Ray Dalio is a well-known founder of Bridgewater Associates, managing perhaps the largest hedge fund in the world. He offers some simple and practical advice in his book Principes: life and Work to lead a happy and successful life.
Here are the three most important principles that strike a chord
Definition of success.
Financial wellness is a weak indicator of success. It does not facilitate our ability to do what matters most to us. many of us attain financial goals but realise that it does not really matter in the end.
When you work hard you can achieve anything you want but not everything you want. You need to have the maturity to defer good opportunities to go after better opportunities.
Instead of defining success as a number or a metric define success as a measure of how much you enjoy the work you do. When the work makes you fulfilled and happy, when you do the work you can control, this can be a measure of how successful you are.
Importance of money.
The importance of money is the ability to get you what you want and so what you value is undoubtedly more important than money. It is important to remember that there is no money in this world that can buy you a valued relationship.
What makes one really happy is to make to make someone you like happy. Giving is as fulfilling for a giver than the receiver
Importance of principles.
Principles are basic truths that determine your behaviour which in turn gets you what you want in life. The goals may change and the situations change but principles remain what they are under all circumstances.
Do everything you do, whether it is big or small, perfectly. In any transaction, personal or business-related, generosity and consideration are more important than money. It is important to do what is right, irrespective of where the motivation comes from – you or someone else.
When you define your own principles, it becomes fairly simple to adhere to them even when the ties get tough.
Always treat people the way they deserve to be treated and it will help them become more successful and you will become more successful as a result.
Choose a few principles to live by and use them to filter all decisions especially difficult ones. This would ensure that you get what you want in life, in the way you want to live your life.
Ray Dalio Says Living a Happy, Successful Life Comes Down to 3 Simple Things.
By Jeff Haden
INC 2023/06
R2G 