A&B #102

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🙏  Support:This week's newsletter was made possible by World Builders.World Builders is written by my friend Nathan Baugh who shares lessons on how to craft compelling stories every week. Why learn storytelling? It's one of the most powerful skills out there–it will help you write better copy, content, creative, and more. Join me and 20,000+ other readers today!Sign up for free here!

👋 Hey everyone,

Here are a few popular posts you may have missed:

• How to build a reading habit in 4 easy steps.

• If you're a fan of Elon Musk, open this.

• If you're a fan of Naval Ravikant, open this.

• The top 20 books successful people recommend reading.

PS: If you want to sponsor this newsletter and get your product or brand in front of 24k awesome readers, reply to this email and I'll respond if I feel it's a good fit!

📚 Book Summary:

This week's book is Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. Part memoir, part life advice, the book provides unfiltered access into Matthew's life from growing up in Texas, how he decided to get into acting, the pros and cons of being famous, traveling the world to find inner peace, and much more. Here are three lessons from the book:1) Get Out of Your Comfort Zone To Find YourselfThroughout the book, Matthew talks about the importance of getting away from everyday life.It wasn't adventure that he was seeking, but an escape from the familiar to the unfamiliar because it's only when you venture into the unknown that you learn more about yourself.Early in his acting career, Matthew and his friends went on a motorcycle tour around Europe. They raced on the autobahn, explored the Swiss Alps, partied in Italy, and came back with a new outlook on life. Other years, Matthew traveled to the Amazon River or to a remote African village. But you don't need to buy a plane ticket to Africa to learn more about yourself. As Matthew says, "The introvert may need to get out of the house, engage with the world, get public. The extrovert may need to stay home and read a book." Wherever your comfort zone is, leave it and go explore the unknown.2) Learn To Enjoy The Good TimesLife is hard.So when things are going too well, some people may start to feel uncomfortable and purposefully self-sabotage themselves. This is a lot more common than you'd think and something Matthew had experienced as well.But there's no need for it. Enjoy the good times–Matthew calls this the art of running downhill. Because sooner or later, you'll find yourself at the bottom of the hill and will need to work to climb it again.A loved one may get sick, a project may fall through, or something else will happen. "Don't invent drama. It will come on its own," writes Matthew. And when things do start to go downhill, step up and work to make things better once again. 3) Define Success For YourselfToo many people believe that money is the ultimate trait of being successful. Yes, money does play a role, but it's unlikely that it's the end-all-be-all reason behind a good life.Is having lots of money more important to you than having a healthy family or a happy marriage? To identify your true values, Matthew recommends asking yourself, "What is success to me?"And it's important to remember that your answer will change over time. Early in Matthew's life, his answer was to make acting his full-time job. Later, it became to be an amazing father.What is your definition of success?Bonus lesson: How a single book changed Matthew's life forever.

✅ Actionable Advice:

1) Challenge: Do one thing that gets you out of your comfort zone:

• If you're an extrovert, spend an hour alone reading a book.

• If you're an introvert, spend an hour catching up with a friend over the phone.

• Plan a weekend trip to visit a new town or city by yourself.

2) Remember the art of running downhill:

• If life is going great, smile and enjoy being on top for a while.

• If life isn't going well, work towards climbing back up the hill.  

3) Ask yourself, "What is success to me?":

• Really think about what your version of success is and write it down on a piece of paper.

• Don't look at what others want but rather ask yourself who do you want to become.

🎧  Podcast Update:

No new pod but here are 3 videos with helpful reading tips:

• How To Read ANY Book In ONE Week.

• When A Book Is Still Boring After 3 Chapters.

• How To Take Notes While Reading A Book.

📖  Reading Lesson:23 Sentences about reading more valuable than a $799-speed reading course.

⭐️  Weekly Quote:John Wick had a $14 million bounty on his head and still took the time to put books back in their original spots. Remember this next time you visit a bookshop or library.(watch the clip here)

Thank you for your support everyone, I'll see you next Sunday!Read on,Alex W.