In Lilly Singh’s empowering book, How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life, she shares actionable advice to help you take charge of your life and achieve success. The book focuses on living with intention, overcoming challenges, and building meaningful relationships. Here’s a breakdown of the key lessons from the book:
Purposeful Living: Mastering Your Mindset
The first step to conquering life is mastering your thoughts. You can’t control the actions of others, but you can control how you react to them. Here’s how:
- Understand Others’ Perspectives: Sometimes, people have bad days, and their negativity has nothing to do with you. Recognize that it’s often a reflection of their situation, not yours.
- Self-Worth Over Opinions: Don’t let other people’s opinions define how you see yourself. Instead of focusing on thickening your skin, focus on controlling your own thoughts. When you do that, trolls lose their power.
- Find Joy in Your Actions: Whether you’re creating content or pursuing your career, find joy in the process. That happiness will help you overcome fear and negativity.
- Mindful Reactions: Recognize your knee-jerk reactions and resist the urge to respond immediately just to feel better. Find more constructive ways to manage your emotions and improve your mood.
Work Ethic and Facing Challenges: Embrace Discomfort
Growth comes from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Seek out challenging situations and throw yourself into them—this is where you’ll build valuable skills and confidence.
- Selective Emotions: In certain situations, it’s beneficial to set aside your emotions and focus on productivity. Choose progress over pride, and elevation over ego.
- Impact Awareness: Consider how your emotions and actions affect those around you. Being mindful of your impact will lead to more thoughtful decision-making.
- Decision Making: Know when to take your time and think something through, and when to make a quick, decisive call.
Take Ownership: Own Your Mistakes
Avoid the blame game and take full responsibility for your actions. Here’s how:
- No Excuses: Own up to your mistakes without deflecting or blaming others.
- Call Yourself Out: Be honest about your shortcomings, admit them openly, and use them as learning opportunities.
- Find Solutions: Mistakes only matter if you learn from them and find ways to prevent them in the future.
Self-Love: Prioritize Yourself
You can’t fully love others until you love yourself. Consider other people’s feelings, but don’t forget about your own. Make decisions based on what’s best for everyone, including yourself. Advocate for your happiness, health, and well-being—you deserve to be treated like the Bawse that you are.
Overcoming FOMO and Setting Goals
The fear of missing out (FOMO) can be distracting, but remember, the satisfaction of achieving your goals is greater than the fleeting fun you might miss. Here’s how to stay focused:
- Vision Boards: Create vision boards to clarify your goals and visualize both short-term and long-term achievements.
- Don’t Give Up: Success is subjective, and everyone’s path is different. Don’t give up before you’ve even tried—let inspiration fuel your hustle.
Learning and Growth: Always Be Evolving
Success isn’t a destination; it’s an ongoing process of learning and growth. Here’s how to keep growing:
- Show Who You Are: If you want to be taken seriously, be confident in showing people who you are. Don’t be afraid to look silly—it’s about authenticity.
- Learn from Others: The people above you aren’t just more successful—they have valuable experience. Be willing to ask questions and learn from their expertise.
- Do the Work: Set deadlines, be efficient, but understand that hard work is necessary for success. Being the “dumbest” person in the room just means you’re smart enough to surround yourself with people who can teach you and push you to grow.
Be Present and Build Genuine Relationships
Building meaningful connections is key to success. Here’s how to build genuine relationships:
- Genuine Smiles: Smile when you meet someone new, but let it be a response to something they say or do, not just because it’s expected. Bonus points if you smile while repeating their name!
- Active Listening: Don’t focus on what you’ll say next. Truly listen to the person speaking, engage with what they’re saying, and ask thoughtful questions to deepen the conversation.
- Introduce Yourself: Don’t assume people know who you are. Make an effort to introduce yourself to everyone in the room, even if you’re the most recognizable person there. Admire a quality in each person you meet and focus on that.
Confidence and Environment: Walk Like a Bawse
Finally, walk with confidence and create an environment where you can thrive. Always remember:
- Stay Grounded: No matter how successful you become, there’s always a higher power that can humble you at any moment. Stay grounded.
- Foundation for Success: Many people will ask for your help when you achieve success, but true success is built on a strong foundation. Help others, but ensure they’re also building their own foundation, not relying on you as an escalator to the top.
Final Thoughts
Being a Bawse isn’t just about conquering challenges—it’s about mastering your mindset, working hard, owning your mistakes, and building meaningful relationships. As Lilly Singh shows us, it’s about creating a life you’re proud of, on your own terms.
Ready to conquer your life like a true Bawse? Start applying these lessons today, and watch yourself grow into the unstoppable person you’re meant to be.
