Some posts disappear into the feed. Others arrive at exactly the right moment and stay with you. This is where I keep the second kind.
Choose your problems wisely
Choose your problems wisely.
Your brain will invent fake problems for you if you don’t go out and find real ones.
Naval Ravikant
I’ve never met Naval Ravikant. Probably never will. But his ideas found me when I had lost nearly everything — purpose, direction, even hope. At the age of 35, I hit what felt like rock bottom. Failure wasn’t abstract anymore — it was real, heavy, and personal.
In that silence, Naval’s words gave me something rare: a mental model. Not motivation, not cheerleading — but clarity. A way to think. A way to start again, slowly, from first principles.
I’m not “there” yet. Still rebuilding. Progress still feels slower than I’d like. But for the first time in a while, the direction feels right. And sometimes, that’s enough.
I am not looking for slogans, but a few of Naval’s lines have stayed with me:
Save Yourself!
Doctors won’t make you healthy. Nutritionists won’t make you slim. Teachers won’t make you smart. Gurus won’t make you calm. Mentors won’t make you rich. Trainers won’t make you fit. Ultimately, you have to take responsibility. Save yourself.
I also return to his discussion of opportunity, agency, and intelligence.