Reader Beppe posted in StrongLifts.com Forum:
About lifestyle matters: a thing I really appreciate about your blog is that it is not just a great source of information about health, nutrition and strength training, but also about life and motivation.
The “crabs” and “expectations” posts are helping me in this phase with annoying people and boss that demands extras.
Have you some suggestions on good reads about alternative sources of income and self employment (I started reading the 4-hour workweek)?
Recommended Reading. Here are some of the books that I read, and that I recommend you to read too if you want to become self-employed.
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. This book gave a name to what I was experiencing: “rat race”. I don’t agree with some of the how’s, but the comparison of self-employment vs. employment is good.
- Law of Success by Napoleon Hill. ““Nothing can bring you success but yourself”. This book builds the right mindset: confidence, leadership, concentration, co-operation, persistence, etc. Hill’s promise: once you’ve made the 15 lessons your own, you’ll be ready to achieve your goals. I wouldn’t be doing this today without this book.
- Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell. Debunks myths people have on opportunities: that you need money, luck, skills or whatever to succeed. Conwell’s points: there are still plenty of opportunities, you can find them right where you are, and it’s easier today than yesterday. You can download this one for free at Project Gutenberg.
- Awareness by Anthony De Mello. People often think that money is key to happiness. Nothing is worse than doing a job you hate for years just because of the paycheck. Awareness will open your eyes on life.
Quick Tips. Let people/boss continue to annoy you, it will motivate you to find something else. Choose something that you LIKE to do, not because you think there’s less competition or because it could make more money.
Read everything you come across. Work on your project daily, even if it’s only 30mins. Build experience. Analyze & track everything. Help people out. Persist. Overcome failure. Persist. Stay confident & focused. Persist.
I see what you did there.
Build brain muscles !!!
Also from Robert Kiyosaki “Before You Quit Your Job” - A great book about taking the plunge into self employment/running your own business and a few things to consider before and after you do it.
Anything by Andrew Matthews. Specifically a book called “Follow Your Heart”
Learn how to invest. Financial knowledge is critical in the modern world yet the vast majority of people spend zero effort educating themselves. I basically retired at age 37. Buying shit is overrated. Having freedom, flexibility and independence is underrated. You decide, it’s your choice.
I think it’s about time I buy Awareness. This is the 50th time I’ve had it recommended to me.
A book I have to recommend, if you haven’t read it already, is the recent phenomena, Randy Pausch’s ‘The Last Lecture’. A simple man’s “how to live your life.” It focuses on cliche’s and mantra’s we’ve all heard before, but he picks the ones that are right on the money. In all that simplicity lies some very powerful advice that comes across in a big way.
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. Many people feel you need to have a lot of money saved to travel. Many people put travel off until they are too old to do it, or enjoy it. The truth is, you can go traveling for quite a few months on a few thousand dollars. South America and South-East Asia are two places the dollar(or Euro) go a long ways. Travel while you are young and can enjoy it most. The real world will be waiting for you when, or if, you decide to return.
Thank you Mehdi, You blog is a source of inspiration in my daily life.
No book to recommend just a neat thing to post that I think coincides with some of the books listed and other comments…
Giving Your Life Away
Sometimes the greatest lessons in life come at the oddest moments. One of mine came when I was helping to harvest our gardens as a boy. We had four of them and they took a lot of work. In the fall, however, they produced more than enough vegetables for the whole year. Every year my Dad would separate a part of them to share with friends and people in the community. One time while we were loading up a bag full of corn to take to a needy family I asked my Dad why we always gave so many of our vegetables away. He said, “Son, not everyone has as much as we do. They can use our help. Besides, if we didn’t give these vegetables away they would just go to waste.” Now that I have been on this world a lot longer, I can see the wisdom in my Dad’s words. I can see too that they apply not just to vegetables but also to our entire lives.
What good are our lives, after all, if we don’t give them away? What good are the things we have if they just go to waste? We all come into this world naked and shivering with nothing. We can take nothing with us when we leave here either. Our lives and possessions then are only momentary gifts. They have meaning only when we share them and use them to help others.
In fact, the real riches of life come from every act of giving, helping, and sharing we do. These true riches are love, joy, and oneness with God. They are the wealth of the spirit and the treasures of Heaven. The best thing about them too is that they never run out. The more you give them away, the more God pours them into your heart, soul, and mind.
Don’t let your life go to waste. Give it away. Give it joyously in service to others. Give it lovingly in service to God. Give your money, your time, your talents, your help, your skills, your energy, and your love. Give without fear knowing that God will always give you back even more. Make yourself rich in the treasures of Heaven and bring a little Heaven to Earth as well.
~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~
That’s funny you posted this article today; my mom just bought me a 1981 book on the subject from a used book sale. It’s Bodybuilding: The Weider Approach. Im not sure how it is yet but if anyone has read it I would love to know if it is good.
Thanks for posting this. This is what I wanted.
The Alchemist by Paul Coelho. It’s a great little novel about following your dreams. I highly recommend it.
I’m currently reading ‘Think and grow rich’ by Napoleon Hill. It’s makes some very motivational reading I’ll tell you!
@Sarah-Anne I agree with you. As much as I enjoy reading these kinds of books I can’t help but think the authors are just a little to obsessed with financial success. But really, money should just be a means to an end, not the end itself.
You become what you think about, and do, the most. As Tony also says, The Alchemist is good too.
First thing that I am impressed by the fact that you do what you like. Most of us are afraid to do so especially in a country like mine(India) where our parents want us to become doctors and engineers. You can’t imagine how much pressure we are under “to succeed” in life.
Anyways I would like to recommend(like most of the people) “The Alchemist” by Paul Coelho.
Best of luck for your future endeavours.
its great to have some inspiratation! I am trying to make it as an American Gladiator (on NBC monday 9/8-watch for me)! if you have any suggestions let me know.
Damnation, not a SINGLE book you listed, not ANY books by those authors are carried in my local libraries. And I live in London. Ridiculous. No matter, I will still succeed. I’ve read Think and Grow Rich to rags. Amazon second hand books here I come!
ps, Deepak, I hear you buddy, I’m Sri Lankan, I understand. I don’t know how old you are, but if you’re 21 or over, you know you could simply LEAVE and follow your own calling. There’s nothing to stop you. If your family shuns you, so what? You did nothing wrong. When you become a success with your name in the papers etc, see how the ‘haters’ welcome you back!
Good luck.
ps no2., THINK AND GROW RICH IS AVAILABLE FOR 100% FREE DOWNLOAD ON THE NET!!!!
Just in case you didn’t know
You can have this book in COMPLETE orginal unedited edn INSTANTLY. Just google free download Napoleon Hill or something like that. Cheers. Enjoy the life changing read.