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37 things I stole from people smarter than me
Today I turn 37. The more I grow older, the more I appreciate what I learn every day from the people around me, from the books, the podcasts, the seminars, and the masterclasses.
Those that follow are 37+ ideas I took from my mentors, my heroes, my friends, the people I turn to for advice.
I know some of them personally. Some, I’ve never met in my life. Still, I read and absorbed from them at least one concept or philosophical principle that I’m taking with me wherever I go.
I loosely divided them into broad categories: life philosophy, relationships, time management, productivity, and principles.
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” — Marcus Aurelius
1- A deep life
I couldn’t start from anyone else but my wife, Emilia. I learned a lot about love and family values from her, but I am most grateful for how she taught me to have deeper, more meaningful relationships. I used to be content staying on the surface, but by more than just scratching it, by opening it, and getting more profound, you can have better and more meaningful relationships. Relationships are at the core of our lives, and if we want to have a deeper life, we should have deeper relationships.
2- Life smiles at you if you smile back
Whenever my friends can’t get what they want from someone, I ask them: “Have you smiled?”. It is now a recurring joke among us. My grandma, la nonna Regina, used to smile a lot. That’s how I remember her, smiling on her porch, smiling while biking, smiling while talking to people. It called for love and empathy. A smile does go a long way with customer service, as with people around us. It just works. You know how they say:
“Kill them with success, bury them with a smile.”
3- Why are you doing what you’re doing?
One book written 2000 years ago has all the knowledge and philosophy you’ll ever need. Sorry, it’s not the Bible. It’s “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. The Emperor of Rome, quite possibly the most important…
