One of the things I have a lot of trouble with it, and I think it is pretty common among most people and that is picking up other people's problems.

Ray Edwards re-emphasized this in one of his episodes entitled 'optimizing life' and spoke about how we often take on problems faced by other people for no real reason. This is different from intentionally wanting to help someone with what they're going through and taking up headspace in something that you can't do anything about even if you wanted to. 

I think this problem makes up two big components that go hand-in-hand. Not wanting to miss an opportunity and want to help someone in need. From my personal experience, when someone comes to me asking for assistance on a project, my first instinct is to take it on. However, spending time on that means I have to say no to something else. This isn't a problem if I was going to sit and watch TV for a few hours, but it is if I was going to work on the skills that will help me get ahead in the long run. Even if the problem is related to what you do best, you have to weigh the cost. 

The thing I need to understand fully is that their problem is not mine. They will find a solution even if I don't provide it; I'm not the only answer. I've found when I take on someone's problem; I will spend huge amounts of time trying to solve it; this brings stress into areas of my life that I wouldn't have even considered at the outset. 

So learning to disconnect yourself from the problem and use dedicated, blocked out time to work on it will help you not let your life fall apart for this solution. 

Key takeaways:

1) Don't take on other people's problems

2) When you say yes to something, you say no to something else

3) You aren't the only solution

4) Use dedicated time when finding a solution. Don't let it bring you down.

I was listening to a podcast episode by Ray Edwards this morning on how to optimize your life, and one of the points he made really caught my attention.

He said, 'there is no simple answer to complex questions,' and I think he is absolutely right. Unfortunately, there seems to be an air of 'quick fixes' and 'life hacks' to overcome life's biggest challenges. But this isn't the case; if it was a big and complex challenge, it couldn't have a 'quick fix' as it would negate the meaning of a big life challenge. You can't cheat in life; there isn't a simple answer to getting fit and healthy; you can't hack your way into becoming wealthy. Granted, certain processes are better than others, but if the problem is worth tackling, the solution will require hard work. 

This is the parable of the man who decided to take a short-cut, only to find himself lost in the forest. The sooner he admits that he made a mistake and turns back, the sooner he will get on the right path. 

You're in it for the long-term, a quick fix will provide a temporary solution at best, but long-lasting change will require hard work.

Key takeaways:

1) There aren't simple answers to complex questions

2) There is no 'life hack' that is supposed to answer life's most challenging problems

3) The sooner you realize the short path isn't the right one, the sooner you can go back and take the right one

3) Short-term fixes will provide short-term solutions at best

One of the big questions I keep asking myself is 'what advice would YOU give to someone looking to get started moving on their career?'

It's a question I ask plenty of other people with mixed responses. But from my own experience, if I was starting, the first thing I would do is prove myself. 

Being so young, there are many things I have to overcome, and because of that, establishing a stable, consistent part of my life would be the very first thing I would do: nothing huge, just one small step of creating a routine that I can follow day to day. I've found that having one part in your life that doesn't move is extremely comforting, and you can make great advances in other areas that you normally wouldn't stride toward due to how alien it is. 

Learning to be consistent has been the single most important lesson I've learned to move ahead faster. Showing others that you can be consistent in your word and actions has been how I've been able to get into amazing opportunities. 

Key takeaways:

1) Prove yourself 

2) Consistency is the single biggest lesson to learn

3) You show yourself to be someone reliable 

Through reading Rabbi Daniel Lapin's book 'Thou Shall Prosper,' he constantly speaks on networking and how to increase the number of people you know.

One of the ideas I hadn't really considered until reading the book was how many people everyone knows. He talks about how in his synagogue, there are morning prayer meetings for every day of the week, and typically a group of 10 men shows up every time. After the prayer service, there are normally some light discussions before people head off to work; through that example, he talks about how he isn't meeting with 9 other people; he speaks with 81 people. Each one of those men typically knows at least 9 other people, and so getting to know one person, you may not have something in common with them, but they may know someone that is.

Putting it in the light of, it's not who you know now, but it's who those you know are in contact with is what really makes the difference. I did a small version of this almost by mistake a few months ago. I decided to ask one of the business leaders my family was in contact with about getting into a mastermind group. He then referred me to a networking guy who knew many people, and through that one initial connection, I am now in contact with many business leaders in the fields that I desire to go into. 

After reading this book, it's kicked me off to do even more networking, and I've been put in contact with some very insightful leaders that's accelerated my growth even faster. 

Key takeaways:

1) You have the ability to get in touch with hundreds of people

2) The guys you get in contact with may not do what you do, but they may know a guy

3) Start by asking questions and show interest in getting in contact

One of the biggest struggles I face on my learning journey is that of pride.

I find myself in a constant battle with the side of me that sees me know it all. I want to think I know everything, and so when I find something new or contradictory to what I am working on; my immediate reaction is to shy away from it. However, that does not lead to growth; it leads to stagnation and even denigration as the ideas that I'm working off eventually fall apart or don't apply.

It's been a very tough battle, and in the culture of my peers around me, it's seen as cool and hip not to follow authority or wisdom. There seems always to be some new way of doing things that negates the need for wisdom. So I have to cut against the grain of my culture, as well as my instincts to move ahead. I've found that the sooner I admit that I am not the smartest guy in the world, the sooner I make progress. 

Plus, people have a hard time saying ill about you, as you can freely admit that you don't know. No one will call you an idiot when you say that you don't understand something, and if they do, they look like a jerk.

I've also noticed that when I stop acting like I know everything, I also start to see more people genuinely interested in sharing their ideas and giving me advice. 

Key takeaways:

1) Overcome pride to learn new things

2) You have to fight your instincts 

3) People can't say you're dumb if you do first

4) You become a teachable person when you put down your pride

Rabbi Daniel Lapin talks about what a leader really means and what it takes to become one.

By definition, a leader is someone who has followers. You can't be a leader if you don't have followers. 

Learning to become a leader, you must learn to become a follower. He talks about how you can't become a leader if you're not accountable to an external, higher entity. In Judaism and Christianity, we are raised to follow that ultimate higher authority, God. People subconsciously will perceive a good leader as someone that's not acting on their own highest authority. 

He brings up the example of his childhood; Daniel Lapin's parents modeled obedience to God. They show that through their obedience, it brought regularity to life and actions. Validating the idea of authority.

Key Takeaways:

1) Learn to lead by learning to follow

2) We have to have a higher authority than ourselves

3) Parents are obedient and follow the rules, which brings regularity to their life and actions, modeling what it means to be a follower

One of the new things I learned from Rabbi Daniel Lapin's book 'Thou Shall Prosper' is becoming more professional. 

He talks about becoming a professional by acting predictably. This really caught my attention as it wasn't what you'd normally hear when you ask someone what makes a person professional. 

By being stable and consistent in how we act in each scenario, we position ourselves as someone professional. We aren't rattled by the things that happen around us but are steadfast through it. He talks about when we become predictable in our performance; you greatly enhance our value to others. People greatly prefer normal to the alien. Un-predictability creates anxiety as the outcome is uncertain.

'If you really are to succeed in business, it won’t be because people think you are smart; it will be because people like you.'

Key takeaways:

1) Become more professional by being predictable

2) People prefer normal to the alien

3) Being un-predictable creates anxiety 

It's what we practice that we will improve our performance in, not necessarily the skill itself.

Key takeaways:

1) Practice doesn't make perfect

2) Practice builds muscle memory, which allows you to do it faster and more consistently

3) You only grow if you seek growth

I'm currently reading through the book "Thou Shall Prosper," and Rabbi Daniel Lapin talks about how two beings form each person. Understanding this will help us better know how to act and react to life.

The first of these persons is our physical body. We have instincts to indulge ourselves in immediate pleasure and only do what feels good. This is described as our heart. Typically more emotional than our brain.

The second of these persons is our spirit, also known as our mind. This entity is the part of our being that can think through things on deep levels and understand the best course of action. 

If we live by our heart, we live in a constant state of trying to please ourselves, eating whenever the fancy hits us. Scrolling on the phone for meaningless hours. It puts us in a state of just wanting immediate pleasure and also serves as a distraction from getting real things done.

Our mind, on the other hand, is more long-term focused. Looking for what makes the most sense with the whole picture in mind. What will bring long-lasting feelings of fulfillment. Living through our mind, we can make decisions that don't feel good in the immediate but return better rewards in the long term. It is our mind that wants to help, serve, and build, not our heart. 

If our body is damaged, say in the case of an accident. Our minds immediately repair and fix what is wrong and let our bodies take control of some aspects to elevate the pain. The problem is, if we let our bodies take too much control, then we lapse into a state of constantly trying to self-protect and conserve. That leads to a more selfish life, trying only to take and not give.

Key takeaways:

1) Two persons make up our being, the heart and mind.

2) Our heart is immediate gratification focused, doing what feels good in the moment

3) Our mind is what focuses on bringing long-term fulfillment, serving, and building

As a teenager, I've been blessed to see that you have the biggest opportunity to set yourself up for the future.

One of the biggest questions I seem to ask myself a lot is that of 'why wait?' there are so many opportunities ripe for the picking, and waiting several years until we are out of high school or even college before getting into what we love doesn't make any sense. Realizing that you can do a few things that can set yourself apart from those around you and get into your dream journey is not only possible but easy when you start going for it!

Speaking to my younger self here, you are in such an amazing position to build an amazing life filled with everything you could want. One of the things I've realized is that other people love to see the younger generation stand up and start working and often give a helping hand, where they might not go to someone older. 

Overcoming the fact that you aren't the smartest person in the world and humbling yourself to start asking questions is the single biggest thing we can do to make the first step toward wisdom. I struggle with this a lot, but I've found that the times I can overcome that impulse to be right or show that I am the hot stuff is when I learn the most. 

Key takeaways:

1) Why wait? 

2) Being young, you have so many opportunities

3) You aren't hot stuff, and overcoming that will help you attain more wisdom