Book Review: The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
"The enemy of peace of mind is expectations drilled into you by society and other people." - Naval
Recently we finished reading "The Almanack of Naval Ravikant" by Eric Jorgenson. It is a compilation of his wisdom from Twitter, Podcasts, Essays etc. over the years. And we must say, it is a must read!
I call Naval ‘the Angel Philosopher’ and the Almanack shows why. Packed with unforgettable wisdom and penetrating insights, your mental gears will be working overtime.” - Shane Parrish, Founder of Farnam Street
In this review, we want to discuss a part we loved the most "Learning Happiness".
Naval says Happiness is a skill which can be learned by building good habits. Essentially, you have to go through life replacing bad habits with good ones and make a commitment to be a happy person. It all boils down to how consistent you are in your habits and the people you spend most of your time with.
He goes on to sharing Happiness Habits which is listed below:
Meditate
Be aware of your thoughts: Whenever you begin to judge someone, stop yourself and ask one positive interpretation out of the entire episode.
Get some sunlight
Every time you desire something, ask yourself, "Is it so important that I'll be unhappy unless I get it?"
Drop Caffeine (A difficult one)
Work out everyday to clear your mind
Tell others you are a happy person. The more you force that, it will lead to have a consistency bias
Digital Minimalism - No exceptions - all screen activities linked to less happiness, all non-screen activities linked to more happiness
Have less secrets
How much of your day is spent out of obligation rather out of interest?
Less involvement in politics
Read more and hang out with happy people
Keep a low identity
The question is How do You Change Habits?
Pick one thing.
Plan your actions and path.
Tell your friends.
Track meticulously.
Be Self-Disciplined.
"First, you know it. Then, you understand it. Then, you can explain it. Then, you can feel it. Finally, you are it." - Naval
We highly recommend this book. You can buy it here.
Until next time….