My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
“you cannot control the pebbles, but you can control the nature of your water”
What It Means
You can't control external events but you can control your internal response
Why It Matters
Most suffering comes from trying to control uncontrollable things while neglecting controllable responses
When It's True
In most daily situations where external events are beyond your influence
When It's Risky
When you actually do have power to change problematic circumstances
How to Apply
Before reacting to external events, ask what aspects are within your control
Focus energy on your response rather than trying to change others or circumstances
Develop practices for maintaining calm internal state regardless of external chaos
Example Scenario
“During economic downturn, you can't control market conditions but can control your learning, networking, and emotional state while job searching”
Related Knowledge
Your focus will determine what you see. Your state will determine how you feel and the story determi
Three elements that shape your experience: attention, emotional state, and interpretation
The Happiness Triangle
A three-component system for achieving sustained happiness by controlling focus, state, and story interpretation
Train selective attention on valuable versus trivial matters
Maintaining emotional equilibrium when facing minor setbacks, automatic filtering of trivial from important
Develop conscious control over emotional state entering situations
Choosing your emotional state before important situations, responding rather than reacting to events
Precious vs Trivial Filter
A decision filter that categorizes experiences by their true value to your wellbeing and happiness
Reaction vs Response Distinction
A cognitive model distinguishing between automatic emotional reactions and conscious, chosen responses to events