Top 10 Takeaways from the book: 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck'

The quick ‘judge a book by it’s cover’ message can easily be misconstrued for the call to action to be more ignorant and indifferent. Wrong. What ‘not giving a fuck’ is all about is staring down life’s most terrifying and difficult challenges and still taking action. Here are 10 takeaways I wanted to share with you that I found valuable and immediately applicable to my life. Also, here are some of my favourite photos from my RV road trip across America that I haven’t shared on other social media platforms. These are specifically from the National Parks I visited … incredibly life-changing! Enjoy!
ps. If any of these resonate, please leave a comment!

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1

PUT YOU FIRST

Your life is not just comprised of a series of obligations to others. Being driven by avoiding inadequacy and proving yourself to others drowns you in judgement and lofty expectations.

2

GIVE MORE FUCKS ABOUT LESS

Maturity is discerning what’s truly important and letting go of what’s not.

3

CHOOSE FAILURE BEFORE SUCCESS

By accepting the negatives in life, you begin to truly understand the positives.
One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.

4

CARE LESS OFTEN

All the meaning of our life is shaped by this innate desire to never truly die. You have “two selves” - one that will die, your physical self, and one that will live on, your conceptual self. And it is the conceptual self that drives much of what we do. Realize that everything is impermanent and that letting go of attachments, entitlements, and frivolous ambitions, is one way of creating peace.

5

DON’T TRY SO HARD

“The backwards law' is the idea that the more you pursue feeling better all the time, the less satisfied you become, as pursuing something only reinforces the fact that you lack it in the first place.

6

YOUR PAIN IS YOUR TOOL

Leverage it, use it, don’t deny it, be empowered by it. Pain serves a purpose. Our struggles determine our successes.

7

QUESTION YOUR EMOTIONS

Emotions are signposts, biological suggestions, not commandments. Negative emotions are a call to action. Positive emotions are rewards for taking the proper actions. Balance emotion with reasoning.

8

NOT GIVING A FUCK IS NOT A CALL TO BE INDIFFERENT

It’s not about giving up when things don’t go your way, it’s about accepting the loss and moving on quickly from them. Let go of the baggage that doesn’t belong to you.

9

REEVALUATE YOUR METRICS

Drivers of value change over time, what governs cause and effect change, so take the time and space to find the metrics of deeper meaning so that you can start measuring life’s successes and failures by what truly matters … time, health, love, joy, fulfillment, etc.

10

GET BETTER PROBLEMS

The game doesn’t get easier, you just get better. Welcome greater challenges.
It will only improve your ability to solve problems and the quality of your solutions.