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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Buddha and the Badass summary
Vishen Lakhiani
The Secret Spiritual Art of Succeeding at Work
29 mins
Brief summary
The Buddha and the Badass by Vishen Lakhiani is a personal development book that combines ancient teachings with modern techniques to help readers transform their lives and businesses.
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The Buddha and the Badass
Summary of 9 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 9
Knowing your foundational values brings clear direction and meaning.
Most of us know that every person has a unique fingerprint. Well, the author suggests that we also have unique soulprints.
While fingerprints form before we’re born, soulprints are created by our early life experiences. Everything we go through, the good, the bad, and the ugly, leaves an impression. The result of this soulprint is a set of foundational values that guide decisions and behavior, mostly on an unconscious level. Becoming aware of these foundational values is the first step to connecting to our inner selves and unlocking the Buddha.
The key message here is: Knowing your foundational values brings clear direction and meaning.
Foundational values are instilled during childhood and adolescence. They remain quite stable throughout adulthood as well, changing only in the wake of life-altering experiences such as trauma. Think of these values like a constitution, amended only rarely and for critically important reasons.
Once we’re aware of our foundational values, we can connect with what we truly desire and need. This makes it easier to know what impact we want to have on the world, as well as the actions and roles that will resonate with us. If we don’t know what our foundational values are, we might end up pursuing a career that makes us miserable.
So the question is: How do you uncover your foundational values?
The author recommends an origin story exercise. This involves careful reflection on your life to identify important experiences. Such events deeply inform your values because you never want to forget them – or hope never to go through them again. And this influences your future behavior.
Having singled out these experiences, the next step is to write them out in as much detail as possible. This should include what happened, who was present, and how you felt. Finally, think about what lessons and beliefs emerged from each experience, and what values they represent. For example, when the author reflected on encountering bullying and racism, he realized that these moments had instilled the values of compassion and diversity in him.
Once you’re conscious of your foundational values, you can use them to inform your decisions, the goals you set, and the projects you take on.
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What is The Buddha and the Badass about?
The Buddha and the Badass (2020) breaks down how to master work and life by drawing on a deep awareness of self and learning how to make an impact. These blinks provide practical steps for bringing real meaning to your work, accomplishing bold missions alongside others, and designing and living your ideal life.
Best quote from The Buddha and the Badass
You dont have to save the world. Just dont mess it up for the next generation.
—Vishen Lakhiani
Who should read The Buddha and the Badass?
- People who want their work to have meaning and impact
- Leaders who want to inspire their teams
- Anyone who wants to transform their personal and professional life
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