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The Charge
Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive
The Charge (2012) explains how to activate the human drives that lead to happiness. These blinks clearly lay out what you need to do to feel confident, grounded, energized and prepared for any challenge, providing helpful tips on how to do it.
- Anyone who wants to change their life for the better
- Life coaches looking for motivational strategies
- Psychology students
Brendon Burchard, founder of the High Performance Academy, is an American author and motivational trainer. His other books include The Millionaire Messenger and High Performance Habits.
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The Charge
Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive
- Read in 19 minutes
- Audio & text available
- Contains 12 key ideas
Synopsis
The Charge (2012) explains how to activate the human drives that lead to happiness. These blinks clearly lay out what you need to do to feel confident, grounded, energized and prepared for any challenge, providing helpful tips on how to do it.
Key idea 1 of 12
There are three types of life you can lead: caged, comfortable or charged.
What constitutes a fulfilled life in your eyes? Is it working a well-paying job, owning a house with a white picket fence and taking the kids to the beach on Sundays? Well, that’s what society would typically have you believe – that happiness is the sum of a materialistic equation. But society’s math is faulty.
Indeed, living a life prescribed by others is like living in a cage. And the bars of the cage are erected early on.
When we’re young, our caregivers reward the development of certain attributes, such as self-discipline and ambitiousness, by accepting us and giving us affection. In adulthood, we continue to seek those same rewards by following similar rules. We do what others expect us to do, and work the kind of job that would make our parents proud.
We may be unhappy. We may feel limited and unfulfilled. But we still won’t break out of the cage, because we fear losing what we’ve worked so hard to gain: acceptance.
Now, some of us don’t feel utterly caged. We’re comfortable, living what society calls the “good life”: a nice house, a nice spouse and a nice paycheck at the end of each nice month.
We’re thankful for all this, but, deep down, questions nag: Is this really what I want? Am I missing out on something better?
Like our caged comrades, we long for self-realization. But instead of pursuing it, we count our blessings and convince ourselves that we’re content.
Then there are those who live the charged life. Let’s simply call them chargers.
They feel unhindered by others’ expectations, and they’re unconcerned about the so-called “good life.” Their world overflows with possibility, and they follow their own path through it, pursuing their own happiness.
If you’ve been living the comfortable or the caged life, it’s time to learn how to be a charger.
Key ideas in this title
- There are three types of life you can lead: caged, comfortable or charged.
- Take control of your approach to life and work.
- Competence is scarce these days, so you should work on yours.
- Attain positive congruence between your self-image and your actions by setting standards for yourself.
- Care for yourself and be receptive to the care others give you.
- Forge deep connections with others.
- Stay positive in the face of change and be clear about your goals.
- Challenge yourself and don’t fear the judgment of others.
- Assess your creativity and work on improving it.
- Contribute to a meaningful cause by following your passion and interests.
- Improve consciousness by focusing on your thoughts and appreciating life’s wonders.
- Final summary
