⁉️The Why ⁉️
If we want to learn something new, we’re often told that we need to identify the problem first. But what if we could overcome problems that we didn’t know we had by testing out short advice first?
We all tend to underestimate the power of trying new things. Real progress comes from continually testing of what works for you and moving on from what doesn’t.
💌 Summary 💌
On his 68th birthday, Kevin Kelly began to write down some things he had learned about life that he wished he had known earlier. To his surprise (and no one else’s), Kelly had more to say than he thought.
🕊 Genre 🕊
Self-help and Personal Development.
This book will solve random problems you didn’t even know you had (whether that be how to respond to an insult or how big to build your porch).
Your best response to an insult is “You’re probably right.” Often they are.
A balcony or porch needs to be at least 6 feet (2 meters) deep or it won’t be used (Tim Ferriss agrees with these dimensions!).
💡 Author Spotlight💡
Kevin Kelly is an American author and technology visionary. Kelly co-founded the technology magazine, Wired which was one of the first mainstream publications to focus on technology, digital culture, and the internet in 1993.
✍️ Why Kevin Kelly wrote this book 🖊
Kevin Kelly talked about his book genesis story on the Tim Ferriss Show.
Initially, Kevin Kelly said that he wrote down bits of advice to help him change his own behavior. He wanted the advice to be as practical as possible, actionable, not conventional, positive if at all possible, and short. (I really like how unpredictable his advice is!)
I also really loved how he only gave his kids these pieces of advice after they were all grown up. Because by then, his kids actually appreciated the wisdom.
💡 Some of his favorite ideas 💡
Don’t aim to be the best. Be the Only.
It’s difficult to develop enough self- knowledge and awareness to figure out what you do better than anybody else in the world.
You can’t just do thinkism. You need to try to live out your life.
Get feedback from the people you know best
What do you think is easy for me that is harder for other people? (ask your friends!)
What do you actually know more about than most people?
For the best results with your children, spend only half the money you think you should, but double the time with them.
Make things together (focus on the togetherness and do activities like making gingerbread castles or a Tyrobot!)
Your enjoyment of travel is inversely proportional to the size of your luggage.
You really need less than you think.
Going to new places is a learning experience that can be reprocessed over time.
The author’s book promotion begins at the 1 hour 24 minute mark:
📈 Goodreads Rating 📉
4.25 as of 12/30/23
The main complaint is that the book has no linear progression. The book doesn’t complete you as a person at the end. You can take the first advice at the beginning and be a different person already (isn’t that a cool concept?)
Aka this means you don’t need to read the whole book!
Some say the advice doesn’t apply to everyone. However, I think that’s true of all advice… that’s why we should always use our judgment.
📖 Length of the Book 📖
225 pages
🎨 Highlighted Quotes 🖌️
96 highlights
👀 Why should you read this book? 👀
I think you should read this book if you need new solutions to problems you know/ don’t know you have. This book is a tweet-able compilation of advice we need in our everyday lives.
Even if you had to pay $1 per quote, I truly think you’d receive more than $1 increase of happiness and satisfaction every time.
📘 Why did I read this book? 📔
This book recommendation was all the rage. Since it exceeded the expectations of the greats like Tim Ferriss and Ali Abdaal, I felt like I needed to read it.
💌 Why others loved this book 👍
“This book is thought-provoking, evergreen, needed, fun, and most of all: might just make us better people.” —Dan Riley, Keep Talking
“A powerful collection of succinct teachings that offers insight into technology, leadership, family dinners, and everything in between. Reading it reminded me of reading Proverbs: the more you sit with each writing, the more you enjoy their depth.” —Henry Kaestner, Faith Driven Entrepreneur
“Excellent Advice for Living made me want to stop every few pages and find someone to discuss the things I had just read. It is densely packed with wisdom about things big and small the way that few books are!” —Liberty RPF, Liberty’s Highlights
🧐 How did this book change me? 🧠
You’ll learn a lot more if you ask people “how are you sleeping?” instead of “how are you doing?”
I think this quote hit me particularly hard because it reminded me that we don’t ask most people real questions. We ask how people are doing and just hope that everyone is doing ok so we can move on with our day.
Asking about someone’s sleep is so personal but at the same time, it could be everything. It could be finding out if someone is really going through something/ facing some sort of anxiety/ or adjusting through some difficult lifestyle changes.
I have a few people who I know about how they are sleeping/ being. These were the people I know to be my nearest and dearest.
🆕 What new idea did I learn? 🚨
Friends are better than money. Almost anything money can do friends can do better. In so many ways, a friend with a boat is better than owning a boat.
This quote made made me laugh. Mostly because it’s so true but counterintuitive?
Like of course, we want to be the one who is successful enough to have the nicer house, the nicer car, or the nicer boat (maybe?). How quickly, we forget that ownership comes with its own set of issues including constant maintenance and repairs.
Now, to maintain friendships.. at its heart, it’s about caring about someone else in the good times and the bad. It could be taking someone out for their birthday. It could be attending funerals. It could be sharing in their joy.
It basically means being together rather than alone in the good times and the bad… and doesn’t that sound so much easier than maintaining a boat?
🌍 What is my hope for you? 🗺️
I hope this book gives you one piece of advice that’ll save your life/ make your life better/ help you build something you’re proud of.
You never know what’s going to be the next thing that changes your life.
☘️ Three takeaways for a better life 🙃
Ask for advice when you’re too afraid to ask for feedback
Give bad news first. Good news second.
Start vacations in the countryside. End in the city.
🎶 My book song 🎧
I think trying new things makes you excited. And when you’re excited, you can’t help but hope that this will be the best day ever!!
I'm never gonna look back, whoa
I'm never gonna give it up, no
Please don't wake me now (two, three, four)
This is gonna be the best day of my life
📗 Other Book Recs 📘
If you liked Kevin Kelly’s book, I would recommend reading The Tao of Charlie Munger. Charlie Munger, the legendary investor and business partner of Warren Buffett, is also someone who built the life he wanted.
Through a compilation of Munger's speeches, interviews, and writings, the book distills his philosophy on investing, decision-making, and life in general. It serves as a practical guide for anyone seeking to enhance their financial acumen and decision-making skills, drawing on the wisdom of one of the most successful investors in history.
and who wouldn’t want to learn from the best?
🔖 Quotes Worth Another Read 🤫
On getting things done: Always demand a deadline because it weeds out the extraneous and the ordinary. A deadline prevents you from trying to make it perfect so you have to make it different. Different is better.
One purposeful buying: At first, buy the absolute cheapest tools you can find. Upgrade the ones you use a lot. If you wind up using some tool for a job buy the very best you can afford
On forgiveness: When you forgive others they may not notice but you will heal. Forgiveness is not something we do for others; it is a gift to ourselves.
On listening well: The more you are interested in others the more interesting they’ll find you. To be interesting, be interested.
On the value of time: The rich have money. The wealthy have time. It is easier to become wealthy than rich.
💯 My Rating System 💯
When I thought about a rating scale, I knew I wanted my friends to say that my rating factors were uniquely me.
So without further ado, this is my Disneyland ranking system
And I would rate Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly a
4 Speeding on Space Mountain 🚀
I’ve already read the book start to finish about 4 times. It’s a really quick, easy read.
Every time, I pick up the book I learn something that gets me excited. I don’t know about you but I’d rather be excited about the future rather than sad about the now 🙃
🤓 Happy Reading! 📚
Thank you for reading my love letter to Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier 😊