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1-Page Summary of Choose Yourself

Overview

After reading this passage, you’ll stop worrying about things that don’t matter. You’ll no longer waste time and energy on problems that can’t be fixed, and instead focus on more creative endeavors. You’ll also lose the fear of rejection that keeps most people from making decisions for themselves. Instead, you will take control of your life to achieve your goals by avoiding negative people in your life who just bring you down.

Big Idea #1: The American Dream of a steady middle-class job and “keeping up with the Joneses” is over.

If you asked your parents what their goals were as they grew up, many of them would probably say that they wanted to get an education, find a steady job and buy a house.

For about 50 years, the American Dream was alive and well. What made it so? Hard work and dedication to a goal.

Early in this period, many women entered the workforce because men were fighting in Europe. However, when the war was over and soldiers came home, women continued to work. For the first time, both men and women had jobs and contributed to their household income. This allowed families more disposable income than ever before so they could buy cars, bigger houses and new appliances. However, behind this consumerism was a sinister marketing strategy that encouraged people to spend money on things instead of investing it for their future security or donating it to charity.

Since the 2008 financial crisis, middle-class jobs in America have been disappearing. Companies either outsourced those jobs or replaced them with technology. As a result, millions of people who were encouraged to invest in their education and find a steady job are now unemployed or underpaid for what they do. It’s an awful situation. However, there is another side to this story—the death of the American Dream has led to a new era that offers hope instead of despair.

Big Idea #2: We are now in the “choose yourself” era, in which you must exert control over your life.

The American Dream is over, but that’s not a bad thing. We are now moving into a new era of personal freedom. In the previous era, you needed someone else to control your life for you in order to succeed. For example, if you wanted a better job, you had to hope that your boss would notice and promote you. You also had to wait for industry executives (gatekeepers) in order to turn your idea into reality.

The world is different now. You don’t have to rely on others to get a job or make money; you can do it yourself. The only things you need are self-confidence and an internet connection, and you’ll be able to accomplish anything. If you’ve written a book, publish it online without the help of a publisher or agent. If you’ve created a TV show, post it on YouTube so people can watch it for free instead of pitching your idea to someone else who will take credit for your work.

When people choose to be entrepreneurs, they can avoid the trap of chasing money. The basis of the American Dream was that if you worked hard and did what you were supposed to do, then you could earn more money and buy more things. However, this lifestyle is no longer sustainable because it’s not enough for us just to have stuff — we also want to enjoy our lives! So now we need a new dream: if we get paid doing what we love, then we will be happy!

Big Idea #3: Our fear of rejection means we are forever waiting on someone else to decide our fate.

Have you ever seen someone across the room that you thought was attractive?

If you have experienced love at first sight, chances are you did nothing about it. However, this phenomenon is not just limited to individuals; most of us would rather wait for the person we desire to come and talk to us.