The Art Of Non-Conformity summary

It’s normal to be afraid of change. For most of us, taking a leap that will change our lives can be very frightening.

Have you ever had a voice in the back of your head saying, “You’re not good enough to do that,” or “You’ll never succeed at anything significant”? If so, you know how it feels when fear tries to stop you breaking free from an unfulfilled life.

Most people believe that having job security means working for someone else. Indeed, the general advice on how to achieve job security and live a good, comfortable life is, “Stick to a reliable paycheck!”

But, in fact, deriving that sense of security from your own competence – such as your skills and abilities – is less risky than entrusting someone else to look after your career. No one cares more about your well-being than you do.

From time to time, everyone has encountered authority figures who function as gatekeepers that seek to limit your choices.

Gatekeepers are effective at telling you which choices you have, so you get the illusion you’re free to set your own rules. Meanwhile, your access to what really matters is blocked.

What do international charities, musicians and small businesses have in common? They need a small army of followers to be able to succeed.

And the same goes for you: once you’ve figured out the life goals you’re committed to achieving, you need an army of followers to help you along.

Many people believe money can bring them happiness. The truth is that money and happiness are correlated up to a certain point, but, beyond that limit, not so much.

In fact, studies show that this limit is relatively low – one estimate states $40,000 a year.

People often lament the fact that they don’t have enough time to do what they care about in their lives.

But there’s a good chance that we can achieve anything we want. It just requires a little life planning.

While you can do almost anything you want with your life, you probably wouldn’t be satisfied with a life that revolves only around you.

So after you have thought hard about what you really want to get out of life, you’ll want to begin to consider how you can improve the world for others by doing work that leaves a legacy and makes an impact.