So I wrote in a previous post that one of the best habits you can have is to observe smart people and copy them. Let’s take a look at that in a little more detail.
I submit that regardless of how you define intelligence, you will usually find that the smartest people are doing the following things:
1. Working with things they enjoy.
2. Ignoring rules, laws and social taboos that they disagree with.
3. Spending more time doing things they are good at than the average person does.
4. Achieving success in their own definition.
In other words, the smart people are individualists. They have learned to put their own wishes above the wishes of others, and they have learned to focus on what they enjoy. This is something I’m constantly working towards. Alan Watts had a rap where he discussed how, in western society, we’re tricked into believing there’s some big reward just over the horizon all through our childhood, and then we suddenly wake up in our 40’s and realize we’re working at an accountancy firm. Floating along with the expectations of the culture around you is one of the most dangerous things you can do, from the perspective of your total happiness in life.
It took me years of searching to find out what I wanted to do in life, though I could have probably shortened it a bit if I had used psychedelics back then. Anyway, my point is it’s worth it. If you’re not happy with your everyday life, make a break for it. Travel. Move to a new city. Try a new sport. Learn a language. Meditate. Get high as a kite. Whatever it takes, just do whatever you need in order to find out what you really enjoy the most, and then figure out a way to live off it.
In my experience, you’ll never regret taking the risk, because you acted in accordance with your true wish. I know this sounds preachy, but I’m trying my best to practice it. I’m gearing down at my office job in order to make more time for MMA. If I end up regretting it, I’ll let you know.
