If you are anything like me, then you will have read and loved Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck when it originally was published in 2016. Three years since that time, the book is still picking up speed and popularity for its general message of there being big benefits from taking a more casual, laid back approach to life that doesn’t involve getting so caught up in every single ounce of business possible. If it passed you by the first time around, then here are the best lessons to learn from The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck!
The secret to having a good life is not trying to be THE best, but instead just TRYING to be your best. It isn’t healthy or realistic to try to reach the success of people far above you in terms of experience or talent, so try to find more intimate and meaningful happiness in your own little universe instead.
Comparing yourself constantly with others can take a toll on your self-esteem and overall happiness. Focus on your own progress and celebrate the small victories. Everyone has a different path in life, and personal improvement is what counts. Keep in mind that every step forward, no matter how small, is a victory in itself. Embrace who you are and give yourself the credit you deserve for the efforts you put into becoming the best version of you. Your journey is about personal growth, not a competition.
Less really is more in pretty much every area of life. If you try too hard to have your fingers in all of life’s pies at the same time, you are just going to end up overwhelmed and with messy hands! Focus on the things that you do have right now rather than caring too much about getting more.
Making comparisons between yourself and other people is just a waste of time because no two people in the world have the same attitude or the same experience or the same circumstances. Imagine what you could do with your life if you took all of that energy spent looking at others and turned it inwards.
Simply wanting and longing for something to be better isn’t a way to actually make it better. We all want things, but it is only those determined few who can get past that stage and actually start putting plans together who actively make change.
It's easy to fall into the trap of dreaming without doing; the mind's comfort zone where action is a stranger. But remember, desires without direction lead nowhere. As we navigate life's complexities, it’s the grit to move beyond mere wishful thinking that sets the achievers apart. Whether it's career goals, personal development, or relationships, taking the first step towards strategy and execution is crucial. Think of it as an internal wake-up call — an urge to switch from 'if only' to 'let's do this.' And that's where actual progress begins.
We all experience life differently, and it is important that you accept your own experiences and use them to further your life, rather than trying to pretend you are somebody different. Living a lie like that is just too damn exhausting.
Sometimes, you spend so much time searching for an unknown happiness that you forget to stop and realize that is usually always already there. It’s the whole ‘the grass is always greener’ attitude, and it is never helpful.
The goal isn’t to try to sail through life without ever having a negative experience at all, but rather to take these negative experiences when they arise and turn them into valuable learning lessons for the future.
Come on, this isn’t high school anymore, you need to stop caring about ‘fitting in’. Every single person in the world is an individual, and happiness comes when you can accept that and start to embrace the differences rather than trying to iron them out.
It might sound morbid, but the fact of the matter is that we are all on the same path when it comes to the end of our lives! Life is too short to spend too much time worrying about being perfect, so just enjoy what you have now and don’t waste time restricting or changing yourself.