I listened to Lenny’s podcast with Naomi Gleit, Meta’s Head of Product (and 29th employee) working with Mark Zuckerberg. Describing Mark as a good friend, she referred to a specific time in her life when she was going through a breakup; Mark asked her if she was interested in joining her to conduct the entrepreneurship course for school kids.
Four life lessons Mark Zuckerberg wrote on the blackboard using chalk were:
One, love yourself.
Two, only then can you fully serve others.
Three, Focus on what you can control.
And four, for these three things, never give up.
I reflected on these points and wrote my understanding in my notebook. I am putting it together with the aim that it might help you as well.
“Lover yourself” came to me as a way of caring for an adolescent child. Just as parents create a safe, loving environment for their baby to grow, I need to create that same nurturing environment in my own mind for myself. I deserve the same unconditional love, patience, and care that parents give to their newborn babies!
“Only then can you fully serve others.” This makes me imagine a situation where I am with an empty bottle, trying to quench a thirsty person. How can I love or care for others if I am not staying healthy and fine? It’s like putting on your own oxygen mask on an aeroplane before helping others with theirs.
“Focus on what you can control” is like playing a video game where you can only control your own character. I have no control over what other players do. I can only control things like what I learn, how hard I work, and how kind I am to others. However, I cannot control the weather, what other people think, or whether I win or lose every time.
“For these three things, never give up.” The fourth life lesson drew me to reimagine how I learnt cycling. I fell off several times and got hurt with minor injuries, but I didn’t give up. There are days when I feel down and out, but I keep going by loving myself, serving others, and focusing on things I can control, which matters most.
Think of this like learning to ride a bike. You might fall off many times, but you keep trying because you know it’s important. These three lessons (loving yourself, helping others, and focusing on what you can control) are important skills that take practice. Some days will be harder than others, but keeping at it is what matters.
What did it remind you to?