The Wisdomous – Personal Philosophy and How to work the DMs.

Hey Wisdomous friends, 

I hope you are well; my weekend is always a success if I get to sit down and work on a project – last week, I shipped theparrotsguide.com – not yet perfect, but in my world – we create and then iterate.

This weekend, I was pondering on My Personal Philosophy. If it is the first time that you encounter that, here is a good definition :

A personal philosophy is a set of guiding principles that we live by. It influences everything from the words you say, to the steps you take, to the items you will and will not purchase at the store. And individuals conceptualize philosophies in many ways. For example, some think of them as filters to sift all thoughts and actions through. Some think of them as guiding paths, a yellow brick road that you shouldn’t stray from. And others consider them a whisper in the back of their head–always reminding and keeping them conscious. Ultimately, through all of these, the goal is to align your thoughts, words, and actions that make them unmistakably true to you and lead you on a path to success.

In layman’s term: Personal + Philosophy.

Personal = For Self.

Philosophy = The most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group.

Q: How do I build a Personal Philosophy?

A: Determine your approach to living your ideal life.

Let’s take my example:

My Ideal life: I am a father, I write and teach for a living, and I spend a lot of time with my kids.

With that idea set. I want to find a partner who gets it and wants to build that life with me. I want to optimize my life to be a Stay-At-Home-Dad, which means stacking up the cash in my 20s or optimizing to work from home as a Dad.

Picturing my Ideal life keeps me grounded. I know what I don’t want and what I need to do to feel at ease and happy. I want a zen household full of love, good energy, books and kids, plus I have 2 dimples that I have to pass on to my daughters, future Miss Rwanda 2048 and 2050.

Now the ball is in your park,

1. What is your ideal life?

2. Which beliefs, concepts, and attitudes do you need to build it?

If you can answer those 2 questions – That is your Personal Philosophy.

Give it a try; I am not naive to ignore the absurdities and woes of life. It may not go according to our plan but It is definitely worth it.

Find it too hard? Please drop me a text, and I’ll help you walk the journey.

Nuggets

• “You need three things to change your life. Number one, create useful content. Number two, post it once a week. And number three, do that for two years. And if you do that, I can 100% guarantee that your life will change in ways that you can’t imagine.” – Ali Abdaal.

• Passions are not found. They are developed.

• You have a million excuses. Write anyway.

• Endorse Ideas, Not people.

I wrote

The Man In The Arena: I am ordering a frame from my room, and it has that portion of the speech.

I read

• 3 lasting lessons from the man who mentored Tony Robbins: If you can find a way to do more for others in your company, more for the employees, more for the clients than anybody else, your gifts will make room for you. But to do that, you’ve got to build skills.

• Solving the Quality vs Consistency Tradeoff: Every creator wrestles with the tradeoff between quality and consistency. The answer – Default to consistency, and cut scope

Tools & Tips

The Art Of Sliding in DMs.

Well, I have to be honest that I have slid in some in the past, and I still see people who slide in mine the wrong way – so brace yourself; here is how to work the DMs.

1. Don’t just “Hey/Hello” to someone you don’t know. Add some context.

2. Start with the “why” you are writing and give before you ask. Bring Value proposition.

3. How many minutes will you give a stranger on the streets? Isn’t that what we are at that stage? Be straight to the point and brief.

4. Don’t Insist. Stop or change the approach – Desperate isn’t a good look in your wardrobe.

5. Don’t take it personally. It’s not about you – It is about them. You did your part. If It’s a loss – it is theirs.

PS: Okay, time to hit the Studio and release “Down In The DM – Clean Version.”

For Fun

For your ears :

• The Light by Richard Walters.

• Over It by Braille Face.

• Joy by Katie Melua.

• Broken Bird by Daniel Docherty.

• Danny by Mabes.

For your eyes :

• The Man Who Sold His Skin: How much are we willing to sacrifice for a better life? In this one, Sam loans his back as a canvas for a Schengen Visa. The cinematography is superb.

• The Year Earth Changed: 2020 was the worst for us due to Covid-19, but it is a year where nature and animals cheered. David Attenborough narrates it. His voice is amazing.

If you enjoyed this week’s edition, forward this to a friend. 

Till next week, 

Stay safe and sound!