Inspirations for Success

Expand your Wisdom

This week we share a powerful message from Sahil Bloom. We are big fans of wisdom; Sahil shares some powerful paradoxes that help expand our wisdom with the following paradoxes of life!

The Growth Paradox

Growth takes a much longer time coming than you think, but then happens much faster than you ever thought possible. Growth happens gradually, then suddenly. The best things in life come from allowing compounding to work its magic. Slowly, then all at once.

The Persuasion Paradox

Have you ever noticed that the most argumentative people rarely persuade anyone of anything? Persuasive people don’t argue—they observe, listen, and ask thoughtful questions. Argue less, persuade more. Persuasion is an art that requires a paintbrush, not a sledgehammer.

The Productivity Paradox

Work longer, get less done. Parkinson’s Law says that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion. When you establish fixed hours to your work, you find unproductive ways to fill it. Work like a lion instead—sprint, rest, repeat.

The Fear Paradox

The thing you fear the most is often the thing you most need to do. Fears, when avoided, become limiters on our progress. The most successful people in the world have all made a habit of running towards the thing the scares the hell out of them. Make a habit of getting closer to your fears—treat them as magnets for your energy and you’ll find growth on the other side.

The Effort Paradox

Effortless, elegant performances are simply the result of a large volume of effortful, gritty practice. You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless. Small things become big things, simple is not simple.

The Wisdom Paradox

“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.” – Albert Einstein

The more you learn, the more you are exposed to the immense unknown. This should be empowering, not frightening. Embrace your own ignorance. Embrace lifelong learning.

The Social Media Paradox

More connectedness, less connected. Social media has created more connectedness than ever before, but we feel less connected to those around us. Schedule time to disconnect and you will feel more connection.

The Failure Paradox

You have to fail more to succeed more. Our transformative moments of growth often stem directly from our toughest moments of failure. Don’t fear failure—learn to fail smart and fast. Never fail the same way twice. Always put yourself in the arena.

The Talking Paradox

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” – Epictetus

Talk less to say more. If you want your words and ideas to be heard, start by talking less and listening more. You’ll find more power in your words.

The Money Paradox

You have to lose money to make money. Every successful investor and builder has stories of the invaluable lessons learned from a terrible loss in their career. Sometimes you have to pay to learn. Always put skin in the game.

The Death Paradox

You have to know your death to truly live your life. “Memento Mori” is a stoic reminder of the certainty and inescapability of death. It’s not intended to be morbid—but to clarify, illuminate, and inspire. By accepting our time as finite, we are able to appreciate its precious nature.