Happy Free Thoughts Thursday, people.

If you like history and business I highly recommend a podcast called Founders.

It's all about the biographies and autobiographies of some of history's greatest entrepreneurs and it's amazing.

1 Thought From Me:

As Sharper Capital grows, I continue to find myself in situations that challenge my current skillset. It's incredibly uncomfortable, but it's also making me better.

For example, every time I don't know an answer to a question I have no choice but to figure it out. Once I do, I've added a bit of knowledge—a tool in my metaphorical tool belt—that I can use for the rest of my career.

It's easier said than done, so, in addition to last week's quote from Stanley Marcus about making mistakes, this idea from Epictetus has been on my mind often:

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid with regard to external things." – Epictetus

It's uncomfortable, but it's necessary.

1 Thought From Eric Barker:

Does The World Owe Me This?

"Anger comes from entitlement. You feel you’re entitled to something, reality doesn’t bend to your expectations and boom — you’re punching things. Or people.

Traffic is bad. You get angry. Let me translate that thought process for you: 'Traffic should never cause me problems. The world owes me that.' Sound reasonable? Hardly.

Or someone doesn’t do what they said they’d do. You get angry. Now you might reply, 'People should do what they say they’ll do! I have a right to be angry!'

Yes, it would be nice if people always followed through, but is that a reasonable expectation? Of course not. You know people don’t always do what they say. Now you can definitely call them out on it. You can decide to do something in response. But the anger?

That awful feeling is all yours. You had an unrealistic expectation ('People will always do what they say') and now you’re shocked — SHOCKED! — that they didn’t.

Famed psychologist Albert Ellis (whose work was inspired by the Stoics) led a war against the words “should” and “must.” Anytime you use those words, you’re probably in for some unhappiness because you’re saying the universe is obligated to bend to your will. Good luck with that.

So the solution to anger is to ask yourself: 'Does the world owe me this?'

Yeah, it’s a trick question. Because the world doesn’t owe you anything. And the more you think the world owes you, the angrier you will be."

Live your life to the fullest,

Chris

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