60 Things I Learned from the book — You Are a Badass
By: Mahmud Ahsan
Tags: Self-awareness, Life Lessons, Book Review, Lifehacks, Self Improvement

Recently I completed a book named You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. It is a self-enrichment book. During reading the book, I highlighted some important quotes. Here I am sharing the notes.

1. You can start out with nothing, and out of nothing, and out of no way, a way will be made.

2. You need to go from wanting to change your life to deciding to change your life.

If there is a will there is a way. There is a subtle distinction between wanting something and doing something. To change a life, we must apply and keep trying rather than thinking.

3. You’re gonna have to push past your fears, fail over and over again and make a habit of doing things you’re not so comfy doing. 4. If you want to live a life you’ve never lived, you have to do things you’ve never done.

The truth of life is, progress made outside of the comfort zone. If we do something that doesn’t feel doing then there is no chance for progress. If a person does the same workout in the gym regularly after a while it will not make any effect on his body. To make a change, he has to change workouts with different loads.

5. Most people are living in an illusion based on someone else’s beliefs.

6. The conscious mind is like a relentless overachiever, incessantly spinning around from thought to thought, stopping only when we sleep. 7. Our subconscious mind, on the other hand, is the non — analytical part of our brain that’s fully developed the moment we arrive here on earth. 8. Our subconscious mind contains the blueprint for our lives. 9. Our conscious mind thinks it’s in control, but it isn’t . Our subconscious mind doesn’t think about anything, but is in control.

What we think and what we do, there is a direct relationship between our conscious and subconscious mind.

10. “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.” — Albert Einstein

This quote reminds me of another saying: “Fortune favors the brave”. We can change our life if we are serious and work hard. And luck will soon or later favor with us.

11. Unless your energy is lined up properly with that which you desire, really desire, any action you take is going to require way more effort to get you where you want to go.

12. ”If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present. — Lao Tzu 13. The more time you spend in the moment, the richer your life will be.

When we work we should fully concentrate on the moment. It's much better to do one task perfectly than more incomplete tasks. People nowadays are multitasking. Social media hampers our moment. People are too busy to share moments with their virtual friends in social networks rather than enjoying the moment where they are.

14. If we really love ourselves, everything in our life works. — Louise Hay ; author, publisher, the Godmother of Self — Help

15. Self — love, the simplest yet most powerful thing ever, flies right out the window when we start taking in outside information . 16. If you want to turn the ship around, you need to rewire your brain and train it to think differently. 17. Our thoughts become our words, our words become our beliefs, our beliefs become our actions, our actions become our habits, and our habits become our realities. 18. Avoid comparison like the plague. 19. You are responsible for what you say and do. You are not responsible for whether or not people freak out about it . 20. What other people think about you has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.

Comparison is not bad if we use it to improve yourself. But sometimes comparison made us sad. Sometimes we are afraid of what people say about us or our actions. Some people also criticize us so badly that it lets us down. We have to be strong to fight this. If we are right about what we do, it does not matter what other people think or say about us.

21. There is such a thing as constructive criticism, and constructive complimenting.

22. If people constantly tell you you’re a good listener, ask yourself, Is this compliment true for me? 23. Instead of wasting hours and days and years trying to figure out your perfect next move, just DO something already. 24. Most answers reveal themselves through doing, not thinking. 25. DO YOUR BEST WHEREVER YOU ARE AT.

We must keep rolling to be better ourself. We should fully focus on what we are doing. We must know how to test ourself.

26. Everything you do along your journey contributes to where you’re going.

27. It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not. 28. If you want something badly, even if you don’t have any evidence that it’s possible for you to attain, believe it is anyway. 29. Our minds think in images: If someone says, a horse wearing red lipstick, you instantly create a picture in your mind of a horse wearing red lipstick. 30. Stay away from people with tiny minds and tiny thoughts and start hanging out with people who see limitless possibility as the reality. 31. How you do one thing is how you do everything. 32. We must focus on the positive instead of the list of negatives we’ve collected over time, and keep that focus regardless of what flies in our faces. 33. The more you give, the more you receive. 34. Give however much time or money you can, but do it consistently so it becomes a habit, so it becomes part of who you are. Even five dollars a month counts . 35. You are practically powerless without gratitude. 36. Faith is having the audacity to believe in the not — yet seen. 37. Life is an illusion created by your perception, and it can be changed the moment you choose to change it. 38. You’re the author of your own life — not your parents, not society, not your partner, not your friends. 39. Nothing in this world is permanent, including our stories. Yet we try to hold on to them for false security, which ultimately leads to sorrow and loss. Be willing to let go. 40. When we say we’re unqualified for something, what we’re really saying is that we’re too scared to try it, not that we can’t do it. 41. If you’re serious about changing your life, you’ll find a way. If you’re not, you’ll find an excuse. 42. REMEMBER THAT DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT 43. The majority of the pain and suffering in our lives is caused by the unnecessary drama that we create. 44. Once you know what your favorite distractions are, you can build up a good defense against them. 45. Do what you can do in joy, instead of trying to do it all in misery. 46. You absolutely cannot grow a business, get promoted or be a cool parent, and you absolutely will go gray before your time, if you try and do every single little thing by yourself. 47. Put your priorities first — don’t check e — mails or voice messages or Facebook until you’ve gotten into your day and accomplished some of the tasks you want to do. 48. Stress is a leading cause of cancer, heart attacks, liver failure, stupid accidents. 49. DON’T THINK OF ANYTHING UPSETTING IN BED AT NIGHT 50. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team for lack of skill. 51. Steven Spielberg , a high school dropout , was rejected from film school three times. 52. Whenever I asked them what the secret to their success was, the overwhelming majority answered: Tenacity. Be the last person standing. 53. It’s all about contributing to the world by making life easier, happier, safer, healthier, better, tastier, more beautiful, more fun, more interesting, more thoughtful, more loving — whatever you do, bring something good to the party. 54. One of the best things you can do to improve the world is to improve yourself. 55. When you arrive at a level you’ve never been at before, you’re faced with challenges you’ve never experienced before. 56. How do you form a habit ? Decide to. Make it a part of your regular, everyday activities. 57. Start developing successful habits if you want to become a successful person. 58. Don’t decide you’re going to run ten miles a day when you still consider walking to the pizza parlor around the corner a day’s worth of exercise. Start with running half a mile a day and add more as you get stronger. 59. Your mind will follow where your body leads. If you’re in a bad mood and remember to stand up nice and tall and straight, your mood will automatically lift. 60. Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible” — Audrey Hepburn; actress, icon, fabulist.

Check it out: You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life.

Conclusion

During my reading, I take notes on the following lines from the book. The book link is affiliated.