Eric-Jorgenson The-Almanack-of-Naval-Ravikant indd

particular problem arises, I’ll immerse myself in it.
Right now as we’re talking, I’d rather dedicate myself to being 
completely lost in the conversation and to being 100 percent 
focused on this as opposed to thinking about “Oh, when I 
brushed my teeth, did I do it the right way?”
The ability to singularly focus is related to the ability to lose your-
self and be present, happy, and (ironically) more effective. [4]
It’s almost like you’re taking yourself out of a certain frame 
and you’re watching things from a different perspective even 
though you’re in your own mind.
Buddhists talk about awareness versus the ego. They’re really 
talking about how you can think of your brain, your con-
sciousness, as a multilayered mechanism. There’s a core-base, 
kernel-level OS running. Then, there are applications running 
on top. (I like to think of it as computer and geek speak.)
I’m actually going back to my awareness level of OS, which is 

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S A V I N G Y O U R S E L F · 177
always calm, always peaceful, and generally happy and con-
tent. I’m trying to stay in awareness mode and not activate 
the monkey mind, which is always worried, frightened, and 
anxious. It serves incredible purpose, but I try not to activate 
the monkey mind until I need it. When I need it, I want to just 
focus on that. If I run it 24/7, I waste energy and the monkey 
mind becomes me. I am more than my monkey mind.
Another thing: spirituality, religion, Buddhism, or anything 
you follow will teach you over time you are more than just your 
mind. You are more than just your habits. You are more than 
just your preferences. You’re a level of awareness. You’re a body. 
Modern humans, we don’t live enough in our bodies. We don’t 
live enough in our awareness. We live too much in this internal 
monologue in our heads. All of which is just programmed into 
you by society and by the environment when you were younger.
You are basically a bunch of DNA that reacted to environmental 
effects when you were younger. You recorded the good and bad 
experiences, and you use them to prejudge everything thrown 
against you. Then you’re using those experiences, constantly 
trying and predict and change the future.
As you get older, the sum of preferences you’ve accumulated is 
very, very large. These habitual reactions end up as runaway 
freight trains controlling your mood. We should control our 
own moods. Why don’t we study how to control our moods? 
What a masterful thing it would be if you could say, “Right 
now I would like to be in the curious state,” and then you can 
genuinely get yourself into the curious state. Or say, “I want to 
be in a mourning state. I’m mourning a loved one, and I want to 
grieve for them. I really want to feel that. I don’t want to be dis-
tracted by a computer programming problem due tomorrow.”

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178 · T H E A L M A N A C K O F N A V A L R A V I K A N T
The mind itself is a muscle—it can be trained and condi-
tioned. It has been haphazardly conditioned by society to be 
out of our control. If you look at your mind with awareness 
and intent (a 24/7 job you’re working at every moment) I think 
you can unpack your own mind, your emotions, thoughts, and 
reactions. Then you can start reconfiguring. You can start 
rewriting this program to what you want. [4]
Meditation is turning off society and listening to yourself.
It only “works” when done for its own sake.
Hiking is walking meditation.
Journaling is writing meditation.
Praying is gratitude meditation.
Showering is accidental meditation.
Sitting quietly is direct meditation.
CHOOSING TO BUILD YOURSELF
The greatest superpower is the ability to change yourself.