My Principles: Part I
“Think for yourself!
1) What do you want?
2) What is true?
3) What are you going to do about it?”
This is what Ray Dalio encourages all of us, the readers of his book Principles, to do. Before I continue reading the book, I decided to note down the principles I’ve learned up to this point in my life. After finishing Dalio’s book, I hope to discover new principles I can apply, but I will explore that in Part II.
Principles are personal, and they guide our decision-making. I believe everyone has principles that guide them through life, whether they are aware of them or not. It’s like marketing—some people do it well, and others don’t, but everyone does it.
In the spirit of Dalio’s book, I want to reflect on my own beliefs, life story, and goals before receiving advice from others.
Here’s the list of my principles as of today:
1. Nature is truth: I believe nature holds the answers to all questions. Will we, humans, be able to decipher nature? Of course not. But that doesn’t mean we can’t look to nature for useful insights. I came to this principle after living at sea for six weeks (you can read about it here) and using behavioral protocols to improve my health. Living and studying at sea taught me how flawless the natural world is; everything has a reason for being. Using behavioral protocols to enhance my health showed me that the power of healing lies within the wisdom of our bodies. This all leads to one key lesson: work with nature, not against it, to achieve exponential results and happiness.
2. The mind is the most powerful human tool: Our minds dictate our beliefs, and our beliefs dictate how we act. When you can control your mind, you can control everything. I came to this principle in early adulthood, when I faced my insecurities and limiting beliefs in ways I had never experienced before. Navigating these uncomfortable moments helped me realize that I had the power to change simply by believing, truly believing, that I could. Now, I am very careful about what I say about situations, people, feelings, and myself because words become beliefs. And I never doubt that things will work out perfectly.
3. Focus on what matters: Attention and focus tell our minds what is important. If you choose to focus on nonsense or things that don’t add value, your mind will think they are important and will be distracted from what truly matters. Our minds have a limited capacity to process information simultaneously, so focusing on things that aren’t worth it wastes precious resources. How do you know what matters and what to focus on? For me, what matters is what will bring you closer to your goals and the life you want for yourself. I can’t tell you what that is for you.
4. Be honest: With yourself and with others. I learned this principle by experiencing firsthand how painful dishonesty can be. I've seen other people suffer because of dishonesty. Be honest with yourself; embrace the truth that lives within you, and let yourself hear your own voice. Be honest with others; you’re not responsible for how they react or feel, but you are responsible for lying. I believe honesty can bring a lot of peace and clarity of mind.
5. Speaking up is a responsibility: Going back to my experience living at sea, I learned that speaking up is a responsibility. On a tall sailboat, everyone had a duty to look out for each other and the ship. If you saw something strange, you had to speak up, or it could jeopardize everyone’s lives. I remember this principle every time I face a difficult conversation or feel shy about speaking up. Not every situation is life-threatening, but that doesn’t mean speaking up isn’t the best way to: 1) support your cause, and 2) find out if your voice is valued (and if it’s not, it might be time to jump ship).
6. Create value by challenging yourself: Add value to this world—not because of others, not because you want to make money, but for yourself. Accomplishing something, anything, can be incredibly rewarding. Creating value will be difficult, but you’ll know it’s worth it. I came to this principle by challenging myself to do things I didn’t think I was capable of. I did them anyway, and I ended up happier and more confident than before.
7. Life comes in cycles: Life always comes in cycles, and we need to embrace change and harness the benefits of each stage. Let’s go back to nature: every day the sun rises, and every day the night falls. Every month, women menstruate and experience the same hormonal fluctuations. Every year, harvest season comes. Just as in the natural world, our lives unfold in cycles, so enjoy the good times and stay strong during the hard times. And again, don’t try to fight it, because that would mean you’re fighting nature, and that won’t end well (back to Principle 1).
8. Accept things as they are: Here’s a Buddhist story for you (I can’t remember where I read it). Someone asked a monk how he was always so calm. The monk replied, 'I say yes. To everything that comes to me, I say yes.' For me, this is a principle that encourages us to accept reality as it is. Don’t try to control situations or their outcomes, don’t try to change people, and don’t surrender to your emotions. Simply say yes to all the things that life brings to us. Accepting reality as it is puts us in a better position to resolve challenges. Most importantly, don’t lose hope (back to Principle 2: control the mind).
9. Be skeptical: Question everything. I arrived at this principle by realizing that the people leading me at the time were not necessarily the smartest or most knowledgeable, but often the most eloquent. This realization led me to question what else might not be as it seems and is instead disguised in deceptive ways. Eventually, I also realized that everything in the human world was designed by another human, so I could question it if it didn’t suit me. I also realized that everyone has motives for doing things that they won’t share with you, so you have to make sense of a situation or person with limited and imperfect information. Try not to fall for the phony.
