What are principles in a person, examples. Human life principles: creating the ground under our feet

Life principles are a kind of attitude that a person gives himself in order to react in certain situations in a necessary, morally acceptable way for him. But not everyone has these principles. And why, in fact, follow the rules if you can navigate according to the situation? But are principles really so useless in life? Of course not! We'll talk about this today.

Man of principle

As has already been said, principles in a person’s life are a conscious attitude that tells them what to do. Any principles are based on norms and stereotypes of behavior. The main thing is not to confuse the righteous with the sinful. Stereotypes and principles are two different things.

A stereotype is a socially established way of human behavior. The principles, in turn, are more spiritual and in some cases are invented by a person independently. But it has already become the custom that it is not common for a person to delve into his principles until they begin to diverge from some social factors. Then a person faces a choice: follow his convictions or simply change the principle. People who lack fortitude will, of course, choose the second option.

Naturally, there are situations when following your principles is not only absurd, but also dangerous. One need only remember Giordano Bruno. He fundamentally did not want to give up his idea of the solar system, for which he was burned at the stake. Someone will say that this scientist is an ordinary pathological fanatic, but it is precisely such people who are called truly principled.

Game of integrity

Note. Principles in a person’s life, in fact, must play an important role. A person accepts principles that apply to his life in general or to a specific area of it. For religious people, the principles become the commandments, for others - their own moral and ethical standards and views on life.

A person must consciously choose his principles that would help him move towards his goal and not limit him unless absolutely necessary. But, since modern man loves to live “without straining,” his principles are often blind. They do not correspond to the real state of affairs, cannot direct a person in the right direction and do not serve as support.

And today it is rare to meet a person with real life principles. But how the public loves to play with principles! This simple word is most often remembered only when the situation requires it.

Problem

To follow principles in life, you need to remember them, think about them, and make independent decisions. But modern man is accustomed to living, thoughtlessly guided by habits or emotions. People remember that they can follow the principles in case of situational need. They make them up as they go along to justify their impulsive actions.

The main problem of modern man is a lack of understanding of why principles are needed and how to follow them. And also the inability to correctly determine your position.

Do the principles make sense?

Principles in a person’s life play the role of boundaries within which one can move towards one’s goal. The so-called irreplaceable element of the self-organization system, the rules of the game, following which you can achieve what you want. But if players start breaking the rules, then any game will lose its meaning. The main idea of this “entertainment” is to give the world something useful.

Of course, in the pursuit of success you can destroy the planet, but what would be the point in winning?!

Each person has his own values. For some it is family, for others it is friends, health, knowledge. And if in order to win you have to give up the most important things, it is unlikely to bring the desired joy.

This is the meaning of the principles - they form a boundary that should not be crossed so as not to destroy the precious zone of happiness.

Search for principles

The basic principles of life should be formed according to two main positions:

What will I not do under any circumstances?
What I should do?

To determine the principles, it is worth using the method of limiting situations. Everything is done very simply. We take each of our values in turn and begin to look for the boundary that we will not cross either to achieve a goal or to avoid problems.

For example, you can take values such as wealth, money, material stability. Next, you should ask yourself: “What wouldn’t I do even for a billion dollars?” And also ask the question: “What will I not do, even if I am at the bottom?”

When searching for principles, don't shy away from uncomfortable and difficult questions. Even if the situations are imaginary, they are always outside the comfort zone, therefore they show where a person’s internal boundaries are. For example, you can ask yourself: “Am I ready to kill an animal, deceive a colleague, a child for the sake of wealth?” On the other hand, you can ask the following question: “In order not to die of hunger, am I ready to commit theft, murder, etc.?” After the pendulum begins to swing from one extreme to the other, the established principle must be expressed in a positive form.

Admissibility Question

The positive form of the principle must be formed without negations. That is, do not use the particle “not”. It is better to say “I will always conduct my affairs honestly” than “I will never cheat for money.” Only in this way can the principle be considered acceptable, that is, its observance will have practical meaning for a person and will increase self-esteem.

If you work through all the values in this way, you can get a basic set of principles. But when a person is frankly too lazy to work on his values, he can use the principles dictated by religion or history. For example, the commandments of Moses, Vedic principles, the code of the builders of communism and any other principles of organizing life that are accessible to man. Lists can be combined, expanded, trimmed until you get a set of beliefs that will help make your life better.

Not an easy path

However, it is not easy to follow principles. It's like playing basketball, where the opponent uses guns to shoot the ball into the basket, and you follow the rules. Only someone for whom principle is more important than life can be a truly principled person.

Let’s say in the film “The Battle of the Red Cliff” there was such an episode: the hero swore with his head that he would get 10 thousand arrows for the army by morning. In the morning, when the arrows were counted, there were 9900 of them. The hero is ready to accept execution, without even making excuses.

It would seem that it makes no difference whether there are a hundred more or fewer arrows, in any case the army is armed, everything is fine. But for a person whose honor comes before life, it doesn’t matter by what percentage the task is unfulfilled - it is unthinkable to live without keeping his promise.

Who needs principles and why?

It's reasonable to ask this question. Why do we need principles if they are so difficult to follow? If you imagine that there is a war going on and you have to choose with whom to go on reconnaissance: with a principled or unprincipled person, of course, everyone will choose the first. Although it will be difficult with him, since he is more demanding, but on the whole it is safe.

The main purpose of the main principles of life is to facilitate movement towards your goal. Principles are an additional life insurance and a guideline for situations where there are no guidelines a priori.

A person with principles is undoubtedly more valuable to society. By following the principles, he becomes stronger and better. For example, imagine that there is someone who always keeps his word. And if he said that he would do a report or project by morning, he will do it. He can come to an employee and ask him to do certain work for a project, and to do it now. And the person will do it. Subconsciously, he feels the pressure that comes from the request, and cannot refuse.

Required pressure

In most cases, principles create the necessary pressure, which helps achieve the goal. Of course, following the principles requires a lot of effort. But thanks to them, a person can consciously develop strength in himself and create a reasonable society.

Without principles, a person may make hasty decisions that bring immediate benefits, but mostly lose in the long term. Principles help you achieve long-term goals and protect you from fatal mistakes.

What principles can there be in life?

A person can be guided in his life by a variety of principles. And everyone has their own priorities in this matter.

Some people put the principles of a healthy lifestyle first. He lives according to a schedule, eats right, and does not drink alcohol in excess of the norm. For some, the main thing is family or friends, and he will never do anything that will harm them. And someone simply takes positions that will help him achieve what he wants. Here are the principles most often used by those who want to achieve something:

Don't lend money. Help financially if possible and necessary.
Work only with responsible people.
Before asking for help, you need to try to cope on your own.
Time is the most valuable resource. Helping yourself and others is possible only by focusing on important things, rather than wasting time.
It's okay to say no.
Disapproval must be expressed through objections; silence is tantamount to agreement.
I never take orders that are beyond my knowledge and competence.
If I am somewhere, then I am present there mentally.
When my plans change, I will inform you immediately.
Mistakes are normal.
Every day you need to learn something new.
The foundation of tomorrow begins today.
Before you do anything, you need to thoroughly understand it.

As can be seen from the list, life principles are guidelines according to which a person receives the right to behave in a particular situation the way he wants. Whether it's the principles of a healthy life, business relationships or a happy personality, they help you perform to your full potential. By acting in accordance with the principles, a person will definitely feel confident and strong, and those around him will unmistakably recognize him as a leader, a hero who, in any case, will answer for his words.

There is no need to invent principles of life. Made-up principles don't work. The principles must be extracted from oneself. You already have them.

Esquire magazine has a popular column called “Rules of Life.” In it, people of varying degrees of celebrity tell how they live and what rules they follow. In a previous article, I argued that there are no truly effective and generally accepted rules of life (). However, it seems to me that there are what can be called principles of life. Many Esquire magazine celebrities actually talk about their individual principles of life not about the rules.

Let me explain the difference. I am under "rules" understand clear and unambiguous instructions. For example: never lend money to anyone, don’t have sex on the first date, don’t eat pork, donate 10% of your income to charity. These are the rules.

The principles of life are various laws that people have determined primarily empirically.

Principles of life but it is a much more general, broad and flexible thing. They represent various laws that people have determined empirically, mainly.

Laws and principles differ from rules in the main thing: generality. The rules work in specific conditions and situations. They don't explain anything, they just give specific directives. When conditions change, the rules stop working and they don’t even give any hints about what to do next. But laws and principles are broad. They allow you to develop effective strategies of behavior in different situations and conditions, even in those where there are simply no standard rules.

Note: I would like to immediately draw your attention to one important thing. The principles must be “working”. That is, their effectiveness must be confirmed by practice. And YOUR practice! It doesn't matter how convincing the principle looks. It should work in your life situation to your advantage. Otherwise he is worthless.

All the basic principles of life can be divided into two large categories:

Are common
Individual

General principles describe natural and systemic processes that theoretically work always and for everyone.

For example:

Creating and maintaining order in life requires effort, while chaos appears by itself and requires only inaction.
Decisions made in a state of high emotional arousal are often not the best.
The longer any life situation lasts, the more inertia it gains and the more it affects your life.
Development is never linear and is always accompanied by crises.

Individual principles you discover for yourself. They are a product of your experience, or rather of its rethinking, processing and verification. And that is why they are most valuable and important.

Individual principles. Why are they needed and how to formulate them?

Following other people's principles leads to sad consequences.

However, other people's principles of life can be not only inspiring, but also dangerous. Following other people's principles leads to sad consequences. They are comparable to the results of an inept transplant of someone else's organ into your body.

The principles that you were able to find and formulate yourself most strongly and positively influence our lives. These principles are the result of your life experiences and a consequence of your “karma”. We truly perceive even general principles only when they are passed through our life experience. Then they acquire special power and meaning.

Can you formulate the principles on which your life is built? If yes, then try writing them down. Very often, surprises happen. We think that we live by one principle, but in fact we exist by another. In addition, do not confuse your outlook on life with your life principles.

Outlook on life- these are your thoughts about life. The principles of life are what you are guided by (and often this happens unconsciously) when making decisions, committing actions, and life choices.

If you cannot immediately formulate your principles of life, then try answering a few questions. I assure you that this is an exciting activity.

Ten questions that will help you understand your inner principles of life.

In what situations and circumstances do you like yourself best and act most effectively?
Which actions of yours usually lead to success and which ones lead to failure?
Are there any preliminary signs for you of whether the business you started will end successfully or not? If yes, what are they?
In what emotional state do you most often achieve results, and in what state do you fail?
What repeating situations come to your mind when you think about the laws that govern your life?
When and under what circumstances do your best thoughts come to your mind?
What or who best motivates you to take actions and actions?
How quickly do you make the best decisions in your life? And under what conditions?
On what basis do you choose your friends? What qualities should they have? What do they actually have?
What will you never do? What contradicts your life principles?

If you write down the answers to all these questions and think a little, then you will be able to see a lot in your life from an unexpected side.

As an example of how understanding the principles of your life affects its quality and the possibility of changes for the better, I will give the case of one of my clients.

Anastasia is a top manager of a large company. Here are some of her answers:

Question:“In what situations and circumstances do you like yourself best and act most effectively?”
Answer:“When I make a decision completely independently, based on my own understanding of the situation, and not external pressure.”

Question:“Which actions of yours usually lead to success and which ones lead to failure?”
Answer:“Actions that do not cause any conflicts or contradictions within me lead to success. At the moment of making a decision, I must be in a state that I would describe as “being in myself.”

Question:“What repeating situations come to your mind when you think about the laws that govern your life?”
Answer:“I have achieved the greatest success in cases where I followed my intuition and did not pay attention to generally accepted norms and rules. I can also note that in my life there are recurring situations of disappointment and loss, which are associated with the fact that I tried to bring my life into line with a certain generally accepted “standard”

Question:“When and under what circumstances do your best thoughts come to your mind?”
Answer:“When I'm not in the office. For example, walking in a beautiful park or along the shore of a pond. It’s also important to me that there aren’t a lot of people around at that moment.”

As a result of this simple exercise, Anastasia formulated several principles of your life. Among them were the following:

I make the best decisions in my life on my own. This means I must organize my life in such a way as to minimize my presence in the system that imposes the “rules of the game” on me.
I make effective decisions only when I am at peace with myself. This means that if I feel an internal conflict or am under pressure, I need to prohibit myself from making any important decisions and first of all put myself in order.
My environment and surroundings have a huge impact on my life, success and productivity. This means that I must surround myself with space that helps me and does not hinder me.

Before completing this exercise, Anastasia clearly envisioned the further development of her life exclusively in the direction of management and, of course, in a large company. And after completing it, she thought a lot about it. After all, being inside a corporation actually contradicted its life principles. And it didn’t just contradict, it caused stress and forced me to make incorrect and unprofitable decisions.

I showed only a part of this exercise. It involves a larger number of questions and, most importantly, periodic return to them over 2-3 months. Each time, the answers to the questions become more bold, and the principles are formulated more clearly and precisely. Their final formulation is most often perceived by people as insight. Usually, my clients say that they see in the principles of their life, which emerged as a result of work, a powerful resource for bringing ideas and changes to life. This happens due to the fact that, based on individual principles, it is possible to concentrate on what comes from within and best suits you.

And finally...

There is no need to invent principles of life. Made-up principles don't work.

The principles must be extracted from oneself. You already have them.

Apr 10, 2017

The abyss is an abyss because it is inexhaustible.

The same goes for the interview with Radislav Gandapas, which I’m analyzing for the third time.

I promise that this time is the last, for God loves the trinity.

And to be honest, I’m running out of decent words and patience. For the thoughts and judgments expressed in the interview are already far beyond the scope of common sense, coming close to psychiatry.

Consider the thesis that to achieve success, the first skill you need to learn is the skill of being liked. What follows is an enchanting passage about how Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov missed the appropriate training, as a result of which he was unsuccessful in society and ended up showing off to the point of a duel.

Let's start with Mikhail Yuryevich...

Apr 3, 2017

“For us, success is an assessment of society,” says success “guru” Radislav Gandapas in one of his last interviews.

The reference to abstract society leads us to prostitution. If our success lies in being approved by some group of people, then we will inevitably adapt to it and not care about our own “subtle impulses” and deep needs.

Salvador Dali was kicked out of the Madrid Academy of Fine Arts, Jack London's first book was rejected by publishers 600 times, teachers called Einstein mentally retarded, Steven Spielberg was not accepted into the university three times in a row, Bill Gates was expelled from Harvard University, and Anna Netrebko was expelled from the Conservatory. This was society’s assessment of the professional suitability and talent of these famous people.

Success is completely subjective and context dependent. You can consider yourself super successful. This will be your subjective opinion of yourself. But for some reason, you move to a different social context. And suddenly you find yourself a complete loser in assessing your new social environment.

Success is a value concept associated with a person’s internal ethics. In one case you will be a successful pickpocket, in another - a banker, in the third - an engineer. Social success in one group may be a crime in another and vice versa.

Mar 22, 2017

Dec 2, 2016

New Year's madness is slowly creeping to the surface of life. The most advanced and progressive part of humanity is summing up the results of the past year, planning its next year and thinking about longer horizons of development. To meet these desires of advanced people, trainings on goal setting, increasing personal effectiveness, seminars on dream collages and other techniques for managing the future with the power of intention are helpfully provided.

Jul 30, 2016

Any talent implies not only outstanding skills, but also recognition. How sad it is. Any talent needs either support or crazy self-confidence that allows you to do without any support. Do you have one, the other, or both?

Lana Korteletsi

Keep moving forward
Do not be like everyone else
Know how to forgive
Achieve your goals
Forget the word "LATER"
Become a mentor
Always be yourself
Know how to manage yourself
Live in the real world
Don't envy anyone!

1 . Keep moving forward

I was born in the city of Samarkand, in the Republic of Uzbekistan, my family was not rich, and birthdays and toys were not very familiar to me as a child. Therefore, I tried to stretch out New Year's gifts, which included fruits and sweets, for as long as possible so as not to lose the joyful feeling of the holiday. Life, of course, has not been particularly easy for me. At the age of 13, I already began to think about my own savings. During the summer school holidays I worked part-time in a kindergarten to achieve my little goals. From an early age, I tried to prove to others that they were wrong, thinking of me as a weak and defenseless person! Read in detail about my life at that time.

2. Don't be like everyone else

After graduating from college, having received an education (I was 20 years old at the time), I decided to change my life and moved to Russia (Omsk). After working in my specialty for 5 years, I realized that this was not for me, I don't want to be like everyone else ! I can’t work for someone anymore, wait at bus stops for half an hour in the cold and then “cram” into a full minibus and stand, waiting for a seat to suddenly open up...

And after that I told myself – ENOUGH!

I want to work for myself and live by my own rules!

And I created a successful business - Marriage Agency!

At first it was very difficult, I could barely pay for the rent of the premises, I had about only 15 clients... And only after a year I was able to get promoted. In my life, like everyone else, I had black and white stripes. But I achieved what I wanted because I always had positive thoughts , faith that I can be successful in my business! People in my city still remember me and my agency with warmth, despite the fact that 7 years have passed since I moved to live in another country. At the agency, we found solutions to the problems of almost all of my clients. It's like coaching: a person comes, fills out a form, pays for the services, and I start working with him. After successfully working with him, I receive gratitude. But it so happened that circumstances took me to another country, and I left my agency in good hands, because I had a large client base, and I was very sorry to leave everything to fate. It was as if my life had started from scratch again. Can you imagine what it’s like to start living from scratch when you’re already quite old, leaving a lot in the past? This is a new language, mentality, habits, nutrition, etc. And I decided to make such a serious change in my life for the sake of love! You can read the continuation of my life story. Remember - successful people are those who decide today!

3. Know how to forgive

It was difficult for me to get used to the new life, but I managed to cope with that too. I didn’t give up and tried to somehow get out... it wasn’t easy. This was probably a new test of the fate of my strength! I did not have personal transport, which was simply necessary for movement in my new living space, it was not easy for me to live without my own means (all my life I was used to being independent from others), but going to wash the floors was out of the question ! Remember, I wrote at the beginning that from the age of 13 I was already trying to be independent, earn my own money? I was so used to having my own earned money that immediately after moving I started looking and thinking about how I could make money using the Russian language and Italian products... Through forums I found businessmen interested in doing business with Italy. It was not easy for me, because... I was without a car, and I had to ask my loved ones to give me a ride, which was also not the best option. There were honest clients who paid for my services, but there were also freeloaders who even tried to frame me. But there is one golden rule for successful people, which I always try to adhere to. « Never hold a grudge against people, learn to forgive, and everything will work out» . In principle, I made money from this business anyway. No matter what business I tried to get involved with, I always received some kind of income, perhaps because I achieve my goals, no matter how unrealistic they may be in the opinion of others. Even, I’ll tell you honestly, on the e-bay service, I sell goods without particularly straining.

But after the birth of children, I no longer had the opportunity to continue working like this, and for 3 years now I have been doing business online. At first I couldn’t believe that you could still earn money without leaving home. Now I prefer this type of activity, because I think that for both me and my family this is an ideal way to earn money. I have several good mentors, due to which I have achieved excellent results in my business. In addition, I began to feel like a fish in water! I really like doing this, and I’m sure that you also dream of having some kind of successful business where you could get excellent results.

4. Achieve your goals

This is what I want to tell you: no matter what condition you have now, good or bad, but if you decide to achieve any goal, then achieve it, get what you want. P mustache It may not be easy and it will cost you an investment, but life is worth it to become successful and get the pleasure you expect from it . Do you want to have a new nice beautiful car? So achieve this goal!

I dreamed of having a house, a car, a beloved family, children. I achieved this ! Of course, not all at once! We understand that there is no magic “ALL AT ONCE” button. We create reality ourselves! So let's realize what we dream of! Each of us has dreams, goals, and, of course, problems that need to be solved quickly.

5. Forget the word “LATER”

Don't put off your life for later! Because the word “later” will cover your dreams with dust, and you will soon no longer remember them. Therefore, you need to make a decision and act immediately, now!

Do you think that successful businessmen always succeed? That they always have money and are never haunted by failure? You are wrong, they are the same as us. Many of them started everything from scratch and they also have defeats, project failures, etc. So what? They don't stop moving halfway! Whatever difficulties there may be, we must fight them and move forward!

I try not to say the word “later” at all, because "Then" means never, or when it's too late! Therefore, try to avoid this word! Word "Then" helps us forget about our desires. You put them on the back burner and forget, then you try to remember, but the time has already passed. I advise you to replace this word with “ NOW" Then this word will worry you more, and thus you will do, or at least try to do something...

It’s not in vain that I’m writing all this to you; these are not empty words for me. They came into my life with tears, sweat and blood, but it was worth it!

6. Become a mentor

Each of us has a mentor, even if we don't even know it! And we try to be like our spiritual leader. But someone is trying to somehow change themselves, and someone dreams of being like him, but does not make any attempts to achieve this. Do you know that 80% of success depends on yourself? And if you have a mentor (and you have one - Leader, Teacher, role model, etc., no matter what you call him), then the remaining 20% depend on him!

How much does it help you develop?

Mentor– this is the one who gives skills and directs you on the right path to achieve results in the required time frame. He teaches you the tools you need to achieve your goal.

I have 3 mentors: I learn from the first one openly, I do what he says, one might say, I copy almost all of his actions. And this mentor knows me personally, moreover, we became friends! The other two mentors don’t know anything about me, they don’t even know that they are my mentors, but I also follow their example! And there are results! One might even say - excellent results! I think you want this too! So go for it! What's holding you back? I will be very glad if you follow my advice, and I am sure that you will answer the question: what to do to become happy, you will begin to demonstrate your abilities and receive satisfaction from it.

Read what my business mentor, Liliya Tsanko, says about me:

I pass on my knowledge, my experience to my students. Moreover, I am proud that my students follow in my footsteps and become happy women. I am very pleased to hear their gratitude and observe the results obtained.

I advise you to have a good mentor because your success depends on yourself and on your teacher. The extent to which he works with you, actively and purposefully, the extent to which you will advance in how to become a happy and loved woman. Even the most professional and successful entrepreneur always has a personal consultant to gain new knowledge, skills, etc., in order to achieve more and better in his business. And to answer the question, how to improve your life And what to do to be happy, you also need a personal coach.

Therefore, I advise you to participate in coaching programs, develop, realize yourself, be yourself!

Perhaps you are already engaged in self-development and something is not going well, something is not working out. Please don't leave it all halfway, don't throw it away, create plan to change your life. I am sure that everything will work out for you, the main thing is that you need someone experienced, who knows what the reason is, to look at your actions from the outside and identify the mistakes that you are making!

For beginners, it is also necessary, before changing your life, to consult with an expert so as not to waste money, time and patience in vain.

7. Always be yourself

When you realize that the moment has come to be yourself, then you are ready to implement your plans.

Answer honestly - why is it difficult for you to be yourself? Because you are trying to please others! You are captive of other people's opinions. Change your life for the better and be natural! There are exercises on how to become yourself and not depend on the opinions of others. One of the most effective is to sometimes intentionally take other people out of their comfort zone. They probably won't like it. Intentionally causing negative feelings towards oneself is so far from “ try to please”, as it can only be, which means it is a powerful exercise on the path to oneself. Are you afraid? You can practice on people you don't care about, and you won't care what they say about you.

8. Know how to manage yourself

Manage yourself to find your happiness, as often as possible, then you will succeed in everything you plan. Write down your plans for the day, week, month and year! You will automatically manage yourself and follow your plans! Planning for the future is already a guarantee of a completed task. Somewhere I read this wonderful phrase: Be proud of your results, not of your plans.

9. Live in the real world

Important rule for me: live in the real world ! Look at life with sober eyes: there are no magic genies that will make your wishes come true! Therefore, all the desires that we have, we fulfill ourselves!

Do you want an expensive, beautiful car? So strive for this desire! Live in the real world, realize your goal in reality, and stop dreaming, you need to act! Strive, move forward in small steps, etc.

10. Don't envy anyone

This is my life principle that I follow all my life! And I advise you to follow this principle too. Don't envy anyone at all! Why? Now I will tell you the secret of success. Most successful people know this secret and use it very often. I use it myself too. What is this secret?

I’ll give you an example: I was given an apartment in the city center, in excellent condition. I share this news with you with such joy that I don’t notice how you envy me, but this energy of envy is transferred to me and gives me even more strength to realize my other goal! Do you understand? You give me your energy, and I use this to develop even more. Therefore, it is better to get your results, and share with others who cannot help but be envious, in order to receive the same surge of energy to implement your other plans. Don’t envy yourself, but, on the contrary, use this secret, and then you will become a successful person and get everything you want!

I wish you daily success in achieving your goals!

Your Lana Korteletsi

Read my other articles:

It is interesting to read the stories of the ascent of young and n now successful businessmen. It’s always pleasant, especially if you apply it to yourself and think, what if I can do it too. As our psychologists, motivators, consultants say, about whom I’m already talking, you just need to act as successful people do, and you will become just as successful. Naturally, I will argue with this, but there are principles that guide successful people. This is exactly what we will be talking about today.

I confess, I’m a sinner, literally until today I didn’t know that one of the successful social networks “VKontakte” was created by a programmer, and now a successful businessman, 28 year old (at the moment) Pavel Durov. And the story of his rise would have passed me by (you never know how many Zuckerbergs create social networks), if not for Pavel’s life principles, which I have already heard separately, but are collected here in one place. And they really appeal to me, since most of them guide me in life (I don’t understand why I don’t have a personal social network yet? ). My comments are highlighted here in italics.

Find out what you really like. The golden rule is: do what gives you true pleasure, and then you will become much happier.

In my opinion, this principle was promoted by Steve Jobs. Yes, but don’t forget that some of the happiest people are all sorts of crazy people who live in their own made-up world. But if you create a real, not virtual world, exactly the one you like, then this will be real happiness.

Give up the junk you eat, drink and smoke every day. No secrets or tricky diets - natural food, fruits, vegetables, water. There is no need to become a vegetarian and completely give up drinking - you just need to limit sugar, flour, coffee, alcohol and all plastic food as much as possible. How many times have they told the world... On the topic of effective advice for those who want to lose weight
Learn foreign languages. This will expand the depth of perception of the world and open up unprecedented prospects for learning, development and career growth. There are 60 million Russian-speaking Internet users. There are a billion English speakers. The center of progress is now on the other side of the border, including the language border. Knowledge of English is no longer just a whim of intellectuals, but a vital necessity. My recipes for learning English
Read books. An approximate circle is your professional field, history, natural science, personal growth, sociology, psychology, biographies, high-quality fiction. If you don’t have time to read because you’re driving, listen to audiobooks. The golden rule is to read/listen to at least one book a week. That's 50 books a year that will change your life. This is correct, the main thing is to set your priorities correctly. Now I spend as much time as possible on foreign languages, but at other times I read a lot.
Make the most of every weekend. Go to a museum, play sports, go out of town, skydive, visit relatives, go to a good movie. Expand your zone of contact with the world. The more new impressions you let through yourself, the more interesting life will be, and the better you will understand things and phenomena.
Start keeping a blog or a regular diary. It doesn't matter what it's about. It doesn’t matter that you don’t have eloquence and you will have no more than 10 readers. The main thing is that on its pages you can think and reason. And if you just write regularly about what you love, readers will definitely come. Here it is, it’s not in vain that I’m writing here. Even people like Pavel Durov recommend it. Phew, balm for the soul.
Set goals, record them on paper, in Word or on a blog. The main thing is that they are clear, understandable and measurable. If you set a goal, you can either achieve it or not. If you don’t put it in, then there are no options for achieving it at all. Without options, you cannot go there without knowing where and find something without knowing what.
Learn to touch-type on the keyboard. Time is one of the few treasures you have, and you should be able to type almost as quickly as you can think. And you should think not about where the desired letter is, but about what you are writing. Thank you, that's exactly what I'm typing
Ride the time. Learn to manage your affairs so that they work almost without your participation. First, read David Allen - “How to Put Things in Order” or Gleb Arkhangelsky. Make decisions quickly, act immediately, don’t put it off for later. Either do everything or delegate it to someone else.
Give up computer games, aimless sitting on social networks and stupid Internet surfing. Minimize communication on social networks, leave one account. Destroy the television antenna in the apartment. Yes, yes and yes again!
Stop reading the news. All the same, everyone around will talk about key events, and additional noise information does not lead to an improvement in the quality of decision-making. I have already mentioned this principle
Learn to get up early. The paradox is that in the early hours you always get more done than in the evening. If on a summer weekend you leave Moscow at 7 am, then by 10 you will already be in Yaroslavl. If you leave at 10, you will be there by lunchtime at best. 7 hours of sleep is enough for a person, subject to high-quality physical activity and normal nutrition. I don’t like programmers who can only start working at 12 noon. You need to start working as early as possible, and this is confirmed by numerous examples of great people who manage to do much more than sleepy losers.
Try to surround yourself with decent, honest, open, smart and successful people. We are our environment from which we learn everything we know. Spend more time with people you respect and can learn from (especially your bosses). As it turns out, we also choose our bosses. After all, serfdom was abolished in our country quite a long time ago, so there is little point in wasting time on unproductive communication.
Use every moment of time and every person to learn something new. If life brings you together with a professional in any field, try to understand what is the essence of his work, what are his motivations and goals. Learn to ask the right questions - even a taxi driver can become an invaluable source of information. As Carnegie said, “Take a keen interest in other people.”
Start traveling, change your environment more often. It doesn’t matter that there is no money for Argentina and New Zealand - the quality of your vacation is not related to the money spent. When you see how diverse the world is, you will stop focusing on the space around you, and you will become more tolerant, calmer and wiser.
Buy a camera and try to capture the beauty of the world. When you succeed, you will remember your travels not only by vague impressions, but also by the beautiful photographs that you brought with you. As an alternative, try drawing, singing, dancing, sculpting, designing. That is, do something that will make you look at the world with different eyes. By the way, I don’t post all my photos, there are also my interesting(?) photos
Do some sports. You don’t have to go to a fitness club where jocks, pick-up artists, Balzac ladies and freaks hang out. Yoga, rock climbing, cycling, horizontal bar, parallel bars, football, running, plyometrics, swimming, functional training are the best friends of a person who wants to tone the body and get a surge of endorphins. And forget about the elevator. Yes, it’s definitely time, otherwise I’ve been lazy lately and take the elevator to the fourth floor. Unfortunately, our staircase is very smoky, and this is one of the reasons...
Do unusual things. Go somewhere you’ve never been, take a different route to work, figure out a problem you know nothing about. Get out of your “comfort zone”, expand your knowledge and horizons. Rearrange the furniture at home, change your appearance, hairstyle, image. I've been wanting to dye my hair red for a long time, it'll probably suit me. I just imagine myself in a jacket and with a laptop walking to a client with a bright red head. Yes, inspired by it, I recently re-read The Red Headed League by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Invest. Ideally, you should invest part of your income every month, because a rich person is not the one who earns a lot, but the one who invests a lot. Try to invest in assets, minimize liabilities and control expenses.
Get rid of the junk. Throw away any excess or unnecessary items that you haven't worn or used in the last year. Leave only what you like and need. It's a pity to throw it away - give it away.
Give more than you take. Share knowledge, experience and ideas. A person who not only takes, but also shares, is incredibly attractive. Surely you can do something that others really want to learn.
Accept the world as it is. Give up value judgments, accept all phenomena as neutral. And even better – as unequivocally positive.
Forget about what happened in the past. It has nothing to do with the future. Take with you from there only experience, knowledge, good relationships and positive impressions.
Don't be afraid. There are no insurmountable obstacles, and all doubts live only in your head ( They also say “all the bars are inside us”“ ) . You don't have to be a warrior, you just need to see the goal, avoid obstacles and know that you will achieve it without a single chance of failure.
The last one is the first one. Do what you like. Learn. Teach. Develop yourself. Change yourself from within.

It only remains to add that these rules need to be re-read periodically so as not to forget about them.

P.S. Along the way, you can read the history of the creation of the VKontakte network and the role of Pavel Durov in all this

So these are the principles:

Be merciful and kind. I am not a member of a cult and I am not encouraging you to join the Peace Corps. Doing good can be much more difficult in small things, on an everyday scale, than saving the world. This is what the first principle says - in every situation that fills a person’s every day, there are different lines of behavior and, accordingly, options for action. By choosing one that has a good message, you not only do yourself good (because good always comes back), but you also inspire others to do the same. Not only epidemics and affectionate words spread from person to person, mercy and consideration for others can also infect people.
Be brave. The longer humanity exists, the more precisely the beaten paths are worked out, and the easier it becomes to follow them. doesn’t necessarily mean going against the grain and society – you probably don’t want that at all. Being brave means doing what you want, doing what you feel, and saying what you think.
Always remember that you are not alone. Very often it seems to us that we are alone against the whole world. That no one can help us, and we must do everything ourselves. Taking responsibility for your life and actions is very good, but you shouldn’t lock yourself in the bubble of your own “I can” and “I do,” because there are things that are beyond a person’s control or things that you definitely can’t do alone.
Remember two things: firstly, you are not alone - look around: there are many people around who are ready and able to help you and provide support. Believe in people. Secondly, no matter how you feel about religion, it is stupid to deny that there are no higher powers besides man. There is something much larger in this world than each of us individually. For some it is God, for others it is the Universe, for others it is the unity of all living beings. Don't forget that you are not alone in the vast world. You won’t get lost, they look after you, they help you, they take care of you. Always.
To be here and now. One of the main life principles that is most difficult to follow is to stay in the present, to live in it. Living in the past or future is a huge temptation, an excellent means of escaping reality. But the reality is that if you don't manage your present, either your past will define you or your future will be built by someone else. And in order to manage the present, you need to be in it. Develop awareness, learn to fixate on the “here and now.”
Analyze. Living your life without trying to understand the causes and consequences of your own actions, the events of your life means wasting it. Don't float with the flow like a log, get into the boat and control its movement. To do this, you will need to become an analyzer of what is happening both inside and around you. Don't be that person who, when you die, understands less than when you were first born. Analyze yourself - if you understand yourself, you will have access to understanding the whole world.
Explore. In our wonderful world there are enough reasons to be surprised for the life of every person. Humanity has existed for several thousand years, and the world continues to surprise us. Don’t lose your child’s curiosity, look at everything as if you were seeing it for the first time. Don't be afraid to explore new things, make discoveries of any scale, and your life will never be boring. Already now it is filled with thousands of amazing things that are worth learning about, that are worth noticing and studying. Live with your eyes, mind and heart wide open.
Love. Without love, the brightest life is just a shadow of what it could be if a person let the highest feeling into it - . Giving and receiving love in order to be happy is as important as breathing and eating in order to live. Trusting your feelings is risky and scary, but remember the second principle? Be brave when it comes to love because it is the only thing that can make you truly happy. Love is the highest reward, and it requires a lot of work. Love needs to be cherished, nurtured, supported and developed - then its fruits will make you the happiest of people.