How To Live An Extraordinary Life by Anthony Pompliano

This book a compilation of 65 letters written to his children.

About the Book

• Published in 2024
• Anthony Pompliano is an American entrepreneur, investor, and host of The Pomp Podcast. He posts videos of interviews and personal opinions on this channel, particularly with a focus on technology and finance (Source: Amazon)

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Letters I liked:

• Carve your ethics in stone, write your opinions in sand

… most people are intellectually lazy. I recently came across a thought experiment by astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson in the book, Hidden Genius. Ask yourself this question: If someone tries to sell you crystals that promise to cure all your ailments, what would you do? Believe it outright or reject it immediately?

Tyson said those are both intellectually lazy responses.

The best defence against sloppy thinking is skepticism, which requires asking probing questions to get to the root of whether there’s supporting proof to back up the claim.

“A proper skeptic questions wha they’re unsure of but recognises when valid evidence is presented to change their mind,” he says. “It’s a path of inquiry toward the truth.”

Don’t be rigid in your thinking. Understand there are different approaches for different situations. The world is a nuanced place.

That nuance is easily seen in the difference between ethics and opinions.

Ethics are foundational principles that govern how you do things.

Never waver on these. Carve them in stone. Always do the right thing.

Opinions are different.

• Have a bias for action

You will stand out in life if you have a bias for action.

It is an easier life to dream and plan all day. You never have the risk of reality smacking you in the face to tell you that you are wrong. Without action, there is no pain.

• Luck is a psychology concept, not a mathematical one. Studies show that you become more lucky simply by thinking you’re a lucky person. It is all mindset

Never get too excited, and never get too upset.

Learn to approach every situation with a level head. The world has a weird way of working things out.

• Two crappy pages per day

Everyone suffers with some degree of procrastination and inertia. The cure for this predicament is two crappy pages per day.

Because big things happen as a result of small progress.

• Tie your identity to your own name

Most people tie their identity to external markers of success – their job title, their material possessions, even their relationship status. As unfortunate as it may be, those identities are all tied to something you could lose.

• No one is thinking about you

Don’t waste your time wondering what other people think about you. The truth is that no one else is thinking about you. They are all too self-absorbed in their own worlds. They don’t have time for you because they are too focused on themselves.

• Sleep is nature’s doctor

Prioritise your sleep. It magically helps your body heal. It gives you more energy to tackle tomorrow. Sleep can save your life.