The Fire Starter Sessions summary

Most of us learn early on that we have to work our asses off to meet other peoples’ expectations. But in fact that is the Myth of Endurance that keeps us from choosing the easy, efficient and self-compassionate life.

Truth is, choosing an easy route in life is more effective.

Are you one of those super-productive people who have to-do lists, quarterly objectives and five-year goals? If so, do these lists actually make you happy? More often than not, they don’t.

Why?

What do you say when you get asked the most notorious party question: “So, what do you do?” More importantly, how does your answer make you feel?

In fact, a lot of people have cocktail lines that make them feel bad.

When you’ve truly messed something up, it is easy to dwell on what you did wrong. In fact, some of us are still living our worst failures, defeats and break-ups over and over again.

But how does that mindset help you?

Have you ever had a vision of where you wanted to go, but were too afraid to make it a reality? Don’t worry, you’re not alone – and this blink will help you overcome your fear.

Try and prioritize your positive feelings by imagining you are a team coach giving your emotions a pep talk before the game: “So, how is everyone feeling?” Enthusiasm will be right there: “I can’t wait to get playing.” But fear will stand up: “Are you crazy? I will never play again if I lose this game!”

Other people are a blessing and a burden to us all: while some encounters can be very rewarding, others can be very stressful – especially when people try to play you.

So how can we distinguish the good from the bad?

All of us have that voice hidden inside of us: the voice of our inner muse that comes alive when you listen to its call. Next time you hear it whispering, try paying close attention – and watch your creativity flow.

For example, you can try doing what the author Richard Bach does, and give your muse a name: he calls his “the idea fairy.” She visits him either when he is gardening or when he is flying in a plane. That’s why he learned how to pilot his own plane – and soon he found ideas for his books amongst the clouds. You too should pay attention to when and where your inner muse strikes you the most. You can then recreate the optimal working conditions your muse needs to visit you often.

Like many others, you might have tried a plethora of time management systems over the years without finding one that fits you right.

This trend is common because, although systems can be useful for running our lives, they can also enslave us.

What truly matters to you? Wealth, reputation, happiness? The answers vary wildly from person to person, and drive us down all kinds of paths – but when you don’t even know yourself, you can feel like you’re running in circles.

To find out what truly matters, you should get an idea of what you actually need money for.

Do you have a group of friends or co-workers that make you feel totally at ease? Then you have already found your tribe – and you’ll know how valuable it is.

If you don’t have a tribe already, try to get an idea of which kind of people inspire you. Who do you really want to work with? What do they need to believe in?