Thread by @warikoo

7 equations for living life

A thread...

Equation #1
Failure + Reflection = Learning

When we says that failure leads to learning, it is a lie.
Everyone fails in their life.
But not everyone learns something from their failure.

There is something between failure and learning, that exists.

It is reflection.
Reflecting on what happened.

Q1:
What did I not know back then, that I know today?

Q2:
What belief did I have back then, that I know is not true today?

Equation #2
Discipline + Progress = Motivation

Progress is a critical component for motivation. If we do not measure our progress, or worse measure the wrong movement, we will eventually lose motivation, EVEN IF we are actually progressing.

It is like going to the gym without any mirrors, any weighing scale and any measuring tapes.

EVEN IF you show up everyday and are getting fit, you will eventually quit.
Because you can't FEEL progress.

Equation #3
Consistency + Authenticity = Personal brand

Your personal brand is the emotion generated in others, when they think of you. The values you stand for.
And with that definition, EVERYONE out there has a personal brand.
It is the reach, that differs.

Your brand gets built by what you do consistently, to the extent of becoming predictable,
and what you do authentically, to the extent that people see the same you, irrespective of where they see you.

If you are unpredictable, or put up a façade, your brand will become just that

Equation #4
Wealth = Freedom

You are not wealthy if you have money.
You are wealthy if you have freedom.

Freedom of choices, freedom of how to spend your time, freedom of who to listen to or not, what to do or not.

Money buys you things.
Things buy you desire.
Desire buys you dissatisfaction.
Dissatisfaction get you to chase more money.

And the circle never stops.

Wealth buys you contentment.

Equation #4
Courage + Non-obvious choices = non-obvious outcomes

Obvious choices, even with courage will lead to obvious outcomes.
Non-obvious choices but with fear, will lead to regret or impatience.
Fear + Obvious choices = we all know how that goes!

We change orbits only when we act with courage and resist the choices that majority would take in the same circumstances that we are in.

Equation #5
Excuse != Outcome

If we are late for something, we apologize and then share the reason for being late.
As if that excuse will lead to the right outcome.

If we make a mistake, we try and explain why we did it.
As if that will fix the mistake.

An excuse is NOT the outcome.
It is not what will fix things.

When things go wrong, apologize.
Do not ruin an apology with an excuse.

Equation #6
Your content + your network + your time = your opportunities

A network alone will not lead to opportunities.
It has to be combined with the content you consume (books, media) to see how this network can be put to use.
And then your own time has to be invested.

Your time will nurture the network, deliberate upon the content and evaluate the opportunities.

Without the content and your time, your network is simply a group of individuals working in all directions.

Equation #7
Choices in life = everything!

The worst part of living life is living one with no choices.
We might not have choices, or might be led to believe that we have none!

That feeling of helplessness is the worst one to get out of.

Create choices!
Our mind seeks comfort in choices. It seeks comfort in knowing it has control. Even if illusionary.

If we have choices in life, or we can create choices in life, we have a way of dealing with almost everything!

The beauty of math is that it simplifies what was otherwise abstract or complex.

Life equations serve the same purpose.
An attempt to reduce life's complexity to a simple equation.

Which leads to my favorite life equation

Any life equations you have to share with all of us?