| 1 | The Mountain or the Pebble | Big obstacles (mountains) are visible, but tiny issues like bad habits or negative mindsets (pebbles) silently wear you down more—remove the pebble first. |
| 2 | Nobody Cares | Most people are too focused on their own lives to care about your wins or failures—free yourself to act boldly without seeking external validation. |
| 3 | The Empty Boat Mindset | Anger often comes from assuming harmful intent; most life “collisions” are with “empty boats”—assume no malice to regain emotional control. |
| 4 | The Last Time | Every experience has a final occurrence (e.g., last hug, last bedtime story)—live each moment with full presence as if it’s the last. |
| 5 | The Say-Do Gap | True priorities show in your actions, not words—the gap between what you say and do reveals your real level of commitment. |
| 6 | The Social Slope Effect | Challenges feel less steep with friends (especially close ones) nearby—supportive relationships provide psychological energy to lighten the load. |
| 7 | You’re Building Your Own House | Every day you make choices that construct the life you’ll live in—cut corners at your own risk; build with quality and pride. |
| 8 | The Poison Arrow Principle | Don’t waste time over-analyzing a problem’s origins when you already know enough to act—remove the arrow (take action) first. |
| 9 | The Donkey Principle | Avoid arguing with bad-faith people who just want to fight—disengaging from pointless debates saves energy (don’t wrestle pigs in mud). |
| 10 | Helped, Heard, or Hugged Method | When someone shares a problem, ask if they want help, to be heard, or a hug—match the support to their actual need. |
| 11 | The Stonecutter Principle | Reframe daily work in the context of a bigger vision (e.g., building a cathedral vs. just cutting stone) for deeper motivation. |
| 12 | Costs of Entry | Every goal has an unavoidable price (struggle, effort, discomfort)—accepting it prevents wasted energy on avoidance or complaints. |
| 13 | AI’s Tragedy of the Commons | Individual short-term AI pursuits risk collective long-term harm—realign incentives for responsible stewardship. |
| 14 | Amor Fati | Love your fate: embrace what you can’t control while actively shaping what you can—turn acceptance into proactive energy. |
| 15 | Bought vs. Earned Status | Status bought with money/symbols fades; status earned through effort and respect lasts—prioritize the latter. |
| 16 | Locus of Control | An internal locus (focusing on your responses and agency) builds resilience; external blames outside forces—choose internal. |
| 17 | The Margin of Freedom | Keep a buffer between reality and rising expectations to protect happiness—intentional under-expectation preserves joy. |
| 18 | Turn Every Page | Mastery requires full effort, even on the boring details—never assume; turn every page to go deep. |
| 19 | The Two Wolves | We all have a “good” wolf (kindness, hope) and “bad” wolf (anger, envy) inside—the one you feed wins and grows. |
| 20 | Zone 2 Public Speaking | Practice speeches during light (Zone 2) cardio to train under elevated heart rate—prepares you for real performance stress. |
| 21 | The Streetlight Effect | Don’t just search for answers where it’s easy/visible—venture into the dark (uncertainty) for real truth and progress. |
| 22 | The Hidden Debts of Life | Shortcuts in relationships, health, or work create invisible “debts” that compound and eventually come due—pay now or pay more later. |
| 23 | Age Quod Agis | “Do what you are doing”—full, disciplined presence in the current task beats distracted multitasking for better results. |
| 24 | The IKEA Effect | We value things more when we put effort into creating/building them—hard work creates soul-satisfying meaning. |
| 25 | The Spiral Path | Life isn’t a circle of repetition—it’s an upward spiral; you revisit themes at higher levels, building on previous growth. |