We think success is being famous or having money or power. But is it really?
Let’s get down to the core drives for the human animal:
- Autonomy - having control over how you spend each day
- Purpose - spending your time contributing to something that matters outside of yourself
- Self-actualization - being the best you can be, striving for betterment
- Community - belonging to a group
- Security
That’s pretty much it.
I don’t see any of these needing money or fame or success or 1,000,000 Tipton rollers to achieve.
In fact, I see the trappings of success opposing these natural human drives.
Look at any famous person or rich person or powerful person and more often than not you'll see a stressed-out individual.
Mo Money Mo Problems said the late Biggie Smalls.
I sense Biggie was someone pulled into the “rap game” begrudgingly.
I also think the same could be said of Tupac, his rival. For Tupac, I'm sure he struggled with his bad-boy gangster image and the poet/philosopher/artist that he was deep down inside. It just wasn't cool to be an artist in the hood during the 90s, especially if you were in the rap game.
Today I want to analyze the fundamental human drives and show how money, fame, and power can hinder their pursuit.
The Daily 6
Daily tip or recommendation:
Use mind maps to brainstorm.
Daily book recommendation:
Fiction - this isn’t a book, but a category recommendation. I know many Type A personalities that don’t read fiction. I always tell them they are missing out on one of the greatest self-development and success hacks there is. I bet I’ve learned more from reading fiction than non-fiction and I’ve read hundreds of non-fiction books over the years.
Daily health tip:
Daily reading practice before you go to bed. This is the perfect way to wind down and if you struggle to fall asleep, get into bed 1 hour before bedtime and read in low light, ideally orange glow, candlelight, or dimmable light.
Daily Cooking Tip:
Build a routine with your family around cooking and get the entire family involved.
Daily thoughts about money:
Be scrappy. With YouTube, things like the free section on Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, you can probably repair 90% of the things you try to replace.
Pour over invoices. Challenge every charge. Always double-check receipts. The amount of overcharging that goes on is insane. I guesstimate it’s multiple billions a year in money that people lose by not paying attention to their bank accounts.