How to Walk the Path to a Better Life

People say knowledge is power.

But that’s wrong. Knowledge isn’t power. It’s ammunition. Learning facts isn’t enough.

Doing something with knowledge is what makes you powerful.

In 1804 England, an uneducated 13-year-old boy worked as an apprentice bookbinder.

He bound books for the whole day to make pennies to support his family. He came from a poor family in a poor area. No chance for upward mobility.

As he bound the books, he read them.

Picture books. Adventures stories. Philosophy. Novels. The Arabian nights were spellbinding as much as the Encyclopedia. But one book stuck out to him: The Improvement of the Mind by Reverend Isaac Watts.

The boy applied everything he learned in the book.

Doing so he built the 21st century.

The bookbinder’s name is Michael Faraday. He’s responsible for discovering the relationship between electricity & magnetism. This set the stage for the world as we see it. Electronics, digital devices, the internet, and the device you’re reading this newsletter.

Be intentional when consuming Knowledge:

Always consuming is like always eating, you’ll die from indigestion.

You need time to digest what you consume. Let its nutrients flow through your veins fueling your interests, intellect, and individuality. Focus on application with each info you consume.

But there are many types of books, here’s how I’d approach applying them:

Nonfiction books:

There are nonfiction books which are aimed for 1 topic like Leadership or marketing, and applying those books are straightforward.

But reading books which are interdisciplinary where they provide historical background & observations, application is more interesting.

Write a 300-word mini-essay as if you’re explaining what you’ve learned and connect it to a piece of info you already know so you remember it better.

Self-Help Books:

Most self-help books are clear on their lessons.

Apply them as soon you find them. Always have a reason for having a belief or system. Test them & see if you get the results said in the book.

If not, then leave it. Adapt only what’s useful for you.

Fiction Books:

Most people ignore fiction because they think it isn’t applicable.

But fiction is the truth wrapped in a pleasant package. Think in metaphors and how the characters, themes, and symbols relate to you.

These lifestyle changes which take longer to implement and see results, but they have the highest impact compared to nonfiction.

The more you focus on application of knowledge, the faster you’ll improve personally & professionally.

You become a student of life, receptive to the teaching of the world. Maybe you can’t apply it. That’s ok. Write a brief piece on it & draw connections to what you already know.

The biggest mistake people make is thinking facts alone are enough.

Facts alone are useless. Relationships between facts are more important. Knowing the relationships between facts help you remember the information better and draw connections where people don’t see anything.

Reading is important.

They pave the path to a better life.

But application of what you read is how you walk the path to a better life.