Principles are ways of successfully dealing with reality to get what you want out of life.
Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, cites principles as his key to success.
In 1975, Ray Dalio founded Bridgewater Associates, out of his two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Over forty years later, Bridgewater has grown into the largest hedge fund in the world and the fifth most important private company in the United States (according to Fortune magazine), and Dalio himself has been named to TIME’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Along the way Dalio discovered unique principles that have led to his and Bridgewater’s unique success. It is these principles, and not anything special about Dalio, that he believes are the reason behind whatever success he has had. He is now at a stage in his life that he wants to pass these principles along to others for them to judge for themselves and to do whatever they want with them.
Life Principle
Go to the pain rather than avoid it.
If you don't let up on yourself and instead become comfortable always operating with some level of pain, you will evolve at a faster pace. That's just the way it is.
Every time you confront something painful, you are at a potentially important juncture in your life--you have the opportunity to choose healthy and painful truth or unhealthy but comfortable delusion. The irony is that if you choose the healthy route, the pain will soon turn into pleasure. The pain is the signal! Like switching from not exercising to exercising, developing the habit of embracing the pain and learning from it will "get you to the other side."
By "getting to the other side," I mean that you will become hooked on:
- Identifying, accepting, and learning how to deal with your weaknesses,
- Preferring that the people around you be honest with you rather than keep their negative thoughts about you to themselves, and
- Being yourself rather than having to pretend to be strong where you are weak.
RECENT USER EXCHANGES
I can see how perseverance through pain helps overcome friction and maintain momentum—but what skills or mindset are needed to create the initial inertia that builds real velocity?
What I’m trying to convey is that there are lessons in pain. If you don’t want pain again, learn those lessons. Pain + Reflection = Progress. All pains are temporary (in varying degrees) while all lessons can be permanent which will save you many pains and give you great strengths if you know how to deal with them well.
This pain is deeply uncomfortable. Learning to live with this new normal, I’ve realized that blame and regret won’t help—I have to accept it. I used to escape my pain through work, but in lockdown I’m face to face with it. Some days are easy, some pass unnoticed, others feel surreal. I wonder if I’ll ever find happiness, but an inner voice tells me I’ll be okay. For now, I have to go through the process.
You got it!
You’ve been a role model to me for years, never more so than recently. I’ve gotten immense value from your books and LinkedIn work—it’s been like an MBA.
Thank you for letting me know. That’s my reward.
Life Principle
- Embrace Reality and Deal with It
- Pain + Reflection = Progress.
- Go to the pain rather than avoid it.
- Pain + Reflection = Progress.
Any person or organization can adopt Principles to better achieve their goals.
Learn what Principles are and how they are applied at Principles.com
