Things No One Else Can Teach Us Book Summary - Things No One Else Can Teach Us Book explained in key points

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Things No One Else Can Teach Us summary

Name: Things No One Else Can Teach Us
Rating: 4.6 (707 reviews)
Author: Humble the Poet

Humble the Poet

Turning Losses Into Lessons

4.6 (707 ratings)

14 mins

Brief summary

'Things No One Else Can Teach Us' is a motivational book by Humble the Poet that encourages readers to embrace life's challenges and failures as opportunities for growth. It offers relatable anecdotes and practical advice on building resilience and finding purpose in difficult times.

Topics

Memoirs Self-Help Meaningful Living Wisdom Inspiration

Table of Contents

Things No One Else Can Teach Us
Summary of 5 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 5

What’s in it for me? Learn to live life on your own terms.

Humble the Poet has experienced plenty of setbacks.

As a Sikh spoken word artist who wears a turban, he’s no stranger to racism and discrimination. He’s also had to put up with fierce criticism from members of his community, who felt he was disrespecting his culture and faith.

To follow his dreams, he quit his day job as a teacher and went into debt. Along the way, he’s been lonely and full of self-doubt. He’s put his trust in scam artists and had lousy performances. He’s also had his heart broken numerous times.

You could say that he’s an expert in adversity. But today, he wears each of those setbacks and failures on his sleeve, because he knows that none of the triumphs in his career could have existed without those difficult times.

Humble’s wise and raw revelations about living an authentic life on your own terms have inspired his millions of fans. In this Blink, you’ll get insight into six key teachings from his book Things No One Else Can Teach Us.

In this Blink, you’ll learn

why accepting death is the key to living a fulfilling life;
how ping-pong can save you from yourself; and
why indulging in self-pity is like eating at McDonald’s.

Life is finite, so guzzle all the joy you can while you can.

When you’re born, you’re born with a finite number of breaths. That’s right. You have, in a sense, an “expiration date.” Does that sound terrifying?

Well, death scares most people. Hearing that you, too, will die could make you want to hide under the covers and refuse to come out.

But pretending you’ll be here forever can be even worse. The truth is that as soon as you accept that everything is finite – even your life – you’ll be able to value what you actually have in the moment. Everything is temporary.

But you’re here right now.

Here to love and connect and hold your grandmother’s hands in your own, eat delicious food, drink in the faces of your children, and feel sand under your feet or the swish of your skirt as you walk down the street. You’re here to admire that tiny flower growing through the cracks in the pavement and to swoon as you listen to a beautiful song. The fact that it won’t last doesn’t make it less special. It makes it even more special.

So, right this moment, take some time to think about what’s important to you. Let your life flash before your eyes. Which parts of it light you up? Who really matters? What really matters?

Embrace the freedom of letting go of people and things that don’t fit you anymore.

Now comes the hard part.

When you’re identifying the people who light you up and support you, you’ll also identify people who don’t show up for you in the way that you need.

Throw away the map and follow your internal compass.

Charting a new future for yourself can sometimes feel like being stuck in the middle of a fierce storm. Visibility is poor and you don’t know where you’re going. The map that you’ve been following doesn’t apply anymore. So you’ve thrown it away.

That means you’re free.

Get back in touch with the delight of doing something for its own sake.

Living in Los Angeles, Humble the Poet had bought into the city’s hustle culture. Everyone was ambitious and hard-working. He admired their grit and was determined to emulate it. So he forced himself to write every day, make music, post on social media to try and grow his audience, and try to get meetings with important people.

As he became more successful, he also became more strung out. He kept track of how many times his songs were downloaded; how many people liked his posts. He compared himself to even more successful and established artists, like Pharrell. He was desperate to have a massive hit and everything in his life became about working toward that goal. In the process, he lost sight of why he’d set out to become an artist in the first place. He stopped having fun.

Self-pity should be an occasional treat, not a default mode.

Are you familiar with the character of Eeyore in the story of Winnie the Pooh? Eeyore is the sad donkey who always looks on the dark side of life. No matter how much everyone tries to cheer him up, he always sees the glass half empty. Eeyore is convinced that nothing will work out for him. And guess what: it doesn’t!

We all have an inner Eeyore.

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What is Things No One Else Can Teach Us about?

Things No One Else Can Teach Us (2019) is a part-memoir, part-unconventional self-help book. Full of revealing personal stories and philosophical musings, it will inspire you to question your beliefs about failure, success, and what really makes life meaningful.

Things No One Else Can Teach Us Review

Things No One Else Can Teach Us (2019) by Humble the Poet delves into the lessons we can learn from life's challenges and struggles. Here's why this book is worth reading:

It offers refreshing, unconventional wisdom that challenges societal norms and encourages personal growth.
Through relatable stories and personal experiences, the book inspires introspection and prompts readers to reflect on their own lives.
With its raw and honest approach, the book tackles difficult topics in a relatable way, ensuring it's never dull and always thought-provoking.

Who should read Things No One Else Can Teach Us?

Would-be creatives looking for encouragement to follow the life of their dreams
Self-development and personal growth seekers
Fans of Humble the Poet who want to learn more about his life

About the Author

Kanwer Singh – or as he’s known professionally, Humble the Poet – is a former school teacher turned spoken word artist, rapper, filmmaker, designer, influencer, and motivational speaker. He’s also the international best-selling author of Unlearn and Unlearn – Beneath the Surface.

Categories with Things No One Else Can Teach Us

Personal Development Motivation & Inspiration Biography & Memoir

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