How to live the life of your dream

1. Outwork everyone else.

Mark Cuban told Valuetainment that people don't just fail because of a lack of smarts -- they also fail because of a lack of work ethic. He explained that he views business as if people are working 24 hours a day to take market share away from him. That motivates him to work harder, learn more, and outstrategize his competitors. "If you walk into a competitive environment and they still know more about the business than you do and more about your customers, you're going to lose," he said.

Cuban has talked about his early start, when he lived with five roommates in a small apartment as he worked to build tech company MicroSolutions. He relentlessly researched the industry and gobbled up any news on trends and developments. Now a multibillionaire known for Shark Tank and the Dallas Mavericks beyond his companies, Cuban attributes his success to his effort, more so than any of his connections or money.

"You're not going to outwork me," he said. Cuban's multiple ventures highlight why it's so important to build companies in industries you truly see a long-term future in: If you're not willing to spend your days learning and improving your knowledge and skill set, your business won't be on a path to make millions.

2. Choose your people actively, not passively.

"People say, 'Your network is your net worth.' But there's a difference between just using that as a slogan and actually living it," explained Ian Balina. "You can't do it alone. Whatever your path to millions looks like, you'll be working with others, whether they're partners, customers, investors, or even just supportive friends."

Balina urges entrepreneurs to "choose these people wisely instead of passively," noting that "choosing a successful company will stretch you, give you new ideas, and keep you growing." He knows what he's talking about: Balina started off as a data analyst at IBM, but he made his way to financial freedom as a serial entrepreneur, author, crypto investor, and founder of 100x Advisors.

The past year has taken him around the world for speaking engagements, encouraging others to follow his path to success -- or to blaze their own. Balina describes one such recent speaking event at Harvard Business School as emblematic of this point. "The conversations happening there are totally different," he said. "Everyone's switched on, everyone's set to succeed." There's a reason Harvard produces more billionaires than any other school, he says: It's because people are surrounded by a community of achievers, who push up their own standards.

3. Focus on your strengths rather than your passions.

There's not a leader around who hasn't been told to follow her passion. And that's a crock, explains Scott Galloway. Galloway, a serial entrepreneur who sold L2, Inc., for more than $130 million and teaches at New York University, said, "People often come to NYU and say, 'Follow your passion' -- which is total bulls---, especially because the individual telling you to follow your passion usually became magnificently wealthy selling software as a service for the scheduling of health care maintenance workers." He added, "I refuse to believe that was his or her passion."

Instead, Galloway believes that people on a wealth track should be focused on what they're good at. Where an entrepreneur's natural talents lie is more indicative of where she'll find success than what's popular. The things that people are often passionate about, Galloway points out -- like sports and films -- aren't lucrative for the vast majority. But more mundane -- albeit necessary -- pursuits can deliver the trappings of success that are often more important to people: money, status, recognition as an industry expert.

Another thing to remember: "Passion" fields are often crowded, meaning those who do succeed are often paid a modest amount for their trouble. They're also more subjective than other industries, where metrics and market share can enable you to more frequently gauge your level of success.

Becoming a millionaire has never been easy. But some of our own beliefs make it harder on us. Overnight success doesn't happen often. Commit to outworking others, surround yourself with people who build you up, and bypass "passion" for talents. That will get you further on the path to your first million, and every day your work toward your goal brings it that much closer.

Thích cái caption thôi =)))

1. Anh cả đi ngoại khóa với lớp, tới trưa gọi điện về hỏi mẹ có muốn mua gì không. Tự dưng thấy vui vui. Ừ, thì mẹ vẫn lo cho tương lai của anh, nhưng mà cứ vui cái đã.

Hôm trước, sau khi anh nổi cơn giận đáng sợ, mẹ đi mua bộ tú lơ khơ về tối 3 mẹ chơi làm hòa với nhau. Các bạn nghiện đến mức sau còn rủ mẹ chơi mãi. Chợt nhận ra là các bạn sắp lớn cả rồi, mẹ mà mải mê công việc quá, thì bỏ qua tuổi thơ của các bạn lúc nào không hay. Mà như thế thì mẹ đắc tội lắm.

Theo tính toán hiện giờ thì mẹ vẫn có thể có nguồn thu nhập khá ổn, nhưng muốn xây nhà thì chắc phải tới tầm này năm sau. Đấy là chưa kể phải có nguồn tiết kiệm dự phòng.

2.

Đọc thấp thoáng ở vài chỗ, mà theo chiêm nghiệm của mình thì cũng vậy, rằng thì là phải có vài nguồn thu nhập, nhất là thu nhập thụ động. Nên là vẫn phải dính dáng tới kinh doanh, buôn bán. Vậy là có rất, rất nhiều thứ phải lo. Nhưng mà từ hoàn cảnh của mình mà xét, đôi khi có những việc không thể làm tuần tự được. Thôi thì khi nào còn cố được, thì cố.

Trước mắt chưa gì đã thấy việc phải tiêu: sang tuần chắc phải đi mua ngay máy lọc nước cái đã. Hè thì tìm lớp học thêm cho các bạn. Rồi còn 1 chuyến đi chơi đâu đó nữa, cho thay đổi ko khí chứ. Sơ sơ mà cũng thấy chộn rộn ra phết đây.

3.

Bàn làm việc cho mẹ nữa. Phải có chỗ làm việc cố định mới được. Coi như mình là 1 công ty 1 thành viên hén =)))

4. Tụng kinh. Việc nghĩ ra sau cùng nhưng quan trọng nhất. Không được quên.

5. Tiến độ đến bây giờ.

28 Best Habits to Have in Business

Đọc bài này trong lúc biên cuốn Fooled by Randomness, trong đó tác giả nói rằng người thành công là nhờ may mắn và ngẫu nhiên. Well, whatever he says.

Cultivate good habits and you'll be making progress on autopilot.

The world's most successful businesses are run by entrepreneurs who harbor the right habits to ensure their longevity and staying power in the marketplace. The truth is that so much of our behavior comes from the habits that we employ on a daily basis, effectively determining our potential to excel in any line of work.

In fact, habits are an undeniably powerful part of life in general, governing much of our behavior. From the way we think, to the way we feel and the way we act, the habits that we employ have a massive impact on our potential for success. Some habits that are the best to have in life, others are the best to have in business.

Any business owner who's committed to achieving financial success needs to ensure that they're employing the right habits in business. Clearly, in business, bad habits can quickly ruin you, destroy your reputation and wipe out any chances for eventual success. On the other hand, good habits, when persistently applied, can ultimately create monumental success.
What are the best habits to have in business?

Considering that eight out of 10 businesses fail in the first 18 months of operations and only 4 percent of businesses make it to the 10-year mark, the habits you employ in business can quite literally make or break you. This isn't some subjective list. Rather, it's based on empirical data from the world's most successful entrepreneurs.

If you focus on building up a large majority of these 28 best habits to have in business, you'll all-but guarantee your long-term success. But don't expect to achieve financial freedom overnight. It will take time. But as long as you persistently apply these habits, success will eventually come.

How many of the following habits are you employing right now in your life? Take an audit of them and see which ones you can easily incorporate into your daily routine in an effort to achieve long-term business success.

1. Wake up early.

Success in business requires true effort and grit, along with steadfast concentration. Considering that most of us are usually so caught up and chaotic during the day, we need those early morning hours to really focus our minds on the day ahead. There's no better habit for achieving your goals, whether personal or professional, than waking up early.

How much earlier you ask? At least two hours earlier than you are right now. In fact, some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs wake up between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. every single day without fail. But if you're not a morning person, you might find some difficulty with instilling this habit.

If you're serious about waking up early and you want to make this behavior habitual, use the micro-changes approach. Set your clock back gradually every single week by 15 minutes so that you slowly move towards your time goal. This is far more effective than attempting to wake up two or three hours earlier instantly within a day or so.

2. Hour of power

Anthony Robbins refers to the initial part of the day as being the most important, when all of the so-called magic happens. It's a time for pure focus and clarity. But once you achieve the habit of waking up early, you need time to yourself in order to get your health, wellness and mind in sync.

Take the time to interweave a powerful early morning routine into your day where you can focus your efforts on the tasks ahead and enact some kind of exercise and incantation routine. Start with just 10 minutes per day with this habit and allow it to grow and morph into your hour of power over time.

Keep in mind that it takes 18 to 254 days for habits to solidify in the mind, and you can't expect to go from zero to hero overnight. Take the long term micro-changes approach to any habit, including your hour of power, if you want to ensure that you see things through and don't get frustrated with the difficulties that might ensue by trying to do too much too fast.

3. Stay inspired.
Considering the difficulties involved with building a notable business, it's important to stay inspired. Find something that inspires you every single day, whether it's an audiobook, a TED Talk, or a blog post that will help you keep all pistons firing at full steam.

For most people, it helps to find someone who's achieved the success that they're after, and model after them. They search for any material they can find from that person, in an effort to keep them focused on the proverbial prize. Find your source of inspiration. Seek it out every single morning. And stay focused on your dreams.

The truth is that some of the most famous people who've failed in business, have also been the most successful. They stayed inspired. They kept the dream alive in their minds. Without that daily source of inspiration, success wouldn't have been possible.

4. Set daily business goals.

Anyone who's serious about achieving monumental success in business needs to set business goals. But not just long-term business goals. They need to set goals for their business every single day. These act like markers or milestones on the way to the bigger, and more out-of-reach goals that seem so far off.

Setting daily goals for your business should be done early in the morning when your mind is fresh. Come up with a metric that you can measure and ensure that you work towards that end every single day. Break down your longer-term goals into daily goals so that you can have a short-term target towards accomplishing your dreams.

5. Achieve inbox zero.

Studies confirm that clutter results in a loss of focus. Not just physical clutter. Today, it's also the virtual clutter in our lives that helps to decrease our ability to focus. And, more often than not, our email inboxes are a complete disaster, cluttered with a million things that range from spam all the way up to important items that require our attention.

Make it a habit to sort, organize and discard emails as soon they come in. Setup filters and rules if you have to and take advantage of automation that exists through some of the largest email providers. Even if you don't have all that automation, you should make it a priority to keep your inbox empty nearly at all times.

6. Manage your time.

One of the best habits to have in business by far is the effective management of your time. How you use your time says a lot about how successful you are. Do you waste your time and squander it on activities that you could easily cut out of your life such as endlessly surfing the internet or binge watching television series?

Considering that we all have the same amount of time in this world, and that more time can't be saved or created as is the case with money, once we use that time, it's gone forever. Come up with a good system for managing your time and stick to it. Don't get distracted or dissuaded. Stay focused so that you can achieve your goals.

7. Chase the frog.

In a recent book entitled, Chasing the Frog: How to Succeed in Life with an Empowering Morning Routine, I spoke at great length about something Mark Twain referred to as eating the frog. It simply means that you have to tackle your biggest and most important tasks (MITs) of the day first.

If you can get in the habit of writing down two or three of the most important things that you need to do the following morning, and do that the night before, you can wake up and be prepared to tackle those things. Your MITs should be the items that move you closest to your long-term goals.

8. Pareto Principle

The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20-Rule, states that 80 percent of the results comes from 20 percent of the efforts. In business, this is an invaluable resource and tool for effectively scaling out your numbers. In sales, this also states that 80 percent of the income comes from 20 percent of the customers.

Not only that, but within that 20 percent, the 80/20-Rule also holds true, meaning that 80 percent of the income from the 20 percent also comes from 20 percent. That means 4 percent, or a very small percentage of customers, are driving a large majority of the sales. Find your 80/20-Rule in sales or in anywhere else in your business and scale it out every single day.

9. Track and analyze.
As a plane travels from one point in the world to another, it tracks and analyzes its progress moment-by-moment. It knows its speed, altitude, direction of travel and a million other factors, every second during that journey. Because the plane knows that, it can make adjustments when necessary in order to reach its goal of arriving on time.

The point? The more detailed the metrics, and the more often you track things, the more likely you'll be to move towards your goals and know what's working and what's not. Pick a metric for your business and track it every single day without fail. Or, track it every hour of the day. Do whatever it takes to analyze and understand what's working and what's not.

10. Network.

Success in business has very much to do with networking. It's not always about what you know, what you have, or what you're even capable of, it's who you know that can really make the difference. Clearly, most people understand this, but not everyone enlists the habit of networking into their daily routines.

Network every single day. Spend at least one hour meeting with people, speaking with people, or collaborating with people and find out where you can add value to the equation. Don't look for something in return. Simply try to help others. Find ways to guide people in the right direction and add value to their business. Eventually, they'll come around to help you or introduce you to someone who will make an earth-shattering difference in your business.

11. Connect with people.

Often, we're so caught up in trying to make a buck, that we forget to connect with others. This isn't just about connecting with customers. Sure, that's important. This is about simply connecting with others on a deeper level, not a superficial one. Ask them about their lives and learn something new. Maybe you'll walk away with a great story or learning experience.

Seek out ways you can connect with people that are already in your life along with finding others that aren't already in your life. Listen to them when they speak. Be inquisitive. Be curious. Learn about their lives. Figure out what makes them tick. You'll feel mentally, spiritually and emotionally more sated, allowing you to better focus your mind's eye on the proverbial prize.

12. Add value.

Too many people are in business solely for profit. Sure, profit is important. Money makes the world go round. But the most successful people and the most prominent businesses have added the most value in the world. If you're not adding value in business, you're wasting your time.

Don't try to cut corners or take shortcuts. You have to do the most amount of work for the least initial return if you want to experience true success. Not the other way around. Constantly search for ways you can add value. Forget about your personal financial problems or goals at the outset. Sounds counterproductive, but it's the best long-term strategy for achieving massive business success.

13. Ask questions.

Children are so curious. They ask millions of questions about the most basic things. Their little minds are trying to make sense of the big wide world around them. However, as adults, we often stop asking questions. We live in this little bubble where we think we know the answers to everything. Largely, this is born out of ego, but it's highly destructive in business.

To truly succeed, you need to ask questions. Lots of questions. Make it habitual. Ask questions about everything. And listen to the answers. Listen to the perspectives of others. Don't simply ask the question for the sake of asking them. Heed the advice given. Understand and learn from the firsthand knowledge of others.

14. Journal your thoughts.

Journaling is one of the best habits to have, both in life and in business. By journaling your thoughts for 15 minutes each day, you can peer into your subconscious mind. The best part? You can look back a year or two from now and see what you were thinking or feeling on any given day.

Journaling can also help you to think about and hone your desires in business. What are you trying to achieve? Why do you want to achieve it? What's holding you back and how are you feeling on a day-to-day basis? It's a powerful forum where you can be honest with yourself without having to worry about feedback from others.

15. Focus on positivity.

It's important to stay positive in business. The fact of the matter is that anything we focus on we move towards. However, in business, it's very easy to focus on negativity. It's easy to worry about the financial problems, the lack of sales, the lack of an advertising budget, the lack of good employees or anything else for that matter. But focusing on negativity will only beget more negativity.

The mind moves towards that which it focuses on. No matter what the situation, you have to find a silver lining. Even if you've failed or feel like a failure, as long as you stay persistent and don't give up, you'll eventually succeed. But you have to stay positive. You have to focus on all the good things rather than the bad things. That's at the essence of long-term success.

16. Contribute your time.

We're often so enthralled and engaged in our businesses, that we forget to contribute our time to others that are in need. There are so many people out there who lack the basic necessities in life such as food, shelter or clothing, that it's important that we do something to help those around us.

Contributing your time to those that are in need won't instantly equate to business success. No, it's far more important than that. It will add value to the lives of others, which will in turn make you feel like a better person, more able to focus on your tasks at hand. It shouldn't always be about a direct correlation of your time spent for money earned. Life is far more precious than that.

17. Follow a budget.

It's important to follow a budget in business. The truth is that expenses can balloon outside of our control when we fail to pay attention to the details. When we don't sweat the small stuff, the small stuff sweats us. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship."

Come up with a budget for your business and follow it strictly. Don't deviate from it. Stay in line and control your impulses. Ensure that you have sufficient cash flow to commit to things like advertising and sales, employees and taxes, and so on. This is an incredibly important habit to have in business.

18. Consult with a mentor.

In business, you need a mentor. You need to find someone who's achieved the success that you're after. Plain and simple. And you need to consult with that person on a daily basis. Every single day if you possibly can, you need to have a brief conversation and tell your mentor the challenges that you're experiences and how you're feeling.

A business mentor can offer invaluable insight into the world of commerce and success in business, far beyond what any of us could imagine. We're so consumed by the day-to-day that we fail to step outside of that and work on our businesses rather than in our businesses. A mentor will help you work on your business, not just in it.

19. Emulate success.
I was always wholeheartedly a fan of emulating success. I would find someone who was already successful in the industry or niche that I was competing in, and I would do my best to emulate from their successes. This is one of the so-called hacks that you can implement in business to succeed.

However, emulation shouldn't be misconstrued for copying or duplication. You need to be unique. But look at what others are doing to achieve success. How are they approaching the market? Where are they advertising? How much value are they adding? Be a constant sleuth and seek out the best of the best, and try to emulate from their strengths.

20. Take action.

Clearly, success can only come if you take action. But not just little action. Massive amounts of action. However, the truth is that most people don't take action. They procrastinate. How can someone eliminate procrastination from their lives and ensure that they move towards their goals rather than being stifled and held back?

Clearly, some of this has to do with how much you want your goals. Beyond that, it's simply habit formations. Use the 15-minute rule to break the pattern. Set your timer on your phone to 15 minutes and do the one thing you've been putting off the longest. Only for 15 minutes. Why just 15 minutes? It's too small of a goal to fail at. But what you'll also find is that you'll likely keep going after those 15 minutes. If you don't, at least you broke the pattern of inaction.

21. Reflect.

In business, it's often important to reflect on what you've achieved or accomplished. Even if you feel as though you haven't accomplished much, you should reflect on where you started. Reflection is an important habit to have, allowing you to look back and ponder the meaning that you've associated to your goals.

Spend some time reflecting every day. Go for a walk and think about things. Talk to a friend. Go for a drive along the coast. Do anything else you normally do while simply reflect back on things. This allows you to mentally step away from what's going on in your life and to look at things from another perspective. 

22. Be grateful.

Gratitude is an important habit to have, both in life and in business. We have to be grateful for what we have. Even if we feel like all we have are problems, we have to exercise gratitude. By being grateful, we open up the pathway towards eventual success.

The fact is that there's a reason why we have problems. There's a reason why we have to endure challenges and suffer setbacks. It allows us to grow and mature. Both in life and in business. Be grateful for everything, always. Don't allow problems to suffocate you and take away your joy in life and work.

23. Respect others.
If you're serious about true long-term success in business, you have to respect others. Don't treat them poorly. Don't talk behind their backs. Don't make them feel like they're incompetent or insufficient. Don't do anything that's going to make people feel like bad about themselves.

The golden rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you is pure truth. If you don't want others to treat you poorly, don't treat them that way. Be kind and nice. Be considerate and understanding. It doesn't take much effort. In fact, it takes more of your energy to be mean and angry.

24. Improve your skills.

We have to constantly be learning and evolving, becoming better at our crafts while also adding other ancillary skills that can help us in business. Don't be afraid to continue learning, whether it's in your line of work or a completely different line of work. That information can benefit you enormously down the road.

Find skills that you can learn and commit to improving a little bit each and every single day. Even if you only spend 20 minutes per day learning a new skill or even a new language, you can vastly improve your business prospects over time. It won't happen quickly. But it will eventually happen as long as you stay committed.

25. Plan obsessively.

Anyone who's serious about achieving their business goals needs to plan obsessively towards them. How are you going to get from one point to the next? What are you going to do in order to achieve your goals? The people who create a plan are far more likely to achieve their goals.

Take the time to create your master plan and refer back to it often. If you need to, make amendments to the plan as you move towards your goals. If you're already tracking and analyzing, you can easily adjust your plan mid-route in order to ensure you eventually reach your goals.

26. Be mindful.

Everyone who's serious about success in business needs to be mindful of their actions. This isn't just about respecting others; this is about respecting yourself, the environment and the world out there. Be mindful of your actions. Don't do things that would be deemed illegal or inappropriate in business like lying, cheating or stealing.

As long as we're mindful of our actions, and we do things the right way, without trying to cut corners and take shortcuts, as painful as it might seem, it will pay off down the road. Your reputation in business will improve over time and people will believe in you. 

27. Do something you love.

Do something you love every day. Do you love to paint? Walk along the beach? Ride a bike? When's the last time you did those things? When is the last time you did those things? What's stopping you from doing it? We're usually so consumed by our goals that we forget to focus on ourselves.

Simply do something you love every single day without fail. Make it part of your routine. Success in business isn't just about work, work, work; it's also about personal health and wellbeing. Focus on doing one thing that you truly love to do, or even find a way to incorporate it into your work. Your future self and your business will thank you for it. 

28. Ask for help.

No one is perfect. No one has all the answers. People crash and burn and fail all the time. It's the nature of business and it's the nature of life. But the thing that separates the world's most successful entrepreneurs from others is their ability to ask for help. They put their ego in the backseat and they reach out to others around them.

It's difficult to ask for help from others. It often only comes at rock bottom when we're in the most dire straits. But no one should wait until then. Asking for help and consulting with experts and advisors on a regular basis should be commonplace, not something out of the norm.

Dặt dẹo mấy nay được chừng này. Thật là thê thảm. Phát hiện ra là cái gì mà khó - hoặc mình thấy khó - thì sẽ trì trệ, phân tâm. Cố lên nào Trang ơi. Vì 1 tương lai tự do tài chính cho 3 mẹ con nào!

Sơ sẩy phát là tiêu hoang. Càng phải theo dõi chặt chẽ hơn mới được. Nhìn các bạn, thấy nợ các bạn một cuộc sống đàng hoàng. Phấn đấu lên nào. Biên cuốn này hơi khoai, nhưng... cái gì cũng có deadline của nó thôi.

Học cách tìm hiểu bản thân từ những điều rất nhỏ nhặt hằng ngày. Đây là 1 điều rút ra:

Mình ko phải người ưa dọn dẹp, dù rằng rất thích 1 môi trường sạch sẽ, ngăn nắp, tối giản như người Nhật (fuck science, họ nói người thích gọn gàng là những người mắc hội chứng lo lắng, vì ko kiểm soát được cuộc sống của mình nên muốn ít nhất là kiểm soát môi trường xung quanh, còn những người bừa bộn là những người sáng tạo). Nên là rất thường xuyên đang dọn dẹp nửa chừng thì chán, mệt, và ko có động lực làm tiếp. Nhà cửa từ hôm nghỉ đến giờ vẫn bừa bộn, mỗi ngày chỉ dọn được một tí. Trông cũng bớt ngộp dần nhưng mình ko thể một lúc mà sạch bách từ tầng trên xuống tầng dưới được.

Nên là càng phải tích cực áp dụng cuộc sống tối giản, bớt mua sắm, bớt bày bừa vậy. Cơ mà đang muốn mua 1 cái bàn để ngồi làm việc cho thoải mái. Haizzzz.

Nhiều lúc, tôi trách mẹ tôi, giá ngày ấy mẹ đừng giục giã. Tôi mới ra trường, cuộc sống chưa va chạm, thậm chí chưa từng yêu.

Nhưng trách rồi để đấy, vì người quyết định là tôi. Chẳng ai ép, chỉ là giục.

Mà chẳng phải ban đầu, tôi cũng khấp khởi mừng thầm đấy sao? Có vẻ hợp nhau kia mà.

Cuộc đời thay đổi lúc nào, tôi cũng chẳng biết nữa.

Giờ thì, tôi phải sống với quyết định của mình.

Tôi sợ con người ấy. Theo đúng nghĩa sợ, bất ổn, và luôn hoang mang.

***

Hôm qua chứng kiến cảnh Phát bức xúc với Khánh, nhưng ko kiềm chế được bản thân, tôi lại vừa lo vừa sợ. Rồi tôi sẽ dạy dỗ con như thế nào đây? Chỉ còn biết hy vọng và cố gắng. Sáng ở nhà làm, chiều và tối dành hết cho con, đến tận lúc chúng đi ngủ. Cũng phải thu xếp sớm để tụng kinh hằng ngày trở lại. Tôi sợ lắm, không có gì bấu víu vào để tin, tôi chết mất.

***

Bớt sân si với đời, bớt hóng chuyện thiên hạ, về lo cho cuộc sống của mình đi nào.

Thật tệ quá. Cuốn trước làm băng băng vậy mà. Sao cuốn này lại ì ạch thế này? Mất tập trung nữa.

Chuyển sang cuốn mới thì tiến độ mấy nay như thế này đây. Mà lại là sách biên, tức tiền thấp hơn nhiều. Ừ thì của Taleb, đọc ung thủ. Cơ mà tiến độ này thì em sống sao? Sau không nhận biên nữa. (thực ra cuốn này ko nhận, mà là việc từ trước lúc nghỉ, giờ làm nốt).

***

Mới học được 1 tip hay, là càng việc khó nhằn, như biên cuốn này, càng phải đặt deadline: Cái gì khó chịu cũng có deadline của nó thôi. Qua deadline là xong. Tự ra áp lực và tự động viên mình vậy. Thực ra thì, làm những cuốn này, hoặc bất kỳ cuốn nào, cũng có cái hay là người dịch/biên tập được đi sâu vào lối tư duy của người viết. Làm độc giả chưa chắc đã thích bằng, vì sẽ không có được cái sát sao câu chữ như thế này. Nên tiếp tục phát huy cái mà mình vẫn thấy hiệu quả với mình trong suốt những năm qua, nhưng bổ sung thêm: Vừa dịch kiếm tiền, vừa tranh thủ học từ chính tác giả, từ lối tư duy của họ, cho đến ý tưởng + cách sử dụng câu từ, từ vựng, ngữ pháp (nói chung cái này mình nghĩ một phần là sự để ý có ý thức, một phần là sự tiếp nhận vô thức sau quá trình tiếp xúc lâu dài). Đại để là tận dụng và phát huy tất cả những gì có thể qua công việc của mình.

***

Bớt sân si trên mạng xã hội. Không tắt được FB thì bớt update, comment thôi vậy. Có được ko nào? :|

***

Nghe đến cụm từ "tự do về tài chính" từ cách đây cả chục năm. Ban đầu thì ko hiểu, vì vẫn nghĩ phải làm cả đời, cuối đời dựa vào đồng lương hưu. Nhưng dạo này bắt đầu quay ra nghĩ lại. Ừ, dựa trên hoàn cảnh hiện nay, nếu quyết tâm và kỷ luật, thì vẫn độc lập về tài chính được, vẫn nghỉ hưu sớm được (ý là sẽ đến lúc ko cần làm vì tiền nữa). Nên là phải cố gắng lên.

Đọc mấy bài trên các báo viết về cách xây dựng sự độc lập về tài chính của những người nghỉ hưu sớm, thấy hầu hết đều chia sẻ một cách tự hào rằng họ sống tiết kiệm (frugally), và sống dưới mức thu nhập của mình. Ừ, ở xứ ta thì tiết kiệm ko phải là đức tính đáng khoe. Cơ mà tùy thôi.

Hôm qua hì hục làm lại cái file theo dõi chi tiêu hằng ngày.

 

Chỉ là vô tình đọc được (mà đọc ko hết) bài này. Mình thì cũng mơ hồ về ông LCĐ, nhưng thấy lập luận ở bài này nó bị sao sao, mà ko phải cũ, bài mới từ năm ngoái. Vẫn lối lập luận nhét shit vào mồm người khác, như ngày xưa có thời mình mê muội đọc báo An ninh TG sao đó. Hồi í mình chưa biết ca sĩ Duy Khánh, tự dưng đọc thấy bài ném đá ông ko thương tiếc nhân dịp... ông mất. Tình nghĩa CS là vậy nhỉ? Người ta bảo, nghĩa tử là nghĩa tận kia mà. Cơ mà thôi, lan man lại mất mọe nó thời gian vàng ngọc. Phải kiếm cơm đã.

http://tuanbaovannghetphcm.vn/le-cong-dinh-ke-dot-den-hien-nay-so-501/

Want to Raise Thoughtful, Well-Adjusted Children? Let Them Hear You Say These 11 Things

1. "Your practice is paying off."


This is about your child hearing you reward their effort and improvement as opposed to having a label reinforced, such as "You're so smart!" And kids don't always see that their practice is helping them improve, especially when they're more attuned to how good others are at something. Being specific about how they're improving will encourage them to keep going.

2. "I don't know."


I used to think feigned omnipotence with my daughter was the way to go, but as soon as I realized I couldn't keep up the façade, well, I dropped the façade.


Saying "I don't know" shows your vulnerability. The key is to say it with confidence to indicate that it's OK that you don't know everything, but then to follow up your statement with an effort to find out the answer. It role-models curiosity and a desire to learn.

3. "Is that really true?"


Kids are even better than adults at letting negative self-talk build an unhelpful ongoing narrative. Combine that with a constant comparison culture, exposure to social media, and increasing peer pressures at school and voilà--you have a child with a negative self-story.


Asking them "Is that really true?" when you hear them spouting their frustrations or self-disappointments forces them to challenge their assumptions. Keep asking and they'll realize their "supporting reasons" hold no weight.

4. "I'm sorry."



This is just good ol' fashioned role-modeling of humility and empathy. Research from University of Kent psychologists Nicola Abbott and Lindsey Cameron shows how important it is to role-model empathy for children. It teaches them kindness and forces them to be introspective about the harm they've brought to another person. It demonstrates how to begin the reconciliation and recovery process.

5. "I hear you."


Children, like all other human beings, want to be heard and respected. The fact that they know so relatively little or that their demands and statements can be ridiculous doesn't matter. You want to be heard when you're frustrated or otherwise, and so do they. Hearing "I hear you" teaches them to be patient even when they disagree with someone.

6. "What do you think?"


Children, like all other human beings, want to know that they and their opinions are valued. I often ask my daughter for her opinion, especially on things that I don't know as much about (like all things pop music). Asking this helps a child mature and form cohesive opinions.

7. "You were right."


Saying this shows that we all make mistakes, even Mom and Dad. I've found, surprisingly enough, it also encourages reciprocation from my daughter and an improved sense of collaboration and equality. You can be right sometimes, Dad (even if she's right the other 99 percent of the time).

8. "I trust you."


I say this to my daughter because it raises the stakes of her acting in a trustworthy manner. My trust in her is a given. However, I want her to continue earning it and to imagine the pain of hearing me say the opposite in those moments where she'll have a choice to make -- to behave in a trustworthy and responsible way, or not?

9. "I'm sure you can do it."



You can say many things to boost your child's confidence, but I like this the best because it shows your certainty and belief in them while still indicating that it's actually up to them. The implied words after this are "... if you put your mind to it."

10. "You decide."


It's like catnip for many young adults. Responsibility. Decision space. Independence. It shows trust and that you value their ability to be self-determining.

11. "I love you."


This one may seem obvious, but there are "strong silent" types who withhold saying it. And there are many unhelpful associated beliefs--such as saying it too much defuses its power. Not so. Kids need reminders, often, of your unconditional love, and hearing it is powerfully unambiguous.


As Coleman says: "'I love you' should be said loudly and often, and not just when your child has done something you deem worthy of love. In fact, saying 'I love you' is most powerful when a child feels most in danger of losing his or her parent's love."


So say all of these things, often, with conviction. Then you can say you did your best.

Trong lúc chưa cai được FB thì tôi nghĩ ra cách dùng khác của nó vậy: unfollow các page/người/group linh tinh, tập trung vào đọc tin. Mà không phải tin ở báo nhà - dạo này tin tức nào nghe cũng phát khiếp lên, đã unfollow Mương 14 - thực ra, ban đầu follow nó là để muốn biết xem giới trẻ như nào, nhưng mà thấy báo cách đưa tin kém chất lượng, nội dung xàm xí, chưa kể họ còn có riêng 1 kênh, chắc được tài trợ, chuyên PR cho việc thẩm mỹ cải thiện ngoại hình, về những con người từ xấu xí ma chê quỷ hờn đến sự đổi đời nhờ lột xác. Chỉ muốn chửi lũ đó. Ăn tiền thì ăn, nhưng ăn bẩn quá, cổ xúy cho thứ tư duy chẳng giống ai.

Cơ mà phải có nơi lưu những gì mình đọc thấy hay nhề. Hay liu trong đầu là được =)))

Có điều gì đó không thật đúng. Bình thường mình có thể tự dậy từ khoảng 3-4h sáng, hai hôm nay 5h mới dậy, mà phải nghe chuông báo thức.

Bài học rút ra ngày hôm nay:

- Phải luôn có sự chuẩn bị cho mọi tình huống, cả về mặt tinh thần và tài chính.

- Làm freelancer không có nghĩa là được phép xuề xòa. Ngồi ngay ngắn và chọn vị trí/chỗ ngồi dễ đứng lên đi lại --> để khi thấy thiếu tập trung/buồn ngủ thì đứng lên đi lại/vận động (nếu ngồi ở chỗ tuy yên ổn nhưng ngại đứng lên/thay đổi vị trí thì dễ dẫn đến tâm lý lười --> khi buồn ngủ thì vật ra ngủ thật luôn).

- Vận động nhẹ nhàng cho tỉnh táo.

Nói chung là từ lúc hô quyết tâm mỗi ngày dịch 15k từ TV thì vẫn chưa có ngày nào hoàn thành nhiệm vụ. Một số vấn đề xảy ra, gây gián đoạn. Bài học đã rút ra từ lâu nhưng chưa hề nghiêm túc thực hiện: phải luôn sẵn sàng cho mọi tình huống.

Dù sao, cũng xong cuốn sách đầu tiên từ khi làm freelancer. Tự chúc mừng cái đã!

Cái này hèn hèn để ở đây:

Như một sự động viên, dạo này newsfeed trên FB thường xuyên xuất hiện các bài viết về công việc, sự nghiệp, gia đình của các freelancers hoặc những người đang trong giai đoạn chuyển giao trong sự nghiệp.

Ấn tượng chung là làm việc tự do không phải là điều gì quá đáng sợ. Thực ra, quyết định này của mình hôm nay cũng nhẹ nhàng hơn so với cách đây chừng 10 năm thì phải. Khi đó cũng lăn tăn, nhưng nhờ một người bạn hỗ trợ và động viên nên cũng dứt ra để làm ở nhà, đâu như chừng hơn năm thì phải.

Lần này thì dường như là quyết tâm hơn, có động lực hơn. Không còn ảo tưởng rằng tiền bạc không phải là vấn đề, mà tiền bạc thực ra giúp giải quyết được nhiều thứ - miễn là đúng cách. Các bạn cũng lớn rồi nữa. Sẽ có những nhu cầu khác, đòi hỏi khác. Nếu mẹ vẫn dậm chân tại chỗ, thì sao theo kịp các bạn đây?

Ừ, thì mình tìm con đường đi mới, có sao đâu? Không nhất thiết phải đâm đầu vào 1 tổ chức nào đó. Nói gì thì nói, đời sống bây giờ cũng mở rộng hơn so với thời bố mẹ, ông bà mình.

Vẫn tự động viên mình hằng ngày. Vẫn nghe các inspirational speech trên YouTube, vẫn đọc các motivational quotes. Kệ ai kỳ thị, chứ nó vẫn là nguồn động lực của mình.

***

Bạn Phát thực sự đang là 1 vấn đề đau đầu. Bạn học kém quá. 1 phần động lực nghỉ là để có thời gian dạy bạn ở nhà + tìm lớp học thêm. Hy vọng rồi ra mọi chuyện ổn thỏa.

***

Vẫn biết từ lâu là xác định không trông chờ gì - các bài học vẫn diễn ra trước mắt hằng ngày. Tự nhủ mình cố gắng hơn, cố gắng hơn nữa.

Định bỏ uống trà/cà phê mà ko được, vì thiếu chúng thì mất tỉnh táo hẳn. Haizzzz

14 Psychological Facts That Can Show You the Naked Truth About Life

1. An average school student of the 21st century has the same amount of anxiety as a patient in a mental institution in the beginning of the 1950s.


Every decade, anxiety in children and adults is growing. And there are several reasons for that:

1. We don’t sense social constraints as much as we used to — we change our jobs very often, we rarely take part in any religious and other social organizations, we get married later, and we spend much more time alone;
2. We want a lot of things like wealth and a perfect relationship, but we have unrealistic ideas of what we should look like and how our partner should behave;
3. We receive too much bad news, especially about accidents and wars from the news, which makes us feel like the world is a dangerous place.

2. It only takes 3 hours to convince a person they’ve committed a murder.


And violence is not even necessary to accomplish this, it all can happen in a friendly atmosphere of conversation that looks a lot like an interview.

Many people know that when remembering some events, we rewrite the memory of them every time. Research shows that if an interviewer knows some details of a person’s life, then during a conversation, by adding several fake ideas and using special techniques for rewriting memories, it is possible to convince someone that they are a murderer.

Most people who took part in this experiment were convinced that they had memories of stealing something, assaulting people in their teenage years, or that they had injuries that they actually never had.

3. If you want to find love, take a dog with you when you’re going on a date.


If you show up for a date with a dog, your chances for success increase by a lot. People feel a lot more confident when they approach an attractive person who has a dog beside them.

A study conducted in Brittany, France, showed that girls are 3 times more inclined to give their phone numbers to men who have dogs. And in general, people walking with animals appear to be more trustworthy.

4. A favorite song is usually one that a person connects a very important event in their life with.

The songs we like are usually associated with some personal story that we have, a person, or an emotional event.

5. Some people may be afraid of happiness.

The fear of being happy may be present in people who had some sort of a personal tragedy during a time when they were happy. This is why they subconsciously expect something bad from happy moments and they do all they can to avoid them. These people may believe that they are introverts and they avoid going to parties and other pleasant events, but in fact, they are not scared of being other people, they’re just scared of the chance to feel happy.

6. The amount of stress a person has when they lose a phone is similar to the stress in a terrorist attack.

Even though the most stressful events for people are the death of a loved one or a prison sentence, the fear of losing a smartphone or being late for a train is estimated to be similar to being in a terrorist attack. The top 5 most stressful situations also included natural disasters (fire, flood), being fired, and a serious disease.

7. Keeping a diary can improve your physical health.


People who have eating disorders or who suffer from depression can benefit a lot from making everyday entries into personal diaries. Having a diary can make your immune system stronger, help you deal with stress, and even decrease the symptoms of asthma. And there is one more important advantage: you have a chance think about your mistakes in order to avoid making them in the future and also discover the pleasure of remembering forgotten moments of the past.

And you don’t have to write a lot: it’s enough to write just a couple of sentences every day, preferably around the same time. These notes will help you express your feelings and analyze situations.

8. In order to be creative, you don’t need to have good ideas, you need to have a lot of ideas.

Researchers found out that if people were paid for the number of suggested ideas and not for the quality, the results were better. But only in the case that they had little time to rest. And the recipe for being creative was the following: create as many ideas as you can, even the worst ones, after that, let yourself forget about them for a while and do something completely different for about 20 minutes. And after the break, return to the task.

9. A 20-minute walk in the park will make your happier.


Contact with nature makes us feel calm and gives us emotional comfort. People who spend at least 20 minutes per day in a park feel more satisfied with their lives. And it doesn’t matter what you do in the park: jog or just walk.

10. Background music decreases your creative abilities.
Any tune or song (in any language — foreign or native) hinders your ability to be creative if you listen to it while working. So if you are, for example, a writer and you work with language, listen to music only when you are not working.

11. In order to memorize something, it’s better to draw than to write.


Drawing is more effective for memorizing things than taking notes, visualization, or looking at pictures. And you don’t have to be talented: even primitive pictures can help you memorize things much better.

This is especially useful for elderly people: this way, they can maintain a good memory.

12. When your favorite team wins, your self-esteem improves.

As it turns out, people like watching sports for a reason: it has a positive influence on their self-esteem. Every time your favorite team wins, your mood improves dramatically for about 2 days. And when a team loses, it doesn’t have any drastic impact.

And it is much better to watch sporting events with other people. In this case, the joy of winning increases, and if a team loses, it’s easier to deal with.

13. Plan B decreases your chances of being successful.


As it turns out, people like watching sports for a reason: it has a positive influence on their self-esteem. Every time your favorite team wins, your mood improves dramatically for about 2 days. And when a team loses, it doesn’t have any drastic impact.

And it is much better to watch sporting events with other people. In this case, the joy of winning increases, and if a team loses, it’s easier to deal with.

14. In order to push yourself to make a change, ask yourself, “Will I do this?”

If you want to motivate yourself to make some changes, like start a diet, stop smoking, or spend more time with your child, don’t give yourself an order like, “Now I run every morning, “I’m going to spend less time online.” Ask yourself a question, “Will I do this?” If you don’t feel any internal pressure and you can just discuss this problem with yourself, you might have the urge to act. According to psychologist, Ibrahim Senay, by asking questions, you make your mind work on creating motivation.

How This 28-Year-Old Retired In NYC With A Net Worth Of More Than $2 Million

Một trong những cái hay của blog là cảm giác tha hồ viết mà không làm phiền ai. Mới đọc được bài viết này, khá là truyền cảm hứng với mình, về một cử nhân Harvard nghỉ hưu ở tuổi 28, sống cuộc sống giản dị, tiết kiệm và đạt được tự do tài chính, gạt bỏ những kỳ vọng của xã hội về một cuộc sống được gọi là thành công trong những vị trí cao cấp ở các công ty/tập đoàn lớn. Sao cũng được chứ, hạnh phúc và mục tiêu của mỗi người đâu có giống nhau.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mayakachroolevine/2016/11/14/how-this-28-year-old-retired-in-nyc-with-a-net-worth-of-more-than-2-million/?utm_source=FACEBOOK&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Malorie%2F&fbclid=IwAR3aGKiLHE4tyqHTcnEOIeoxSublPYppyFvAz310S2qScIrz_zqGz2HnkU4#1c7074e35aae

Chưa ổn. Lại như trêu ngươi. Sau khi hạ quyết tâm mỗi ngày 15k từ thì kết quả thê thảm thế này, chưa nổi 1/2 mục tiêu đặt ra.

Mình thuộc tuýp thích sự ổn định, nên cần phải tạo hệ thống mới được.

Hôm trước đọc bài, rằng hãy coi mình là 1 công ty - công ty 1 người cũng được. Nhưng phải có sự hoạt động chặt chẽ giống 1 công ty. Để mày mò làm thử.

Còn nhiều việc, nhiều việc. Nhiều người phải chăm sóc, lo toan. Cố lên nào. Mỗi ngày phải tự động viên mình gắng lên một chút. Hạn chế Facebook nào =)))). Họ nói đúng rồi đấy: When your goals and dreams are more important than your distractions, welcome to the 1% club.

Để thể hiện quyết tâm nhá: Không tương tác, không đăng bài trên FB từ nay tới 1 tháng sau, 7/5.

Ukie. Challenge accepted!

Treo vài tấm ảnh ở đây để tự nhắc mình:

Khánh thấy mẹ đến đón

Hôm qua là bết bát nhất kể từ khi làm nhà, 6k từ. Lý do lý trấu thì là sáng đưa Khánh đi nhổ răng rồi đi 10km về ông. Nhưng lúc về nhà xong cũng ko làm mấy. Có lẽ do cái tính ỳ thành quen, quen nếp rồi là phải cứ thế mới có right mindset để làm, hễ có gì xáo trộn là lêu têu. Rốt cuộc đành thức đến 12h, cố mãi thì được chừng ấy.

Từ giờ đặt mục tiêu mỗi ngày dịch 15k từ tiếng Việt, bất biết. Thiếu thì hôm sau bù vào.

Thế đã.

Mẹ ngồi làm việc ở giường, Khánh đưa cho cái gối, bảo: Mẹ dựa lưng vào đây này.

Chỉ cần thế thôi, nhỉ :)

Niềm vui là thấy công việc của bạn tiến triển dần mỗi ngày. Sáng nay ngồi dịch, có lúc vừa dịch vừa ngủ (thật phi thường), nhìn dòng nọ xọ dòng kia mà tay vẫn dịch đều đều =))).

Vừa dịch vừa học từ sách cũng là 1 cách rất hay, mình phát hiện ra thế. Như đang áp dụng 1 mẹo trong 1 cuốn dạy cách quản lý dự án: quản lý tiến độ theo nửa giờ một. Thoạt nghe thì thấy vô lý vãi ra, nhưng ngẫm ra, nó cũng phù hợp với bản chất công việc mình đang làm, nên dùng thử. Nhìn tiến độ xong thấy cũng sốt ruột khi 1h trôi qua mà ko thêm được trang nào.

Cố dịch dấn cuốn này xong cho yên tâm, tạm thời là trước mắt.

Lăn tăn vẫn là chưa đưa các bạn kia vào nếp được. Haizzz. Không thể để các bạn chờ mẹ ổn định cuộc sống của mẹ được.

Mày có 2 tháng, tới hết tháng 4 này, để thu xếp mọi việc nhé.

Lưu cái ảnh này ra đây để tự nhắc nhở mình. Già rồi đấy.

Hehe, ở nhà làm, mà nhà dùng mạng VNPT nên cứ phải rập rình mới vào được nhà mình ở thế giới ảo. Lúc vào được lúc không, mà đa phần là không.

Vẫn đang yên ổn làm. Sẽ cập nhật các mẹo mà mình áp dụng và thấy thành công để freelancing hiệu quả.

Thực ra quyết tâm là này: Sau 13 năm đi làm (tới tháng 6 này là tròn 3 năm, mình may mắn ra trường cái là có việc ngay, ko biết may mắn hay ko ở chỗ nhảy việc điên cuồng, chỗ nào ngồi lâu thì trong cái lâu í cũng bao gồm vô số lần nhấp nhổm), mình quyết định: một là self-employed, hai là làm employer, ko employee nữa.

Giờ đang self-employed. Chính thức từ 1.4.2019.

Để viết sau =)))

Qua ngày đầu tiên làm ở nhà. Lại quay về đời freelancer. Thấy nhẹ nhõm và có mục tiêu hơn. Cả quyết tâm nữa.

Với mình bây giờ, cái gì diễn ra có lẽ cũng là được, miễn là đúng thời điểm.

Cố gắng dành tối đa thời gian cho con. Vẫn duy trì lớp dạy tiếng Anh, cơ mà chắc phải quản chặt hơn. Dự định 3 mẹ con làm thành 1 câu lạc bộ đọc sách. Đợi 1-2 tháng nữa thu xếp công việc ổn thỏa đã. Dù gì cũng phải sống.

***

Khi mà bạn nhận ra rằng trong cuộc sống này, bạn phải Be Your Own Hero, thì bạn sẽ cố gắng hơn. Cả 3 mẹ con cố lên nào.

***

Công việc, đi khỏi nơi ấy cũng ko có gì nuối tiếc. Thứ mà mình quan tâm - chất lượng bản thảo - thì họ lại chẳng cần để ý. Họ cần số lượng và tiến độ. Và vô vàn những điều chướng tai gai mắt khác - ý là với mình. Nhưng có lẽ, bớt bớt thị phi đi nhé. Muốn đừng kêu ca thì mày khởi nghiệp đi xem nào :D

10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job

1. Income for dummies

Getting a job and trading your time for money may seem like a good idea. There’s only one problem with it. It’s stupid! It’s the stupidest way you can possibly generate income! This is truly income for dummies.

Why is getting a job so dumb? Because you only get paid when you’re working. Don’t you see a problem with that, or have you been so thoroughly brainwashed into thinking it’s reasonable and intelligent to only earn income when you’re working? Have you never considered that it might be better to be paid even when you’re not working? Who taught you that you could only earn income while working? Some other brainwashed employee perhaps?

Don’t you think your life would be much easier if you got paid while you were eating, sleeping, and playing with the kids too? Why not get paid 24/7? Get paid whether you work or not. Don’t your plants grow even when you aren’t tending to them? Why not your bank account?

Who cares how many hours you work? Only a handful of people on this entire planet care how much time you spend at the office. Most of us won’t even notice whether you work 6 hours a week or 60. But if you have something of value to provide that matters to us, a number of us will be happy to pull out our wallets and pay you for it. We don’t care about your time — we only care enough to pay for the value we receive. Do you really care how long it took me to write this article? Would you pay me twice as much if it took me 6 hours vs. only 3?

Non-dummies often start out on the traditional income for dummies path. So don’t feel bad if you’re just now realizing you’ve been suckered. Non-dummies eventually realize that trading time for money is indeed extremely dumb and that there must be a better way. And of course there is a better way. The key is to de-couple your value from your time.

Smart people build systems that generate income 24/7, especially passive income. This can include starting a business, building a web site, becoming an investor, or generating royalty income from creative work. The system delivers the ongoing value to people and generates income from it, and once it’s in motion, it runs continuously whether you tend to it or not. From that moment on, the bulk of your time can be invested in increasing your income (by refining your system or spawning new ones) instead of merely maintaining your income.

This web site is an example of such a system. At the time of this writing, it generates about $9000 a month in income for me (update: $40,000 a month as of 10/31/06), and it isn’t my only income stream either. I write each article just once (fixed time investment), and people can extract value from them year after year. The web server delivers the value, and other systems (most of which I didn’t even build and don’t even understand) collect income and deposit it automatically into my bank account. It’s not perfectly passive, but I love writing and would do it for free anyway. But of course it cost me a lot of money to launch this business, right? Um, yeah, $9 is an awful lot these days (to register the domain name). Everything after that was profit.

Sure it takes some upfront time and effort to design and implement your own income-generating systems. But you don’t have to reinvent the wheel — feel free to use existing systems like ad networks and affiliate programs. Once you get going, you won’t have to work so many hours to support yourself. Wouldn’t it be nice to be out having dinner with your spouse, knowing that while you’re eating, you’re earning money? If you want to keep working long hours because you enjoy it, go right ahead. If you want to sit around doing nothing, feel free. As long as your system continues delivering value to others, you’ll keep getting paid whether you’re working or not.

Your local bookstore is filled with books containing workable systems others have already designed, tested, and debugged. Nobody is born knowing how to start a business or generate investment income, but you can easily learn it. How long it takes you to figure it out is irrelevant because the time is going to pass anyway. You might as well emerge at some future point as the owner of income-generating systems as opposed to a lifelong wage slave. This isn’t all or nothing. If your system only generates a few hundred dollars a month, that’s a significant step in the right direction.

2. Limited experience

You might think it’s important to get a job to gain experience. But that’s like saying you should play golf to get experience playing golf. You gain experience from living, regardless of whether you have a job or not. A job only gives you experience at that job, but you gain “experience” doing just about anything, so that’s no real benefit at all. Sit around doing nothing for a couple years, and you can call yourself an experienced meditator, philosopher, or politician.

The problem with getting experience from a job is that you usually just repeat the same limited experience over and over. You learn a lot in the beginning and then stagnate. This forces you to miss other experiences that would be much more valuable. And if your limited skill set ever becomes obsolete, then your experience won’t be worth squat. In fact, ask yourself what the experience you’re gaining right now will be worth in 20-30 years. Will your job even exist then?

Consider this. Which experience would you rather gain? The knowledge of how to do a specific job really well — one that you can only monetize by trading your time for money — or the knowledge of how to enjoy financial abundance for the rest of your life without ever needing a job again? Now I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have the latter experience. That seems a lot more useful in the real world, wouldn’t you say?

3. Lifelong domestication

Getting a job is like enrolling in a human domestication program. You learn how to be a good pet.

Look around you. Really look. What do you see? Are these the surroundings of a free human being? Or are you living in a cage for unconscious animals? Have you fallen in love with the color beige?

How’s your obedience training coming along? Does your master reward your good behavior? Do you get disciplined if you fail to obey your master’s commands?

Is there any spark of free will left inside you? Or has your conditioning made you a pet for life?

Humans are not meant to be raised in cages. You poor thing…

4. Too many mouths to feed

Employee income is the most heavily taxed there is. In the USA you can expect that about half your salary will go to taxes. The tax system is designed to disguise how much you’re really giving up because some of those taxes are paid by your employer, and some are deducted from your paycheck. But you can bet that from your employer’s perspective, all of those taxes are considered part of your pay, as well as any other compensation you receive such as benefits. Even the rent for the office space you consume is considered, so you must generate that much more value to cover it. You might feel supported by your corporate environment, but keep in mind that you’re the one paying for it.

Another chunk of your income goes to owners and investors. That’s a lot of mouths to feed.

It isn’t hard to understand why employees pay the most in taxes relative to their income. After all, who has more control over the tax system? Business owners and investors or employees?

You only get paid a fraction of the real value you generate. Your real salary may be more than triple what you’re paid, but most of that money you’ll never see. It goes straight into other people’s pockets.

What a generous person you are!

5. Way too risky
Many employees believe getting a job is the safest and most secure way to support themselves.

Morons.

Social conditioning is amazing. It’s so good it can even make people believe the exact opposite of the truth.

Does putting yourself in a position where someone else can turn off all your income just by saying two words (“You’re fired”) sound like a safe and secure situation to you? Does having only one income stream honestly sound more secure than having 10?

The idea that a job is the most secure way to generate income is just silly. You can’t have security if you don’t have control, and employees have the least control of anyone. If you’re an employee, then your real job title should be professional gambler.

6. Having an evil bovine master
When you run into an idiot in the entrepreneurial world, you can turn around and head the other way. When you run into an idiot in the corporate world, you have to turn around and say, “Sorry, boss.”

Did you know that the word boss comes from the Dutch word baas, which historically means master? Another meaning of the word boss is “a cow or bovine.” And in many video games, the boss is the evil dude that you have to kill at the end of a level.

So if your boss is really your evil bovine master, then what does that make you? Nothing but a turd in the herd.

Who’s your daddy?

7. Begging for money

When you want to increase your income, do you have to sit up and beg your master for more money? Does it feel good to be thrown some extra Scooby Snacks now and then?

Or are you free to decide how much you get paid without needing anyone’s permission but your own?

If you have a business and one customer says “no” to you, you simply say “next.”

8. An inbred social life

Many people treat their jobs as their primary social outlet. They hang out with the same people working in the same field. Such incestuous relations are social dead ends. An exciting day includes deep conversations about the company’s switch from Sparkletts to Arrowhead, the delay of Microsoft’s latest operating system, and the unexpected delivery of more Bic pens. Consider what it would be like to go outside and talk to strangers. Ooooh… scary! Better stay inside where it’s safe.

If one of your co-slaves gets sold to another master, do you lose a friend? If you work in a male-dominated field, does that mean you never get to talk to women above the rank of receptionist? Why not decide for yourself whom to socialize with instead of letting your master decide for you? Believe it or not, there are locations on this planet where free people congregate. Just be wary of those jobless folk — they’re a crazy bunch!

9. Loss of freedom

It takes a lot of effort to tame a human being into an employee. The first thing you have to do is break the human’s independent will. A good way to do this is to give them a weighty policy manual filled with nonsensical rules and regulations. This leads the new employee to become more obedient, fearing that s/he could be disciplined at any minute for something incomprehensible. Thus, the employee will likely conclude it’s safest to simply obey the master’s commands without question. Stir in some office politics for good measure, and we’ve got a freshly minted mind slave.

As part of their obedience training, employees must be taught how to dress, talk, move, and so on. We can’t very well have employees thinking for themselves, now can we? That would ruin everything.

God forbid you should put a plant on your desk when it’s against the company policy. Oh no, it’s the end of the world! Cindy has a plant on her desk! Summon the enforcers! Send Cindy back for another round of sterility training!

Free human beings think such rules and regulations are silly of course. The only policy they need is: “Be smart. Be nice. Do what you love. Have fun.”

10. Becoming a coward

Have you noticed that employed people have an almost endless capacity to whine about problems at their companies? But they don’t really want solutions — they just want to vent and make excuses why it’s all someone else’s fault. It’s as if getting a job somehow drains all the free will out of people and turns them into spineless cowards. If you can’t call your boss a jerk now and then without fear of getting fired, you’re no longer free. You’ve become your master’s property.

When you work around cowards all day long, don’t you think it’s going to rub off on you? Of course it will. It’s only a matter of time before you sacrifice the noblest parts of your humanity on the altar of fear: first courage… then honesty… then honor and integrity… and finally your independent will. You sold your humanity for nothing but an illusion. And now your greatest fear is discovering the truth of what you’ve become.

I don’t care how badly you’ve been beaten down. It is never too late to regain your courage. Never!

Still want a job?

If you’re currently a well-conditioned, well-behaved employee, your most likely reaction to the above will be defensiveness. It’s all part of the conditioning. But consider that if the above didn’t have a grain of truth to it, you wouldn’t have an emotional reaction at all. This is only a reminder of what you already know. You can deny your cage all you want, but the cage is still there. Perhaps this all happened so gradually that you never noticed it until now… like a lobster enjoying a nice warm bath.

If any of this makes you mad, that’s a step in the right direction. Anger is a higher level of consciousness than apathy, so it’s a lot better than being numb all the time. Any emotion — even confusion — is better than apathy. If you work through your feelings instead of repressing them, you’ll soon emerge on the doorstep of courage. And when that happens, you’ll have the will to actually do something about your situation and start living like the powerful human being you were meant to be instead of the domesticated pet you’ve been trained to be.

Happily jobless

What’s the alternative to getting a job? The alternative is to remain happily jobless for life and to generate income through other means. Realize that you earn income by providing value — not time — so find a way to provide your best value to others, and charge a fair price for it. One of the simplest and most accessible ways is to start your own business. Whatever work you’d otherwise do via employment, find a way to provide that same value directly to those who will benefit most from it. It takes a bit more time to get going, but your freedom is easily worth the initial investment of time and energy. Then you can buy your own Scooby Snacks for a change.

And of course everything you learn along the way, you can share with others to generate even more value. So even your mistakes can be monetized.

One of the greatest fears you’ll confront is that you may not have any real value to offer others. Maybe being an employee and getting paid by the hour is the best you can do. Maybe you just aren’t worth that much. That line of thinking is all just part of your conditioning. It’s absolute nonsense. As you begin to dump such brainwashing, you’ll soon recognize that you have the ability to provide enormous value to others and that people will gladly pay you for it. There’s only one thing that prevents you from seeing this truth — fear.

All you really need is the courage to be yourself. Your real value is rooted in who you are, not what you do. The only thing you need actually do is express your real self to the world. You’ve been told all sort of lies as to why you can’t do that. But you’ll never know true happiness and fulfillment until you summon the courage to do it anyway.

The next time someone says to you, “Get a job,” I suggest you reply as Curly did: “No, please… not that! Anything but that!” Then poke him right in the eyes.

You already know deep down that getting a job isn’t what you want. So don’t let anyone try to tell you otherwise. Learn to trust your inner wisdom, even if the whole world says you’re wrong and foolish for doing so. Years from now you’ll look back and realize it was one of the best decisions you ever made.

Final thoughts

While I wouldn’t recommend starting an online business for everyone, for many people it’s one of the best ways to generate income without a job. It has certainly worked disgustingly well for me. If you’re interested in learning more about this option, please see this page for details.

https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/07/10-reasons-you-should-never-get-a-job/

Hôm nay không khá hơn hôm qua. Không tập trung lắm nhưng cũng đã có nhiều lúc phát hiện ra mình mất tập trung - thôi thì AQ là cũng tàm tạm.

Đang bị dằn vặt vì tốc độ làm quá chậm, nhưng bản thảo quá tệ. Mà làm chậm thì ít tiền. Nói chung là lòng vòng và luẩn quẩn.

Nhà cửa vẫn bộn bề. Vẫn chưa biết phải làm gì để cuộc sống 3 mẹ con khá khẩm lên.

Gặp câu này hay hay nên copy lại: Nếu Chúa trời muốn hủy diệt kẻ nào, trước tiên Người sẽ khiến chúng nổi giận. (thực ra có lẽ dùng 'các vị thần linh' thì đúng hơn).

Xem nào, hôm nay tập trung làm việc, nên cũng xong được kha khá. Tuy là phải công nhận là nghề này muốn nhanh cũng khó. Thôi cố lên nào. Tối về cơm nước + giục các bạn học + dọn dẹp nhà nữa. Cấm lười =)))))

Bao nhiêu lần tôi nói enough is enough rồi nhỉ? Và tôi vẫn ở đây. Tôi là một "still person", lúc nào tôi cũng thế, bi quan, yếm thế, đầy hối tiếc và luôn mong ngóng một sự thay đổi.

Tâm lý thì xác định rồi. Rằng phải là tôi đứng lên. Phải là tôi làm cho cuộc sống của mình, của con cái, bố mẹ mình thay đổi.

Nhưng tôi cứ giậm chân tại chỗ thế. Bao lâu rồi?

***

Mẹ bực anh Phát, nằm quay lưng trên giường. Khánh lên giường theo, vòng tay ôm lưng mẹ. Có sự an ủi nào ấm áp đến thế nữa không?

***

Phát học kém, và lười. Mẹ không biết phải làm sao.

***

Thôi thì, lại cố gắng. Một lần này nữa nhé, Trang ơi.

Tôi làm được rồi. Sau bao lần lần nữa, sáng nay đã quyết tâm lên tụng kinh. 5 biến Chú Đại Bi + Thập chú + Bát Nhã Tâm Kinh.

Trong lúc tụng, các hình ảnh, ý nghĩ khác vẫn xuất hiện thường xuyên trong đầu. Nhưng cảm giác thảnh thơi hơn rồi.

Cố lên nhé.

Hôm qua nói chuyện với một người bạn, đang lăn tăn chuyện lấy chồng. Tôi bảo, cứ suy nghĩ cẩn thận, bởi 1 người đôi khi có thể làm thay đổi cả cuộc đời mình.

Nay ngồi nghĩ lại. Không thể thế được. Sao lại để chuyện đó xảy ra? Một người không phải cả thế giới.

Vẫn phải sống cho ra sống chứ.

Ước mơ đâu cả rồi? Dậy hết đi nào!

Họ nói ai đó/điều gì đó không tốt cho bạn thì hãy dũng cảm đứng lên mà walk away. Nhưng tôi đã ở đó rồi, và tôi biết, ko thể walk away là xong được - ít ra là tôi thấy thế.

Vẫn mò mẫm giữa cuộc đời.

I do
I did
I'm done

Mệt mỏi thì nghỉ ngơi đầu óc một chút nhỉ. Nhưng rồi cuối cùng, cái mình cần bây giờ là phải sống mạnh mẽ. Chỉ là, gắng gượng quá nó lại thành mệt mỏi.

Không hiểu sai lầm của cuộc đời mình bắt đầu từ đâu nữa. Con tàu đã chệch đường ray từ lúc nào?

Có lẽ mình biết. Nhưng chẳng để làm gì.

Không nói xấu ai, không đưa lời người khác. Cấm tiệt!

Hứa với các con cuối năm nay xây nhà. Bạn Khánh hợp tác và ủng hộ mẹ tới độ bây giờ trước khi mua cái gì bạn cũng hỏi giá, đắt quá là không mua để tiết kiệm tiền với mẹ :'(

Ngày 1

Đã vứt bỏ đi một số thứ, đặc biệt là quần áo, nhà cửa gọn hơn 1 chút. Nhưng cần tiếp tục bỏ bớt thêm nữa. Thực ra, quá trình cân đo đong đếm xem cái gì cần giữ, cái gì không, cũng là một cơ hội để đối thoại và tìm hiểu chính mình.

Ngày 1

Ngày 1 trong kế hoạch tụng kinh trở lại: fail. Lý do: chưa dịch xong sách. Nhưng lý do chính là lười.

Vài Pháp ngữ cho hành giả:

- Ngồi bao lâu không quan trọng bằng ngồi thế nào.

- Sống bao lâu không quan trọng bằng sống ra sao.

- Ý nghĩa của tuệ quán không phải để đắc cái gì, mà là bỏ được những gì.

- Ta hiểu Phật ra sao thì Ngài trong lòng ta có tôn dung thế ấy.

- Gặp nhau để tu tập, đừng để chỉ là tụ tập.

- Bàn tay nắm chặt chỉ giữ được một ít, vòng tay giữ được nhiều hơn, và tầm nhìn thì cho ta được nhiều hơn nữa.

- Chết trong chánh niệm là sống trong chánh pháp, sống trong thất niệm là đã chết trong tà đạo.

- Hãy từng ngày làm việc trăm năm, đừng dùng trăm năm làm việc của một ngày.

✍️ Toại Khanh

Chiều qua tranh thủ hết tết, xin phép ông nội chạy về nhà dọn dẹp. Lôi bộ mõ ra rửa, cọ lại cái bàn để kinh. Ngày kia quay lại cuộc sống bình thường, nhất định phải tụng kinh + ngồi thiền hằng ngày. Kinh Lăng Nghiêm dài quá, nên sẽ không tụng nữa vậy, thay bằng 5 biến chú Đại Bi. Trước mắt cứ nhẹ nhàng vậy thôi đã.

Nhớ là ngày ngày phải viết blogspot cập nhật tình hình.

Cửa Phật trang nghiêm, mõ sớm gõ tan hồn mộng ảo
Cổng Thiền thanh tịnh, chuông chùa ngân vọng tiếng từ bi

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Chưa bao giờ thấy ngấm câu này hơn lúc này. Ừ, thì tính tình hơi sến sẩm, nhưng mỗi lần năm cũ đi năm mới đến, lòng vẫn không khỏi khấp khởi hi vọng. Như thể những sai lầm mình đã mắc, những kế hoạch đã đổ vỡ, những mong mỏi,... lại thêm một cơ hội hồi sinh.

Cố cho xong deadline năm cũ rồi ra kế hoạch năm mới nào. Muộn rồi, nhưng có còn hơn không. Nhỉ?

1.

Giờ này bên nhà mùa xuân đã về
Bài nhạc xuân buồn hằng năm vẫn nghe
Mẹ ơi con vẫn không về...

Ý tứ bài hát thì khác, nhưng nghe những câu này vẫn cứ thấy chạnh lòng nghĩ đến mình. Nhất là như năm nay, vội vàng về được nửa ngày trước tết lại đi.

Thấy cuộc sống của mình, mà như không phải.

Lại chẳng liên quan, nhưng chợt nhớ lại nhân vật anh lính nào đó trong truyện Azit Nexin. Lúc họ cần anh thì anh sống, lúc họ không cần anh thì anh chết.

Nhưng mà, ngẫm ra, cũng thú vị. Từ chuyện dở khóc dở cười, chúng ta vẫn có thể biến thành truyện cười được kia mà. Hình như họ gọi đấy là trào phúng.

2.

Nay lại được nghe một câu hơi chạnh lòng, từ một người nhẽ phải là quen, mà giờ chỉ mong lạ. Chả phải lần đầu. Không còn buồn. Khi mình đã hiểu và tôn trọng chính mình hơn, thì những suy nghĩ, lời nói, hành động của người khác đối với mình nó cũng bớt tác dụng xấu đi. Nhưng không phải là không còn nghĩ gì. Không buồn, nhưng cảm giác nó lại thành một mớ hỗn độn.

3.

Năm mới, mình chả mới. Có những chuyện không thể nào thay đổi được nữa. Nhỉ?

Thật đúng là phải trèo tường mới vào được nhà mình mà :'(

Những ngày cuối năm bộn bề, dồn dập. Ừ, thì lúc nào cũng thế, bất kỳ thời điểm nào, với mình, cũng dồn dập và bộn bề thế, chả cứ gì cuối năm.

Nhưng dù sao thì cũng cuối năm rồi.

Chưa tổng kết năm, chưa lên kế hoạch. Dù kế hoạch lập xong bỏ đấy.

Sao mà thấy mình toàn không kịp trở tay.

Lại cày deadline nào.

1.

Không hiểu vì sao dạo này không thể vào được blogspot ở mạng ở nhà. Tháng đầu tiên của 2019 sắp qua, tết ta đã cận kề. Chưa có thời gian tổng kết cái gì. Chưa lập được kế hoạch gì cho năm tới. Mà công việc, thì vẫn bộn bề.

2. Mới đọc được một bài nói về ý kiến của một cựu lãnh đạo trong quân đội Mỹ. Ông nói cái gọi là động lực ấy không phát huy hiệu quả đâu, phù phiếm lắm. Cái khiến con người ta phải nhúc nhích là KỶ LUẬT - đúng cái mình luôn luôn thiếu. Thực ra, quan điểm này của nhà binh cũng gần với quan điểm Phật giáo: tu giới trước tiên, từ giới sinh định, từ định sinh huệ.

Đời, về cơ bản, là thế. Phải không?

3.

Các bạn ấy vẫn rất ngoan ngoãn. Mẹ vẫn rất áy náy. Mẹ vẫn chưa đủ kỷ luật và tự giác để làm những việc mà mẹ cần phải làm để mang lại một cuộc sống tốt đẹp hơn cho các bạn. Mẹ lại hứa nhé.

4.

Một chút duyên nào đó, có lẽ thế. Mình quen một em. Gọi là mọt sách cũng được. Hăm hở tìm đọc các loại sách về tư tưởng, giáo dục, triết học. Mình nói em thử tìm hiểu về Phật giáo. Ban đầu em còn nghi ngờ và chỉ có ý định tìm hiểu cho vui. Nhưng đến nay - trong một khoảng thời gian tương đối ngắn, theo cảm nhận của mình là thế - em đã hoàn toàn chuyển sang tin tưởng vào Phật. Xin pháp danh và một lòng theo Phật. Hôm qua thấy em post trên FB, đại ý: Việc tìm hiểu các tư tưởng khác trước đây có phải là lãng phí không, khi mà Phật giáo có thể giải thích tất cả một cách đầy đủ và thỏa đáng.

Tự dưng thấy vui vui.