Naval Ravikant has been a long time personal favorite thinker and he has helped me through my personal growth journey. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant is a collection of wisdom and insights from angel investor, and thought leader Naval Ravikant. It encapsulates the core principles and ideas that have guided Naval throughout his successful career.
At its heart, the almanac emphasizes the importance of seeking timeless knowledge and leverage technology to create wealth and live a fulfilling life. His teachings cover a wide range of topics but for the sake of this book review, I will only include those I found pertinent.
Life Lessons
Happiness and Fulfillment
“The fundamental delusion — there is something out there that will make me happy and fulfilled forever.”
Naval Ravikant
As some of you might know, I have recently been intrigued with the notion of happiness. I want to know what makes people happy and most importantly, how can I practice happiness in my life?
Ravikant explains how he believes happiness is a choice you make and a skill you develop. Yes, you can be happy after your friend makes you laugh or your partner hugs you at the end of a long day. However, those spikes of happiness are tied to external factors.
True happiness needs to be worked at. True happiness is a matter of how you perceive and respond to the world around you. You choose to make today an amazing day. You decide how to react at life, even in challenging and adverse situtations.
Furthermore, he mentions the trap of comparative thinking, where people measure their happiness relative to others. Personally, this is what I struggle with the most. I realized how sad I would get when I saw people traveling, going out, and enjoying their lives on Instagram. Then, I would take a look at my life realize most of the time I was at home studying for the CFA or working at the office. This comparison got me in such a slump that I decided to delete social media.
I haven’t looked back since.
From this experience, I learned to compare myself to the past and strive for personal growth. So far, I would say I have been ecstatic with who I am today. But most importantly, I am happy.
After all, this is such a short and precious life, I might as well spend it being happy.
Always Be a Student
“Success is the enemy of learning. It can deprive you of the time and the incentive to start over. Beginner’s mind also needs beginner’s time.”
Naval Ravikant
Ravikant explains the importance of continuous learning for personal development. As you know, we live in world that is constantly evolving from rapid technological advancements and the only way individuals can thrive in this environment is through learning.
Learning opens new horizons. It unlocks doors to opportunities, whether in business, personal growth, or relationships. The more you learn, the more avenues you have for growth and success.
The beauty with living in a digital world is that learning has never been more accessible. The best teachers are on the internet. The best books are on the internet. The best peers are on the internet. There is an abundancy of opportunity for continous education, yet a scarcity to learn.
Earn With Your Mind, Not Your Time
When Naval emphasized “Earning with your mind”, he is highlighting the importance of using your intellectual and creative abilities to generate income and create value. In other words, finding ways to leverage your knowledge, skills, and expertise to solve problems, create products and/or services, or make decisions that lead to financial gain.
On the other hand, his saying “Not your time” refers to traditional employment that trades our time for money. At a typical job, you are paid a predetermined salary or wage for your time and effort. Naval suggests relying solely on this time-based model may limit your income potential and personal growth.
So, start that business if your heart so desires. Invest your money wisely. Create and monetize intellectual property (it can be books, software, music or anything that aligns with your interests). Break free from the convential time-based income model and explore ways to use your intellect and creativity to generate income and create value. Your uniqueness has so much to offer to this world.
“Sing that song that only you can sing, write the book that only you can write, build the product that only you can build… live the life that only you can life.”
Naval Ravikant
Conclusion
As we reach the conclusion of this book, we find ourselves equipped with a treasure trove of wisdom and insights from visionary Naval Ravikant. May his teachings inspire us to embark on our own journey of self-discovery and the drive to make a positive impact on the world. Let’s remember that life is not a spectator sport, but an adventure waiting to be lived to the fullest.
