In short, I conceive that great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by the false estimates they have made of the value of things, and by their giving too much for their whistles.
2. Be Self-Sufficient
Franklin’s penchant for self-reliance also led him to learn how to make his own meals (using the money saved on boarding costs to buy more books), and perhaps most importantly, it helped propel his career as a printer.
At the time, there was no foundry in America that made casting type, which was crucial for the printer’s trade.
So instead of purchasing the equipment from England and waiting for it to arrive, Franklin initially crafted his own type.
3. Invest in Yourself
If you want to have more time and money in the long-term, then in the short-term you need to invest some of your money, and a lot of your time, in yourself
Franklin invested in himself by becoming a voracious reader; all of his spare money and time went to accumulating as much knowledge about the world as possible;
By wisely managing his expenditures in these vital departments of life, Franklin created a future for himself where it was possible for a man who had only a few years of formal education to become a world-renowned writer, scientist, and diplomat.
4. Franklin was much more judicious about whom he associated with,
and spent his life seeking out those who shared his high values and forming mutual self-improvement groups which could challenge each other’s ideas and help elevate each other’s hearts and minds.
5. While Benjamin Franklin had great ambitions to rise in the world, he was unwilling to compromise his integrity in order to do so.
For Franklin, the key to being able to choose principles over filthy lucre was to not end up so enslaved to luxury that you become willing to do anything to maintain your lifestyle.
6. Franklin’s was not an overnight success story;
it took him a decade to move from runaway, to apprentice in many printing shops and houses both Stateside and in London, to opening his own shop, and turning it into a profitable business.
During that time he lived a spartan lifestyle and was far more industrious than any of his competitors.
Thus he encouraged others to realize their ambitions as he had, with patient, steady efforts.
7. It was Franklin who first promulgated this famous phrase.
Yet Franklin understood that wisely using one’s time was essential to building one’s wealth, and that the more wealth you acquired, the more of your passions you would be free to pursue.
By hustling his colonial butt off, Franklin was able to retire from the printing business at age 42, leaving the next half of his life open for doing whatever he wished.
8. For Franklin the whole point of gaining wealth and developing virtue was not to live a life of luxury nor to become a moral prude.
But to allow oneself to grow into the kind of man who had the character, wisdom, and time to become an involved and upright citizen and able to serve others.
4 Books That Every Entrepreneur Should Read:
1. The Art of War, by Sun Tzu 2. Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius 3. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin 4. The Art of public speaking, by Dale Carnegie
Read for 1-2 hours a day and you'll be in the top 1% of society.
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Start reading 100 mental models.
With the help of books, cards, maps, quotes, audiobook,... it will internalize mental models in your head so that you will use them automatically.
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We all want to know the secret to success, but the reality is that there are so many factors that go into what makes one truly successful.
But of course, there’s more to success than just keeping your nose to the grindstone. Maintaining a solid mindset can go a long way towards helping you stay on the path to success.
Here are five ways to boost your mindset mojo for success today.
10 Ways to Cultivate a Positive Mindset and Change Your Life
|Mindset Thread:
“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”
~Buddha
1. Seek positive friends.
A negative social circle will act as an echo chamber for bad ideas. A positive social circle will also act as an echo chamber, but one that supports your dreams, so choose your friends carefully.
16 Inspiring Traits of Winners from the Book "No Limits" by Michael Phelps
=Thread
Michael Phelps is currently a record-holding swimmer who won 8 gold medals in a single Olympics. He has broken many world records, won over 20 world championship medals and around 16 Olympic medals.
"No Limits" by Michael Phelps is a book for Dreamers, for those who dare to think big and believe in what they think.