Distilled Wisdom for an Inspired Life: Nine Principles to Become Great
“Chop Wood Carry Water” by Joshua Metcalfe is a book that offers wisdom for those seeking to become great. It emphasizes the importance of falling in love with the process of becoming great rather than focusing solely on the end result. The book outlines nine principles that can help individuals achieve their goals and become better every day.
The first principle is to become in the process. It is important to recognize that in everything one does, whether it is for a company, family, or any other third party, they are ultimately working for themselves and on themselves. Loving the work one does means loving what they do all day long, and focusing on the process rather than the outcome. The second principle is that success contains hard work. People settle for average because they never give their very best, exhausting themselves protecting their egos. Those who achieve world-class success teach themselves to stay comfortable even when things are getting uncomfortable and painful.
Key Takeaways
- Become in the process and focus on the journey rather than the outcome.
- Success requires hard work and persistence.
- Our value is constant, and the pain of regret is much bigger than doing can ever be.
Becoming in The Process
One of the principles outlined in the book “Distilled Wisdom for an Inspired Life: Chop Wood Carry Water” by Joshua Metcalfe is the importance of becoming in the process. This principle emphasizes the idea that in all that one does, whether it be for a company, family, or any other third party, ultimately, one is working for oneself and on oneself. Therefore, it is crucial to love the work one does, as it means loving what one does all day long.
The outcome of one’s efforts depends on many different factors, with some being within one’s control and many being outside of it. For example, when applying for a job, one may have the necessary qualifications, but still, not get the job due to the competition and the qualifications of other candidates. In such situations, surrendering the outcome and focusing on the process is essential.
Success requires hard work, which often consists of small things that are often unsexy. The reason why most people don’t achieve their goals is that they settle for average and never give their very best. Instead, they exhaust themselves protecting their egos. Successful people, on the other hand, have taught themselves to stay comfortable even when things are getting uncomfortable and painful. They withstand the temporary pain, even when setbacks and temporary failures occur.
One’s memories are created through the stories they tell themselves. The meaning given to one’s experiences is determined by the words and stories they use. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on the positive and find joy in the small things in life. Comparing oneself to others is the thief of all joy. Instead, one should focus on their journey and be thankful for the small things in life.
Living by principles rather than feelings is crucial for stability. The map given by society is outdated, and following it may lead one to a dead end. Instead, one should navigate the territory themselves and study the strategies of successful people. Lastly, it is essential to understand that even when one is equipped with life-changing wisdom, they still need permission to share it with others.
In summary, following these nine principles can help one become better every day.
Success Contains Hard Work
Success is often defined differently from person to person, but one thing remains constant: it requires hard work. According to the book “Distilled Wisdom for an Inspired Life: Chop Wood, Carry Water” by Joshua Metcalfe, success is not achieved by settling for average or protecting one’s ego. Rather, it is attained by performing the small, unsexy tasks persistently and consistently, even when no one is watching.
The process of becoming great is not easy, and it often involves working in the dark without any recognition. However, those who persevere and focus on the process rather than the outcome are the ones who achieve success. It’s important to recognize that for all that one does, whether it’s for a company, family, or any other third party, in the end, one is ultimately working for oneself and on oneself.
Furthermore, success depends on many different factors, some of which are within one’s control, while others are not. Therefore, it’s crucial to surrender the outcome and be at peace with what is outside of one’s control without sacrificing the effort for what is within one’s control.
In summary, success contains hard work, and it requires focusing on the process rather than the outcome. By performing small tasks persistently and consistently, one can achieve greatness. It’s important to recognize that success is ultimately for oneself and to surrender the outcome while still putting in the effort.
Our Value is Constant
One of the principles outlined in the book “Distilled Wisdom for an Inspired Life: Chop Wood Carry Water” is that our value is constant. This means that our worth as individuals does not change based on external factors such as success or failure. It is important to find our identity in something that cannot be stripped away in a moment, and to not tie ourselves too closely to our performance.
The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on the process rather than the outcome. While outcomes are often outside of our control, we can control the effort we put into the process. By surrendering the outcome and being at peace with what is outside of our control, we can focus on the process and work towards our goals without sacrificing our effort.
The principle of constant value is particularly important when we are faced with setbacks or failures. It can be easy to feel down and depressed when we are on the losing side, but our value does not change based on the results we produce. By finding our identity in something constant and unchanging, we can maintain our sense of self-worth even in difficult times.
Ultimately, the book encourages readers to follow these nine principles to become better every day. By focusing on the process, working hard, creating positive stories for ourselves, avoiding comparison, living by principles rather than feelings, navigating the territory ourselves, and seeking permission before giving advice, we can improve ourselves and our lives.
The Pain of Regret
One of the principles outlined in “Distilled Wisdom for an Inspired Life: Chop Wood Carry Water” is that the pain of regret is much bigger than the pain of doing. According to the book, people who produce mediocre results tend to quit when things get uncomfortable, while those who achieve world-class success are able to withstand temporary pain and discomfort.
The book suggests that people should make themselves feel uncomfortable for a certain period of time, because the pain of regret always lasts much longer. By choosing to do the uncomfortable things that others won’t, people can become capable of doing what others can’t.
The principle of surrendering the outcome is also discussed, which means being at peace with what is outside of one’s control without sacrificing effort for what is within one’s control. The book emphasizes that focusing on the process and focusing on one thing at a time is key to achieving success.
Overall, the book encourages readers to focus on their journey and not to compare themselves to others, as comparison is the thief of all joy. By living by principles rather than feelings and navigating the territory themselves, individuals can achieve success in a constantly changing world.
Creating Memories Through Stories
One of the nine principles for an inspired life, as outlined in Joshua Metcalfe’s book “Distilled Wisdom for an Inspired Life: Chop Wood Carry Water,” is that your memories are created through the stories you tell yourself. This principle emphasizes the power of our thoughts and the stories we create in our minds to shape our memories and ultimately our experiences.
Our brains cannot distinguish between reality and imagination, so through vivid imagination, we can train our memory muscle in a certain way. If we constantly tell ourselves negative stories, we will pull ourselves down through negative visualization. However, the same also works in the opposite direction. By telling ourselves positive stories, we can create positive memories and shape our experiences accordingly.
The words we use to label our experiences are the filters through which we interpret them. It’s one thing to feel or experience something, but it’s quite another to assign meaning to it. This is especially important since we have little control over what happens to us in life, but we do have the power to determine what life’s events mean to us. Our words and stories determine the pictures our minds create, and those pictures affect our feelings, which in turn have an effect on what we do and the destiny we set ourselves up for.
Therefore, it’s crucial to be mindful of the stories we tell ourselves and to focus on creating positive memories through positive self-talk. By doing so, we can shape our experiences and ultimately create a more fulfilling life.
Comparison is The Thief of Joy
One of the nine principles highlighted in Joshua Metcalfe’s book, “Chop Wood Carry Water,” is the idea that comparison is the thief of joy. In today’s society, it is easy to fall into the trap of comparing oneself to others, especially with the prevalence of social media and the internet. However, constantly comparing oneself to others can lead to a lack of joy and contentment in one’s own life.
Instead, it is important to focus on one’s own journey and be thankful for the small things in life. Metcalfe emphasizes that even the small things can bring the greatest joys. By lifting oneself up through principles rather than feelings, one can establish a stable foundation for a fulfilling life.
Comparing oneself to others can also be detrimental in terms of success. The outcome of one’s efforts can depend on many different factors, some of which are outside of one’s control. Therefore, it is important to surrender the outcome and focus on the process of becoming great. Success contains hard work, often done in the dark when nobody is watching, and requires persistence in performing small tasks.
Furthermore, one’s identity and value should not be tied to performance or results. One’s values should remain constant, regardless of the outcome. The pain of regret is much greater than the discomfort of doing something uncomfortable or painful, so it is important to push through temporary setbacks and failures.
Ultimately, the key takeaway is to follow the nine principles outlined by Metcalfe and strive to become better every day. By focusing on one’s own journey, lifting oneself up through principles, and avoiding the trap of comparison, one can find joy and fulfillment in life.
Living By Principles
Living by principles is an essential aspect of achieving success in life. There are nine principles that one can adopt to live a fulfilling life. These principles are distilled from the book “Chop Wood Carry Water” by Joshua Metcalfe, which emphasizes the importance of falling in love with the process of becoming great.
The first principle is to focus on the process rather than the outcome. It is essential to recognize that for everything that one does, whether for the company, family, or any other third party, in the end, they are ultimately working for themselves and on themselves. Therefore, loving the work one does means loving what they do all day long. The outcome depends on many different factors, some within one’s control and others outside of it. Surrendering to the outcome means being at peace with what is outside of one’s control without sacrificing the effort for what is inside their control.
The second principle is that success contains hard work. Although success may be defined differently from person to person, it still requires hard work, often done in the dark when nobody’s watching. It consists of the small things that are often unsexy, but one must perform those small things with persistence. The reason why most people don’t get where they want to go is that they settle for average, never giving their very best. Instead, they exhaust themselves protecting their egos.
The third principle is that values are constant. When one is on the winning team, it’s easy to feel good and strong, but it’s equally easy to feel down and depressed when on the losing side. However, one’s value doesn’t change regardless of the results they produce. Therefore, one shouldn’t tie themselves too closely to their performance and find their identity in something that can’t be stripped away in a jiffy.
The fourth principle is that the pain of regret is much bigger than doing can ever be. People who produce mediocre results persist until things are getting uncomfortable, and then they quit. However, people who were too world-class have taught themselves to stay comfortable even when things are getting uncomfortable and painful. They withstand the temporary pain even when setbacks and temporary failures make themselves feel uncomfortable for a certain time. The pain of regret always lasts much longer.
The fifth principle is that memories are created through the stories one tells themselves. The brain can’t distinguish between reality and reimagining. Through vivid imagination, one can train their memory muscle in a certain kind of way. Negative visualization pulls one down, but the same also works in the opposite direction. What we label our experiences are the filters to what they mean to us. It’s one thing to feel or experience something, but quite another to give it meaning. Our words and stories determine the pictures our minds create, affecting our feelings, which, in turn, have an effect on what we do.
The sixth principle is that comparison is the thief of all joy. Comparing oneself to others will suck all the joy out of them. Therefore, one should focus on their journey and be thankful for the small things in life. Indeed, those small things can bring the greatest joys.
The seventh principle is to live by principles rather than feelings. Living on the foundation of feelings doesn’t work out very well because feelings change, and that means one’s foundation is not very stable. Therefore, one should seek out principles to serve them as a guideline.
The eighth principle is that the map given by society is outdated. The map shows what rules existed in the world, what to do and what not to do. But the problem with those maps is that they are always related to the past. Following truths of the past might lead one to a dead end today. Therefore, one should navigate the territory themselves, study the territory, and look at those that are already navigating in the new world successfully.
The last principle is that one still needs permission even when equipped with life-changing wisdom. One can’t force anybody to listen and understand what they have to say. Therefore, one should provide their advice to those seeking or ask for permission.
Following these nine principles can help one become better every day and achieve success in life.
Society’s Outdated Map
The map that society gives individuals is outdated. Parents, friends, and educational systems provide a map for how to live life, but these maps are related to the past and do not account for the changes that occur rapidly in today’s world. Following the truths of the past may lead to a dead end in the present.
The digitalization of society has caused great upheavals and created new markets. With social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and blogs, people can address a worldwide audience that was previously impossible. Reading an outdated map may be easy, but it brings limited benefits in today’s world. Navigating the territory oneself is the hard part.
Individuals need to get out and study the new territory. They should look at those who are already navigating the new world successfully. This requires persistence and a willingness to experiment with the wisdom and strategies of successful people.
It is important to recognize that the map is outdated and that new strategies are needed to navigate the world successfully. Following principles rather than feelings is a good guideline to live by. Principles have stood the test of time and provide a stable foundation to build upon.
In conclusion, to become better every day, individuals must focus on the process, work hard, find their identity in something that cannot be stripped away, avoid regret, create positive memories, avoid comparison, live by principles, recognize the outdated map that society provides, and seek permission before providing advice.
Need for Permission
The last principle of “Distilled Wisdom for an Inspired Life” is that one still needs permission, even when equipped with life-changing wisdom. It is important to understand that having information that can change someone’s life does not give one the right to impose it on others. Even if someone has the best intentions, they cannot force anybody to listen and understand what they have to say.
Using the analogy of a doctor, one cannot perform surgery on their best friend without their approval, even if they know what their friend needs. Therefore, it is important to provide advice only to those seeking it or ask for permission before sharing any life-changing wisdom.
By following the nine principles of “Distilled Wisdom for an Inspired Life,” one can become better every day. It is important to focus on the process, work hard, not tie oneself too closely to performance, avoid regret, create positive memories, avoid comparison, live by principles, update one’s map, and seek permission before sharing wisdom.
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