will not only help you earn more but also earn recognition from your boss. Those who are too lazy will find it difficult to lead a good life. If you want to live better, in the new year, make sure to be proactive.

6.Exercise a Little More

We all know the benefits of exercise, but very few actually put it into action. Many people believe that exercise will make them tired; hence they refuse to do it. But perhaps you're not aware that not exercising will make you more tired. People who rarely exercise feel back pain after doing physical activities and feel out of breath after walking a bit. These are signs of a lack of exercise. In the new year, don't hesitate anymore. Start now and create an exercise plan for yourself. By persisting in exercising, you will have a healthy body. Only with good health can life be more beautiful. Time can't be reversed, and moments can't be stopped. I hope in the days ahead, you will strive forward. Let's start with these small habits and shape a brand new self.

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Be aware of your own weaknesses and strengths

Each of us must learn to look at our own shortcomings and strengths correctly. Everyone will have strengths and weaknesses, but we must look at our own strengths and weaknesses rationally from a correct perspective. Only by facing up to your own superiority can you change yourself and make yourself better.

If a person has shortcomings, if others point it out to you, you must learn to change. Many people are often unable to face up to their own shortcomings because they can't let go of their so-called face. If they compare their shortcomings with other people's advantages, of course they will lose.

A clumsy bird will always be last and be laughed at by other birds. Winter is coming, and all the birds are flying south. It thought that although it was clumsy, it could fly to the south first, so that it would never be ridiculed by others, and it didn't want to be the last one.

When it was ready, it flew to the south by itself, but it couldn't remember the direction to go to the south, and soon lost its way, so it had no choice but to fly back. When it returned, it found that other birds were gone.

It had no choice but to continue flying to the south alone, and lost its way while flying. It didn't know what to do. Eventually winter came, it was frozen to death on the road.

It is not that the path of the clumsy bird flying first is suitable for everyone. Just like this bird, you must first look at the problem from a rational perspective and see your own shortcomings. When you are not able to change yourself, you must learn to let go and learn, ask others for advice. This little bird did not correctly analyze its ability because of its own ‘face’. When your ability cannot support your face, you must learn to let go of the so-called ‘face’ and learn. Only by being able to endure the ridicule of others and being able to bend and stretch can one become stronger.

There are many such stories in life. We see that many people always like to compare themselves with others. When others use their mobile phones well, they must have one. When others wear branded clothes, they must own one. When others drive cars, they must have one. They always feel that face is very important, but you have to see if you have the ability to compare with others. Others are rich people. Of course, you can choose what you like to buy.

We are just ordinary people, face is not that important.

We also have to learn to play to our strengths and change our own weaknesses, we cannot change some shortcomings, so we have to make up for them and cover them up with our strengths. For example, if we are stupid, we need to learn more. We can practice ten times or eight times what others know at one time. Not all successful people are smart people, and stupid people will become excellent through hard work. The premise is that if you want to see your own shortcomings, you must learn to work harder than others.

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Do you own all six types of wealth?

 

When it comes to wealth, you probably immediately think of money. Money is indeed a type of wealth, but it is not the only form of wealth. Money is only a low-level form of wealth. If you put all your energy on pursuing this low-level form of wealth, you will lose the opportunity to win other forms of wealth.

When it comes to wealth, what do you think of? The top ten richest people in the world? Your relative in Australia has a bigger house, a nicer car, and a cottage on the hill? Or the billionaire CEO of your company? Professional athlete, musician or movie star?

Of course, all of these people are "rich" from a financial standpoint.

But money does not monopolize wealth. The definition of wealth is "a substantial amount of valuable material property or resource", but looking at this definition, money is not listed as the only valuable property or resource.

Which resources you consider valuable is as important as the abundance of the resources themselves. The key is to optimize for the right form of wealth.

Money

Money is the simplest and most obvious form of wealth because it can be quantified.

How much is your annual salary? $100,000.

How much is your house? $500,000.

How much will your child's college tuition cost? $50,000.

How much is your portfolio worth? $250,000.

Forbes magazine keeps track of the world's richest people in real time, so everyone can see how much money the super rich have.

Because monetary wealth is so easy to recognize, it becomes a point of comparison. Money is the only form of wealth that makes you look at your neighbour and say "I'm richer/poorer than him".

Money can become a knee-jerk competition. Just like any other competition, we want to beat our peers. Earn more money. Get more property. Indulge in more fun. Do whatever it takes to win the game.

But there is a point that is often overlooked. At a certain point, money can become an attractive scoreboard, but a poor measure of wealth. Money has diminishing returns.

This makes sense if you stop and think about it. When income is low, extra money can make a huge difference in the way you live. Paying rent will be easier. You will have security. You can also afford to take a vacation or two.

However, as your income continues to increase, you can buy a bigger house, better car, better meals and better clothes, but that's it, you can't do anything new. You're just paying more for a more luxurious rendition of your current lifestyle. If you can pay your bills, spend your money on experiences, and save/invest the rest, then you're doing pretty well. Everything else is icing on the cake.

There's actually a nasty paradox associated with having a lot of wealth:

Some luxuries won't make your life better, but losing them after experiencing them will definitely make your life worse.

Some people put money and wealth first, and are desperate to pursue money and wealth. The biggest problem with this approach is the opportunity cost associated with it. How many hours did it take to increase revenue from $250,000 to $500,000? What about $1 million? What about $10 million? How much do you need to earn? What other forms of wealth would you have to sacrifice to achieve that goal?

Is this really the game you want to win?

Knowledge

Knowledge, like money, is a cumulative form of wealth. However, unlike money, the "knowledge" possessed by people is difficult to compare. A polyglot, a chef, a world-class investor are all knowledgeable, but not in the same form.

Different people have different ways of acquiring knowledge. Someone learned Spanish by not being afraid to speak it, no matter how bad it was. Someone became a master chef by trying a lot of disgusting recipes. Someone became a great athlete by being a rookie for a long time, trying to make a big business, playing a thousand games of chess, exchanging stories with others... all these can help you accumulate more knowledge.

You gain knowledge for working to develop your skills and expertise, and you earn money for using those skills and expertise to help others.

But knowledge is not just a tool used to create wealth, it is wealth itself.

Gaining knowledge should not be viewed solely as a means to help you achieve other goals. Knowledge is a worthy goal in itself.

Travel to broaden horizon

Time

If money is the most obvious form of wealth, time is its opposite. Time is an asset you can't see. Time has no such things as expensive possessions and a good salary to show off. Time is so indifferent that you hardly notice it.

If monetary wealth is best shown through luxuries, the abundance of time is best shown through nothingness.

Money and wealth are shown to the world on scoreboards, but time is measured in an hourglass that no one can see, not even you. As we earn more and more money, monetary wealth increases but time becomes scarcer. When you are the poorest financially, you are the one with the most time, but when we have the time, we rarely notice.

We realize the value of time only when it is almost running out.

In theory, the currency has unlimited upside. The world's richest man, Elon Musk, is now worth more than $200 billion. But one day, someone (maybe Musk!) could be worth $500 billion, or even $1 trillion. There is nothing you can do about this possibility.

Time is just the opposite. Our time is strictly limited, our money generally increases with age, but our time decreases with age. You can't buy more time, and you never know how much time you have left.

If wealth is measured in increments of time, young people are richer than anyone. Of course it would be great to have $100 billion. But if you're young, how many years are you willing to sacrifice for Bezos' fortune?

Or how about we turn the question around? How much do you think Bezos is willing to give to trade places with someone like me who is 25 years old and will never become a billionaire? Maybe all of them. He has pledged to invest billions of dollars in life extension technology.

We tend to be unaware of the presence of oxygen when it’s plentiful, but when it’s scarce we desperately want more, and our sense of time does the same. Once the money is spent, you can earn it again. When your time runs out, it's game over.

Opportunity cost is everything, how much is your hourglass worth?

Health

Health is the cousin of time. Like time, health is seldom thought of when one is healthy. When we are young, we tend to have a lot of health. So we eat and drink, never exercise, it's okay, you're young. We will rejuvenate quickly no matter what.

For example, in college, no matter how hard you mess with your body, you'll probably be fine.

But decisions have compound effects.

In finance, compound interest is a powerful force. Someone who invests an extra $200 a month may not see a difference in the early years, but after 30 years they could be hundreds of thousands of dollars more than someone else.

The clock keeps ticking.

But the power of compound interest is not limited to finance. In fact, its most valuable application is in health.

Inattentiveness to your health when you are young may not notice any effects early on, but as you get older, taking a laissez-faire approach to your well-being can be disastrous. What you eat starts to matter more and more. Whether or not you exercise starts to matter more and more.

As you age, your complexion darkens, your metabolism slows, and underlying health problems become more serious. At this point, the decisions you've made about your health start to snowball.

Like time, we rarely think about it when we have it. But what about when you lose it? Health will become the only thing you can think about. There is a saying that goes, "A healthy person has a thousand wishes, but a sick person has only one wish."

And that patient rarely gets his wish.

When you're broke but healthy, you have countless options. What's the point if you're rich but bedridden? What's the use of having a billion dollars if you have nothing to enjoy?

Relationship

If you lack relationships, all other forms of wealth become irrelevant. What's the use of asking for the money if there's no one to share it with you? Of course, you can go all the way to darkness on the road of single material enjoyment, but this will not bring you a sense of satisfaction.

The value of time and health depends on your ability to spend time with the people you care about. Otherwise, you're wasting your unscheduled schedule and capable body on frivolous distractions.

It's good to have a lot of knowledge, but it's best to share that knowledge with others. The only difference between a master and a hermit is whether there are students or not.

Humans are social animals, and relationships are vital to our psyche. We need people who can laugh and cry together. People were able to share their dreams, stories and fears. You can fall in love and suffer the baptism of falling out of love. Can create new memories. You can drive 1000 kilometers on a road trip together, across the east coast of the United States.

Every little thing we do comes back to relationships.

The greatest value of health is that it gives you choice.

A life rich in all other respects but devoid of relationships can be at best empty and at worst depressing. What's the point of having the world if there's no one to share it with? If it means living in one's castle, do you really want to be king of that castle?

Experience

"The purpose of life is to experience something that you will be nostalgic for later."

I generally agree with this view. Life is about a 90-year period of experience defined by various other smaller experiences. We are fortunate to live in a time when experiences are readily available, more accessible than ever.

You can travel anywhere in the world in 24 hours for less than $1,000. From learning a foreign language to learning exotic recipes, you can learn anything on the internet. For the first time ever, we can literally do anything.

If wealth is for consumption, what better way to spend your wealth of money, wealth of time, wealth of knowledge, wealth of health, wealth of relationships than doing cool things with people you care about?

At the end of the day, our experiences are all we have.

Experiences are our chances to cash in other forms of wealth for something memorable.

Some experiences cost money, but the most valuable experiences are not defined by price tags. I don't remember how much it cost to visit Tromsø, Norway. But what about seeing the Northern Lights? Priceless.

An evening spent with cold beer, loud music, a roaring fire and surrounded by friends is priceless.

Going on road trips across the American West with my best friend was priceless.

Of all the trade-offs a person can make, you will never regret exchanging financial wealth for experiential wealth. But what about missing out on experiences because you're "too busy at work"? It's hardly worth it.

As a resource, money is unlimited, but experiences, like time, are finite.

How often do you have dinner with your grandparents? What about going on a ski trip with your best friend? How many times have you had the chance to visit a new country on a whim? What about learning a new skill you've always been interested in?

Communicating with Argentines in their native language is invaluable.

Money is best used to fund the experiences you want. Go try something fun. The kind that lights a fire in your heart.

Imagine if you spent 40 years maximizing your lower forms of wealth (money) at the expense of minimizing some higher form of wealth (experiences), and waited until your twilight years to recapture the experiences you had missed, it is only in vain.

Our goal should be to have a lot of money and a rich life experience.

When you come to the end of your life, would you rather be able to fondly recall the good times you spent with the people you cared about, or would you be satisfied that you didn't "waste time and money" on these "trivial" pursuits ?

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You must have peeled an onion, right?

 

When you peel the "onion" layer by layer, you will find that it has no core.

This is the opposite of the "avocado" personality, the "onion" personality.

As long as there is a little negative feedback from the outside world, it breaks down inside and feels bad.

There is this person, A.

A has always liked fashion. After graduation, she joined an internationally renowned clothing company and was employed in front-line sales.

When relatives and classmates knew that she had become a salesperson, they despise her because it seems degrading for a graduate student to be a salesperson, putting on shoes and trying on clothes for others!"

Some mean classmates deliberately came to the store to let her serve them, taking the opportunity to put her down.

Although her income was good, she couldn't stand the ridicule of others and chose to resign.

Then she went to a government agency and stayed in an administrative position for ten years.

And the colleagues who were "salesperson" like her at the beginning, one became a company executive and the other became a fashion blogger.

Looking at her boring life day after day, she began to regret it:

"If I didn't give up at the beginning and persisted, I don't know what will happen now?"

One is always the protagonist of his own, and he should not always play a supporting role in other people's dramas.

What others think is good may not be suitable for you; what others despise may not necessarily be wrong.

Others can only judge your life, but they will not pay for your sorrows and joys, let alone be responsible for your life. SO you are the one who can decide for yourself.

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After middle age: work hard for money , spend money sparingly, and save money steadily

 

Some time ago, there was such a topic on the Internet: "What did you understand in the past three pandemic years?"

Someone summed up the following four points:

1. You have to have a house, otherwise you won’t even have a place to stay during quarantine;

2. You have to have savings, and you can maintain your life for at least a period of time if you are unemployed;

3. Lying at home is not as comfortable as imagined, because you will be extremely anxious because you have no income;

4. The more the society develops, the more black swan events there will be. You must have the ability to fight against such uncertainties.

In fact, the conclusion is: you have to be rich.

Money can not only bring dignity and decency, but also the confidence to walk in the world.

In the second half of life, if you want to be self-sufficient in money, you must be ruthless in making money, save money in spending, and be steady in saving money.

1. Work hard for money

A relative of mine was an executive in a tech company a few years ago, and her life was prosperous.

The good times didn't last long, the industry declined, and the company where my relatives worked was on the verge of bankruptcy.

After losing her job, she couldn't find a job of the same position, and refused to lower herself, so she simply stayed at home for a few months.

During this period, a HR friend offered her an olive branch and asked her to work as an assistant to the CEO of a company.

She hesitated for several days, and finally refused.

When she thought about how old she was, she still had to serve tea and water for others, and be ordered by others, and she felt that her self-esteem couldn't stand it.

Not long after, there was an emergency in her family and a large sum of money was needed.

Looking back, I wanted to go to that HR friend for help, but there was no position suitable for her in his company. Life is like this. When you have money to make, you can't save face. If you want to make money with your head down, you have no chance.

"Self-esteem is the skin, making money is to feed the belly, which one is more important to you?"

2. Spend money sparingly

If you don't know how to control your desire to consume, then no matter how much money you earn, you can't keep up with the speed of spending it, and you will squander it sooner or later.

When you are young, you can be wilful to spend all the money you earn.

But when you enter the middle age, you have to consider the burden on you.

There are old people and young in your family, and there are mortgages and insurance premiums to be paid.

Every penny must be spent wisely, and it is even more important to habitually check the balance when going out to spend.

3. Save money

A happy life will not just fall from the sky. Only by learning to invest and save can we have the capital to support the future.

As you get older, the savings in your pocket are your reassurance and your booster.

There used to be a breakfast shop near my house, which was owned by an old couple.

Except for the Chinese New Year, I have never seen this stall rest.

Even when I catches the earliest bus and goes downstairs at five o'clock in the morning, the couple is already preparing for the day to start. Suddenly one day, the stall closed.

I learned from neighbors in the neighborhood that their daughter was admitted to a good university and found a good job after graduation.

The couple also decided to take a break and travel around the world.

I am very curious: going out to travel around the world without doing business should cost a lot of money, right?

Neighbours said that the couple had been silently saving money for so many years.

Not only they managed to help their daughter buy a house with the down payment, but also had enough money in my pocket to live a happy life in their later years.

After middle age, every sum of money you save is your happiness in your later years.

The more balance you have in your card, the easier it will be to live in the future.

A simple and practical "333 Little Rules for Saving Money" works:

Divide your monthly salary into three equal parts: living expenses, savings, and investment.

Save money in this way, no matter what, you can save at least one-third of your income every month.

Of course, the ratio can be adjusted appropriately according to the actual situation, but it is best to strictly implement it according to the plan every month.

Accumulate over a long period of time, gather less to make more, and in the end it is also a big gain.

You must believe that every penny you save is an umbrella to protect you from wind and rain in your later years, and will eventually give you the most fulfilling sense of security.

We used to think that talking about money was crude, but now we find that 99% of the sorrows in the world are related to money.

No amount of chicken soup can compare to the sense of security of a banknote.

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The Enneagram Personality You Should Know Yourself

Have you heard of the Enneagram? Which of the 9 personalities do you belong to?

In personality psychology, the Enneagram is one of the most practical and accurate tool to understand someone. Through the awareness of personality types, you can see the laws of your own thinking patterns, emotional patterns and behaviour patterns in the shortest time. This is an ancient wisdom, knowledge about personality classification, which has a history of more than 2,500 years.

The Enneagram reveals our innermost values. Maybe you want to ask, what's the point of knowing my Enneagram?

Discover yourself

The Enneagram is a unique tool for personal growth and self-transformation because it delves into our core values. Understanding what drives our behaviour allows us to observe our deep beliefs, attitudes and choices, gain a level of insight, discover who we really are, and clarify our purpose in life.

Type 1: Pursue justice. This type of personality is driven by strong principles and is extremely good. They yearn for a moral, just and good world. Some people make concerted efforts to reduce pollution; some people are meticulous about how to fold their towels and how to arrange their condiments.

Type 2: Pursue connections. Twos aspire to connect with others through love and nurturing relationships. They care about others and are good at identifying and meeting other people's needs.

Type 3: Pursue values. Threes aspire to shine, to be role models, and to demonstrate personal worth. Threes are confident and adaptable. There are many efficient and excellent people in the whole group of Threes, including business people, athletes, celebrities, and spiritual mentors.

Type 4: Seek approval. What drives Fours forward is the desire to know themselves thoroughly. They are very longing for the inner world and are willing to go deep into their emotions. In them, you can see a sense of tenacity and creativity.

Type 5: Seek clarity. Fives seek clarity and sufficient knowledge. These people have great insight and insight, and can bring together different ideas to generate new ideas, which are often very simple and amazing.

Type 6: Seek Guidance. Seeking guidance is the driving force behind the Six. Sixes at their best have a clear direction, trust themselves, and influence and lead others. Firm and steady, they are willing allies and powerful team builders.

Type 7: Seek freedom. The driving force behind Sevens is the pursuit of freedom and possibility, and based on this, Sevens are actually very easy people to get along with. They have a wide range of interests and love to try new things, and even something as simple as a trip to the Laundromat can seem like a big adventure to Sevens.

Type 8: Seek strength. The driving force behind Eights is a thirst for power and influence, they have an unbridled lifestyle, and they enjoy the risks in life. Because of this, they take a far-reaching way of doing things. Eights radiate energy that some call "leadership." Eights are actionists who value results and speak up.

Type 9: Seek harmony. The driving force behind Nines is the desire for harmony, the ability to see direct connections in all aspects of life. Nines feel a permanent inner peace and bring this peace and tranquillity into their dealings with the world. Their gift lies in making others feel at ease and creating a comfortable and pleasant environment.

Many described a sense of relief when they discovered their personality type. Most of us feel a sense of certainty when we finally know why we keep falling into the same hole. Through the Enneagram, we not only know that character flaws are not our fault, but we also gain some insight into our greatest possibilities and talents. Instead of berating ourselves for our shortcomings, we begin to appreciate the power of our true selves. We start to love ourselves for who we really are.

Recognize bad habits

Developing inner observation skills is a delicate matter, because our habits are directly manifested and cannot be noticed. From morning coffee to sleep, all of us are the product of our own habits every day. Our habits look from the outside as what we do every day in our lives; from the inside, they are dictated by our character.

Self-awareness dominates general self-knowledge, which is determined by personality type and personal life experiences. Self-knowledge is mostly unconscious, and when we just react instinctively without developing conscious thinking about the world around us, it can be difficult to make the right decisions to support our lives.

When you start to pay attention to these daily habits, to pay attention to what you are not doing subconsciously, you will hear the inner dialogue in your mind. Because of your habits, this conversation may have popped up everywhere in your life without you noticing it.

The words that pop into your head might be, "That's the way it is." You listen without judgment, without questioning. While your inner dialogue is unique, here is a list of common themes that each personality type has in unconscious dialogue.

Type 1: These people are highly self-critical, and their inner dialogue sounds a lot like what a parent would say. There's a strong sense of responsibility in it, and a lot of what they "have to" do in order to be a good person. The behavioural drive of Type Ones is largely driven by self-critical, responsible conversations.

Type 2: This type of person's internal dialogue often refers to people related to them. Twos' focus is on "others," focusing on their needs and how they can help. This makes them always take action, offer help, and hope that true love will come because of their efforts.

Type 3: These people are often unconsciously looking for ways to be the best they can be, no matter what they are doing. They listen to their families and take their advice—the advice that makes them successful. This allows Threes to get out and achieve in ways they find worthwhile.

Type 4: Immediately after taking an action or having an intimate conversation, Fours confirm their thoughts and think about what they would do out of feeling. This type of person's self-awareness is influenced by how they feel in the moment, and then they react based on their current self-perception—often negative comparisons or over-idealization.

Type 5: The inner dialogue of Fives is always looking for ways to learn more about a topic or situation, and always wanting to learn more. By digging deeper into knowledge, Fives hope to know enough to act confidently in the world.

Type 6: The inner workings of the Six is like a pendulum: swinging anxiously from side to side, always looking for the true source of safety, security, and guidance. Their anxiety-generated inner activity keeps them looking for a stable, safe place outside of themselves.

Type 7: Sevens are usually very positive in their self-talk, constantly finding fun and exhilarating excitement. Such people generally turn their minds quickly and seek satisfactory answers from all possibilities. They are not confined to small circles and are always looking for ways to find happiness.

Type 8: Eights have a habit of getting louder and louder in their inner dialogue, wanting every thought to sound bolder, tougher, and more confident. They make their inner dialogue confident and arrogant as a way to drown out the voices of sensitivity and doubt and assuage the fear that they are not strong enough.

Type 9: The Nines' internal dialogue is relatively positive ("I can do it, you can do it"), but also vaguely succumb to convention. They imagine good places in their current lives. This kind of conversation keeps them in a bubble of internal comfort, so they don't take big risks.

The first step to changing your inner self is to become aware of them. Aware of this, you can make a conscious effort to engage in some different self-talk to slowly change your internalized thoughts. This kind of change takes time, after all, you've lived your life the way you are for years. Studies have shown that changing any one habit can take months.

Enneagram also refers to nine personalities, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, so we can't say what the best ones are. Many people may think that the perfect personality is the best personality, but in fact the perfect personality refers to the desire of such people to pursue perfection. In other words, the perfect personality has the tendency to perfectionism.

Every personality type has both advantages and disadvantages, so we can find their own advantages in each personality.

The direction of integration (Growth)

1 → 7 → 5 → 8 → 2 → 4 → 1

The direction of disintegration (Stress)

3 → 6 → 9 → 3

The forward direction is the direction of personality sublimation, and the reverse direction is the direction of personality deterioration. For example, when a No. 2 is mentally healthy, the mental health characteristics of No. 4 will appear at the same time; if a No. 2 is mentally unhealthy, the mentally unhealthy characteristics of No. 8 will appear, and so on. The same is true in Article 2.

The integration direction of personality sublimation and the improvement performance of quality acquisition:

1 → 7: Let go of restraint, be tolerant and optimistic, dare to try, and get "cheerful";

7 → 5: Reduce impulsiveness, act calmly, think deeply, and gain "reason";

5 → 8: Be strong and courageous, be decisive and confident, do what you say, and gain "authority";

8 → 2: Warm and friendly, helpful, open-minded, and "innocent";

2 → 4: Persevere in your wishes, enjoy yourself, love others and yourself, and gain "humility";

4 → 1: Keeping one's own footing, distinguishing between right and wrong, objective and calm, and obtaining "balance";

3 → 6: Be responsible and careful, think twice, be loyal, and gain "loyalty";

6 → 9: Go with the flow, let go of anxiety, convince others, and gain "trust";

9 → 3: Clear goals, diligent and positive, self-challenge, and gain "decisiveness".

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The key to improving efficiency is not "time management", but ?

Manage energy, not time. 

People have a hard time managing their time, so the easiest way to be more productive is to learn to manage your energy and use all means to focus your energy on the most important tasks you want to accomplish.

When it comes to life-changing types of productivity, it's even more important to focus on your energy.

Think about ordinary people in today's society, what words would you use to describe them? Exhausted.

Why do we all seem so tired, busy, stressed, empty, and the same? Because we don't properly control our energy. We don’t pay much attention to how we organize our lives, how we treat our bodies, and how we interact with others in order to be more energetic.

Don't understand what I mean? Hear me explain

Why Your Efficiency Can't Be Improved

You probably have some kind of distant goal for your life, you want to start a business, you want to be a writer, you want to be an artist, you want to switch careers,etc.

It's not that you don't have the skills to succeed, you have it; it's not that you don't have the drive to move forward, you have it; it's not that the goal you want to achieve is inherently difficult, no. It's just time consuming.

I use the word "time consuming" because it expresses what happens when you take time to do something. It consumes energy. The less energy you have, the harder it will be to achieve a big goal.

When you commute an hour to work, then work eight hours while also taking care of your family (if you have one), making time with friends, and running errands, it's not surprising that you're not very motivated. With so many things to do every day, how can you still have the passion to pursue the goal above it all?

If you want to properly manage your energy, then you need to understand this:

Not all tasks are created equal.

People burn out because they fall down on the altar of efficiency and want to get everything done. Instead, you should focus your energy on the most important things in your life, put everything else second, and be willing to give up some things halfway through.

How did I manage my energy when I started my blog?

I usually write in the morning, not because I want to develop a morning habit. Who wants to get up early? I write in the morning because I know how my energy works. My day job requires both deep work, creative thinking and mundane administrative tasks.

I know I have to focus on deep work for the first 3-5 hours of the day because my "engine" stops running after that. So I spend 1-2 hours writing in the morning, then focus 2-3 hours on work, and then go to lunch.

I usually don't eat greasy food at noon. I don't look down on people who do this, just because these foods make me feel lazy and useless in the afternoon.

The afternoons are spent dealing with chores and then either going home or going to the gym, which I work out about 3 times a week. During the few days I was working out, I skipped home and went straight to the gym because I knew going home would create negative inertia. I'm pretty tired almost every time I go to the gym, but I'm going to work out anyway and I'm refreshed when it's over.

This gives me energy to spend with my family next, and the days off give me time to recover.

See what's going on here? Habits are not special in themselves, what matters is how you use them to direct your energy to a task or a goal.

Think about the things in your life where you spend unnecessary energy? How can you adjust to bring your life closer to the state you want? Let's take a look at some suggestions that might help.

Remove resistance in your life

Do you ever feel like you're very active, but actually don't do much?

This is irritating. You feel exhausted and don't know why. You feel this way because you let chores, annoyances, and other frivolous folly drain your energy.

Some of the countermeasures I took were:

• Set all your bills to pay automatically so you don't have to waste time paying them yourself

• I do chores in batches. I'd rather spend the whole day working on a whole batch than having to deal with a little chore every day.

• I learned to delegate more things.

• I have almost no interruptions for the first four hours of the day. No hanging out. No social media.

In your case, you want to think about what you've done, but you don't really need to, because there are so many. Once you realize that productivity is about the real results you create, not just staying active, you'll understand how much energy you're wasting and will learn to say "no" more.

The more you say no, the more energy you put into the task.

Pay attention to your diet

Changing my eating habits has had a huge impact on my efficiency.

Many people start the morning with a cup of coffee, cream, candy, or a carb-heavy snack like a donut. madness. Coffee itself is kosher, but eating a bunch of sugar can send your body's glucose levels surging.

Likewise, from a judgmental standpoint I can care less about your habits. What we're talking about here is usefulness.

There is a strong link between physical health and work productivity. You get that, but do we actually take it to heart or just talk about it?

I slept 8-10 hours a day and started intermittent fasting because I found my brain was clearer when I wasn't full. Now I eat between 1pm and 7pm and do yoga every day. I don't "diet" but eat a lot of protein and vegetables.

It's all about managing my energy. Of course, I want to look good and live longer, but honestly, I just do it to achieve my goals.

This is a great way to think about habits. You want to connect them to a higher purpose—a real desire that means a lot to you. A lot of people read productivity-enhancing articles and then become indifferent to the information they receive because there is no real reason for them to stick with it.

Take care of yourself so you can serve others while completing your own tasks.

Filter the surrounding information

Pay less attention to news and current affairs. After applying this seemingly simple trick, my energy skyrocketed. Some big things still affect me. It wasn't until I stopped following the media that I realized how negative the media was.

Sharing useless articles won't help you change the world, it's counterproductive. Stay away from that nonsense. This also applies to the people around you, negative people sucking your energy, sad and depressed people infecting you. Whether or not you can avoid it is up to you. I'm sure some of the people you care about are taking your life. Will you risk drowning trying to save them?

The world is full of nonsense. So I often immerse myself in an old novel, spending time with just a few like-minded people.

If you spend too much time in the virtual world, it drains your energy and erodes your soul. When looking at the way society works in terms of draining energy, opting out of it all makes sense.

You don't get more energy as you age. Not that you can't chase your dreams when you're old, but it's a lot harder then, so people have midlife crises. Not because they don't have time, but because they don't have the energy.

I'm 30 years old and I'm going to give it my all for the next thirty years because I only have so long. And time flies faster than I thought.

Let's start now.

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