Principles

Lesson 1. Introduction.

In the book, the author Ray Dalio mainly divides the principles into two broad categories. The categories are referred to as work and life. He believes that success in life and work is possible for anyone if they follow the set of principles mentioned. The book essentially acts as a thorough guide about decision-making. It makes one understand that the quality of your life is dependent on the quality of your decisions.

The book also offers a close-up view of the principles Ray used in operating his company, Bridgewater. Although Ray offers his list of principles, he doesn’t expect the readers to adopt every one of them. In fact, he wants every reader to thoughtfully choose which, if any, principles to adopt for themselves. He also wants people to discover their principles and write them down, thereby improving their decisions and lives.

Life principles help in making logical decisions while maintaining a radical open-mind. Facing personal weaknesses and moving on from failures can be hard. But, it is the first and foremost step to take, says Ray. He believes that the 5-step process mentioned in the book can be used to attain success in life and work. Guided by these principles for maintaining radical open-mindedness, anyone can find success in life and work.

Lesson 2. Embrace your Reality.

The most principle to follow to achieve anything, irrespective of the field, is embracing our reality. Yes, life is hard. Get over it. Reality is not all sunshine and rainbows. It isn’t pretty. It is tough and hard. Learn to deal with it. When situations become difficult, rather than turning a blind eye towards them, it is important to face them. Focus on your weakness as much as you do on your strengths. 

To embrace your reality, observe all the things around you. Focus on the nature of things in general. Try to work on making things better around you. Don’t practice the attitude of complaining about things that aren’t in your control. Accept the fact that life isn’t handed to you with a silver spoon. Keep a realistic check on your life. Focus on rational thinking, not emotions. You have to make it work and you have to reap the benefit. 

Nearly anything is possible in life, but you can’t have it all. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that life cannot be messy at times. Remember that things can’t go right all the time. So, you need to be willing to learn from the mistakes. Keep a check on your progress from time to time. Remember that everyone has dreams. But,