The Best Decisions You Can Make In Life
During the course of your life, you'll be faced with some decisions that will completely change the way you experience what time you have on this planet. Even though most decisions are reversible, they will still have a great impact on your life. These are what we believe to be the best decisions you could ever make in life.
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First up, moving to a place that allows you to grow. There's the place where you grow up, and then there's the place that you settle in eventually. But somewhere in between, there's this little place where you grow up. When you leave your parents' house, you don't have much of a choice about the place you end up in. Maybe it's the city where your college is, maybe you move somewhere for work, or a place where starting your adult life from scratch is a little bit easier.
But at some point, you'll be in a position where you have the means and the space to decide where to move purely based on if that new place is good for you. Maybe it's a place that'll be perfect for raising your kids. Maybe it's somewhere closer to the sea and you end up having a healthier lifestyle. Maybe it's close to the mountains, and you discover the beauty of hiking in nature and fresh air.
The point is, the decision to move to a place because it's good for you will always, always be a great decision to make.
Figuring out money as soon as possible. The reality is, for as long as we keep existing, the world will run on money. That's just facts. At the end of the day, there's nothing in this world you can do without money.
But, a walk in the park doesn't cost money. True, but the rent for a place in a city that has a park; that does. The same way, it doesn't cost anything to watch a movie at home—besides, you know, having a TV, a Netflix subscription, an internet bill, and an electricity bill—that's assuming that you even have the home already.
You see, it's pretty ignorant, in our opinion, at least, to think you can figure out life without figuring out money first. That's because there are two kinds of problems: There are money problems—things like food, clothing, rent, education, and so on—and life problems—things like finding your purpose, your passions, who you are, stuff like that.
When we say figuring out money, we don't mean becoming filthy rich and having more money than you can count. We mean having enough so you don't have to worry about monthly bills, or vacations, or where you send your kids to college, or if you can afford surgery, or a safer car for your family. So, figuring out money is paramount.
The decision to truly commit to something. There's this clip of Seth Rogan from a couple of months ago where he said, "If you don't quit, you might make it. But if you do quit, you definitely won't." It's a simple and very powerful truth. Great things take time and commitment.
Most of the time, even after you've examined all of the analytics and calculated everything there is to calculate, you still can't be sure. Nobody really knows how things are going to play out in the end. The only thing you can do is decide if you're going to stick with it until the end or not.
That project you started? It might become a successful business, or it might end up in the never-ending graveyard of failed startups. That new job you got? It might kickstart your career, or you might end up in a dead-end job with no way out and a hard ceiling above you.
The point is, the only way to know how well it's going to play out in the end is to be there. And look, we cannot tell you what to fully commit to, besides the obvious things like committing to staying healthy or committing to a learner's mentality. Because last time we checked, committing to being healthy has zero drawbacks, and there's no way it can play out wrong for you.
Back to the point, though. You need to be ready to fully commit to something you deem worth committing to.
Who you keep close and who you keep far away. Habits and mentalities have this tendency to rub off from person to person. You don't really have a choice in who you spend time with when you're growing up, because you're limited to your immediate area. But after that, well, choosing who you spend your time with and who you don't greatly impacts your view on life.
And this isn't limited to people and physical spaces; it also means what type of content you consume, what accounts you follow online, what podcasts you're listening to, what books you read, what movies you watch, and so on. You see, your time, in its most basic form, is spent one of two ways: input or output.
Input means you spend your time consuming something others made. This includes anything from Twitter threads and headlines to listening to a conversation. Output, on the other hand, means using your time to create. Create something, and it includes anything from cooking breakfast to sharing an idea.
The thing is, your input greatly affects your output. Negative inputs result in negative outputs. In other words, if you hang out with miserable people and consume negative content, well, there's a good chance you'll end up being miserable too, with an incredibly pessimistic view of life.
And that's just not worth it. Some people will lift you up, and some people will tear you down. So, choose the people you hang out with wisely.
Putting in the effort to fix a pain. Everyone, at some point, has some kind of baggage they carry with them, slowing them down like a never-ending pain that keeps coming back every now and then. What we found is that putting in the effort to fix that pain is always worth it.
You see, people aren't always really who they say they are. They're either who they make an effort to be or who they let themselves be. Making an effort to be the person you want to be is so ironically hard.
For example, if you're overweight and your health and well-being are gravely affected by it, you first have to come to terms with that fact, which is inconvenient because you admit you failed to take care of yourself properly. Then you have to make an effort to lose weight, and going to the gym at your stage can feel kind of embarrassing. Maybe you're self-conscious.
Or, if you end up in a financially bad situation, well, you first have to admit to yourself that you are not good with money, which is never fun. It never feels good. And digging yourself out of poverty? Well, that's a very doable but difficult task.
But the point remains: If you have a pain that keeps chipping away at your mental space, make the effort and go fix it.
The decision to be happy now. Contrary to popular belief, happiness is not the absence of sadness. Instead, happiness comes from accomplishment and the sense of meaning, sprinkled in with people and memories.
You see, when you manage to achieve something you put your mind to, you get this great sense of satisfaction and well-being. And that achievement can be anything you deem worthy for you. It can be something as simple as sticking to a basic routine in the morning, like always making your bed after you wake up, or as complicated as being on the cover of a magazine of the most influential people in any given industry.
The feeling is the same at its core. On top of that, the sense of meaning comes from something that really matters to you, like being a great friend or a great teacher or being a part of something bigger than you. When you actively pursue these two things, and you do it with other people and create memories in the process, well, that is when happiness comes to you.
Being a pillar of light for others. One of the most fulfilling decisions you can make is becoming a beacon of light for others in their moment of darkness. By doing so, you don't just influence others positively; you also create a meaningful connection that elevates your sense of purpose.
When you lift others, guide them, or simply provide them with emotional support, you'll find the satisfaction and warmth it brings are unmatched. It's about making the conscious decision to not just focus on your journey but to also be an essential part of someone else's journey, enriching both of your lives in the process.
Building something from scratch. There's an indescribable fulfillment in starting something from nothing and watching it grow, whether it's a business, a project, or any form of creation. Deciding to build something from scratch brings out the innovator in you. It allows you to channel your creativity, determination, and problem-solving skills directly into something tangible and rewarding.
It's not always about the success or the endpoint, but rather the journey, the learning, and the experience of creation itself that makes the decision so impactful.
Being a mentor and a mentee. Life is a continuous learning journey, and one of the powerful decisions to make is to both be a mentor and a mentee. As a mentor, you share your knowledge, experience, and wisdom, helping others to avoid the pitfalls that you encountered. It's a rewarding relationship where you get to make significant impacts on someone else's life and career.
But on the flip side, being a mentee means acknowledging that there's always room for growth and improvement. Having a mentor allows you to learn, gain new perspectives, and be guided by someone who's walked the path you wish to tread. It's a mutual relationship of respect, learning, and development.
And finally, leaving things better than how you found them. Make a decision to always leave things better than how you found them—be it situations, places, or relationships. This isn't just about improvement but also about responsibility and respect.
By doing so, you're contributing positively to the world, adding value, and making a difference. It's a principle that, when applied in life, becomes a guide toward more meaningful, respectful, and purposeful living. Like the saying goes, "Plant a tree, even if you don't end up staying in its shade."
We hope you learned something valuable here today. Alexir, what decisions have you made that greatly impacted your life? We're curious to know. With that said, we'll see you back here tomorrow for the Sunday motivational video.