A&B #17

Hey friends,

I'm writing to all 3,752 of you today.Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!I spent Christmas with my family here in NYC while Skyping with relatives in California. As my aunt said, we may not be next to one another this year, but we're all still together. I hope you got to spend time with loved ones (and maybe got some reading done as well). 

Alright, let's dive into this week's newsletter!

🎧 Podcast Update:

No new podcast this week, but here's a recap of last week's episode: Alex Banayan, the bestselling author of The Third Door.In our conversation, Alex shares advice on how to pursue your dreams, overcome setbacks and rejection, the books that changed his life, how he met Tim Ferriss, an exclusive look into Alex’s new book, and so much more.Listen to our podcast here.Bonus: 5 Key lessons I learned from The Third Door (including the ultimate cold email template from Tim Ferriss)

📚 Book Lessons:

This week I finished Matthew McConaughey's book Greenlights. 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) To Find Yourself, Get Out of Your Comfort Zone Throughout the book, Matthew talks about the importance of getting away from everyday life. But it wasn't adventure that he was seeking, it was an escape from the familiar to discover the unfamiliar. Because it's only when you venture into the unknown that you learn more about yourself as a person.For instance, 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." 2) The Art of Running DownhillLife 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 while they last because they won't go on forever. 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?Related: Read about how a single book changed Matthew McConaughey's life forever here

✅ 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 of the hill. If life isn't great, 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.

📖 Reading Lesson:There's some stigma around self-help books, but that's shouldn't be the case.People don't realize that ALL books are self-help books. Finance books help your financial life. Behavior books help your social life.  Dating books help your dating life.Here's a short clip about this topic.And if you enjoyed the clip, check out my podcast with Joe Wells.

⭐️ Weekly Quote:I don’t know who needs to hear this but...If your NYE resolution is to read more books, don’t wait until Jan. 1st, 2021.Pick up a book and start reading today. (source)

📸 Photo of the Week:

I know Christmas is over, but...

If you wanted books as a gift and didn't get any, send this post to your friend (partner, family member, etc.) on

Instagram

or

so that they get the hint and make it up to you.

🙏 Hey everyone, this week's newsletter is brought to you by: Santa ClausThat's right. I teamed up with the famous Mr. Claus to give away 250 free Alex & Books bookmarks! Here's how to win: Subscribe to my YouTube channel Share my newsletter on Twitter and tag meThat's it!The first 25 people to do so will win 10 bookmarks each (BTW: winners must have a USA address).PS: If you bought my course TAoR, reply to this email and I'll hook you up with 10 free bookmarks (also USA address needed).

Thank you for your support everyone, I'll see you next week!Read on,Alex W.PS: If you enjoy this newsletter, please share it with a friend. They can subscribe here.