Why didn't I try this earlier?

What if I told you that you can achieve everything you desire by making one change?

It is simple and my guess is that you already know it.

The secret is: Be insanely useful to others.

Hear me out.

Charlie Munger was worth 2.4 Billion. His friend Mohnish Pabrai summarized his superpower as his ability to be useful. Charlie gave his time, energy, and money. He was a giver. He intentionally gave partners better deals.

Why?

His belief was that ones who give and care for others are always taken care of.

The universe favors the givers.

Want another example? Your boy Arnie, who excelled in many fields, even wrote a book on the topic titled - Be Useful.

Be useful. That’s it. That is the philosophy by which you must live your life. Day in, day out.

But why is this philosophy so hard to implement?

Instinctively, you get it, don’t you?

I get it, I am sure.

But, when I live my life, it’s all about me.

Am I winning? Am I getting ahead or hitting my success metrics?

Those are my primary thoughts.

I even present myself as a God-fearing person who wishes to serve others. Yet, I fool myself every day because me and my wants remain the center of my world.

Implement the idea - Three things I am doing to be more useful:

• Schedule time to think of other’s needs. Every day, I write down the names of a few key people in my life, both personal and professional, and think of how I can help them. Are they experiencing any challenges or problems I can help with? To my surprise, sometimes I have no clue what is really going on in their lives. Yes, I am a self-centered douchebag sometimes. This is when I implement the next step.

• Check on people: Every Saturday I call someone or text someone to check in with them. This is an open invitation to listen. I prompt a chat with one single objective: listen intently to what is going on in their life and look for opportunities to help. Sometimes, intentionally asking how someone really is and patiently listening to them is all the help they need that day.

• Be giving. Give your time, money, and attention to a good cause or charity. Tip the waiter more than 20%. Volunteer your time for a cause that matters or helps others. When you are in a work meeting, genuinely listen to the presenter. Give your attention to your children when they want to tell you something. 

Doing this has removed a lot of anxiety, and I feel slightly better about myself as a person. That alone is worth it for me.

We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill.