Have you ever thought about what you would regret more?
Like taking a chance on some crazy dream.
I'm always wondering what if.
You know, if you never even tried.
That's kind of at the heart of our deep dive today.
We're gonna be dissecting this YouTube video.
It's a snippet of a talk by Jeff Bezos.
Oh, cool.
And he shares some really interesting,
like unexpected insights on passion and hard work.
And really just like making those choices that shape a life.
And this isn't just about, you know,
building some business empire like Amazon.
It's about how we approach any goal
that feels, you know, really daunting.
Or even, you know, impossible.
And the thing that really struck me in this video
was how Bezos really emphasizes the choices that we make
over just like the talents that we're born with.
Right, right.
So get ready to explore that and a lot more.
Okay.
And then we're moving into things like his
regret minimization framework.
Cool.
And we'll hear about some surprising lessons he learned.
Kind of as a self-proclaimed garage inventor
in the early days of Amazon.
Oh, interesting.
I didn't know about that part of his story.
Yeah.
Cool.
So Bezos kicks off this talk with like a story
about leaving his stable finance job.
Uh-huh.
To launch this crazy idea of selling books online.
Wow.
Back in the early 90s.
Can you imagine?
Yeah, back then it was like the wild west of the internet.
Totally.
It's crazy to think about what Amazon is today.
Right.
It's like, I mean, who buys anything
not on Amazon these days.
But to your point, back then, I mean, it was a hugey risk.
Absolutely.
And he even talks about how, you know,
his boss took him aside.
Oh, really?
And was like, hey, you know,
maybe stick with the sure thing here.
Wow.
But Bezos, you know, he just had this conviction.
Uh-huh.
And he found sense that he had to try this.
Yeah.
Pretty amazing.
And that's where I think his regret minimization framework
really comes into play.
Right.
It wasn't about knowing for certain
that Amazon would be successful.
I mean, who could predict that?
Nobody.
But it was about looking ahead.
Uh-huh.
And asking himself like, okay, if I'm 80 years old.
Yeah.
Which path am I gonna regret more?
Wow.
And for him, it was just so clear.
Yeah.
Like not taking that leap.
Right.
And that would be the thing he would regret
more than anything.
That's such a powerful way to like frame
those tough decisions, isn't it?
Totally.
It kind of shifts it from like being afraid to fail.
Yeah.
To more like the regret of not doing anything.
Right.
Inaction.
Exactly.
I love that.
So think about it, you know,
what are some of those like what if moments
in your own life.
Right.
Where, you know, maybe playing it safe
was actually the risk of your choice in the long run.
Yeah.
Like a few of those.
Me too.
Yeah.
But what I think is really fun is
just hearing Bezos describe those like early days
of being an entrepreneur.
Yeah.
You know, picture this.
Okay.
He's in his garage just tinkering away.
Literally like a garage inventor.
Like you see in the movies.
It's crazy.
I know.
He even describes like experimenting
with cement filled tires.
What?
And like this makeshift solar cooker.
Wow.
It's pretty wild.
That's amazing that like even the most successful
iconic stories start somewhere so humble, you know.
It's really cool.
Totally.
And beyond just the humor of it.
Yeah.
What I find really interesting is it kind of reveals
this pattern of like persistent curiosity.
Yeah.
And problem solving.
Right.
You know, those things like became hallmarks
of his leadership style.
Really?
Who's constantly experimenting.
Right.
And like iterating.
Yeah.
Never satisfied with like the status quo.
It's inspiring.
You know, speaking of constantly striving for better,
Bezos throws out this phrase that I just love.
Oh yeah.
It's slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Yeah.
It sounds a little backwards at first.
Right.
Like don't we all want to be fast
in achieving our goals?
Of course.
But there's like this deep wisdom in that phrase.
You know?
It's about recognizing that consistent effort
even when it feels slow.
Right.
Is what builds true mastery.
And then ultimately, you know,
leads to faster progress in the long run.
Okay.
It's like think about learning a musical instrument.
Okay.
Like you don't become some like virtuoso overnight.
Right.
By like rushing through scales.
Right.
It's the, you know, the dedication to practice.
Even when it's tedious, that lays that foundation.
Right.
For like effortless skill later on.
That's a great analogy.
Thanks.
Okay.
So now let's dig into one of the most like powerful ideas
that Bezos shares in this talk.
Okay.
And it's this idea of pride in gifts versus choices.
Okay.
He specifically mentions like math skills, height,
even physical appearance.
Like all these things like qualities
we're largely born with.
Right.
Yeah.
So what do you think he's like getting at here?
Well, I think, well, I think he's like drawing
this distinction between things we're given.
Like our natural talents.
Like there's circumstances even.
Yeah.
And the choices we make with those gifts.
Right.
Like we can't control how tall we are
or you know how easily we grasp calculus or whatever.
Right.
But we can control how we use those abilities.
It's like our effort, our actions, the choices, you know.
That's what defines us and what we achieve ultimately.
That's so true.
Right.
So easy to like get caught up comparing yourself
to other people.
Oh yeah.
And thinking, oh, they're just like naturally gifted.
Absolutely.
And Bezos is reminding us it's not like the gifts themselves.
It's what we do with them.
Exactly.
That really matters.
And that's where I think this idea comes in, right?
OK.
That life of ease and comfort versus service and adventure.
Right.
It's like he's presenting it as a choice.
Do we just coast on our natural abilities
and seek comfort and avoid challenges?
Or do we use those abilities to push ourselves, you know.
Right.
To contribute something meaningful, to embrace
the adventure of growth and discovery, you know.
He even goes so far as to ask the audience and us listening
now, like which life are you going to be more proud of when
you're 80?
Wow.
That really made me stop and think.
Makes you think about what kind of story you're writing,
you know.
Totally.
With your life.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
It's powerful because it forces us to like confront
our own motivations.
Are we choosing comfort over courage?
Right.
Are we letting fear hold us back from those passions we have?
And ultimately, what kind of legacy are we trying to leave?
And even though Bezos is talking about building a company.
Yeah.
I think this applies to like any area of life.
Oh, absolutely.
Right.
100%.
Whether it's a creative project you've
been putting off or like a relationship you want to improve.
Yeah.
Or even just like taking care of your health.
Right.
It's about recognizing we have a choice.
Yeah.
And how we approach like each day.
Each day, each challenge, each opportunity.
Exactly.
And what I think is so powerful about his message
is it taps into this like, you know, universal desire
to live a life of purpose and meaning.
Right.
You know.
It's about more than success.
Yeah.
It's about making choices that align with our values.
And you know, using our talents to make a positive impact
on the world around us.
You know what struck me is just how optimistic Bezos
is throughout this whole thing.
Yeah.
Like even though he's talking about taking risks and challenges,
there's this like underlying sense of excitement.
Right.
And possibility.
Yeah.
He even says at one point, there's
never been a better time to be alive.
Yeah.
And that's so important because it's so easy to get caught up
in the negativity, right, the fear of failure.
Like everything's too hard.
Yeah.
But Bezos is reminding us that we live
in a time of like unprecedented opportunity.
Right.
Like we have access to more knowledge, resources,
connections than any other generation before us.
It's pretty crazy.
Yeah.
He even connects that back to his point about like gifts,
you know.
Right.
Not just like our own personal talents.
Yeah.
But the gifts of like living in this time and place,
we have so much to be grateful for.
It's so much potential, you know.
Yeah.
At our fingertips.
So then like the question is, what are we going to do with it?
Right.
How are we going to use these gifts?
Exactly.
Are we going to let inertia guide us?
Right.
Or will we be proactive in like shaping our own destinies?
Yeah.
You know, are we going to let fear hold us back?
Or are we going to embrace the challenge and the adventure
of pursuing, you know, our passions?
Those are the questions that he leaves us with.
Yeah.
And I think they're the perfect like segue
into the final takeaway I want to explore.
Cool.
You know, we've been talking about Bezos' story and his insights.
But now I want to kind of turn it back to you, the listener.
OK.
Like if you were starting a company, right,
in your garage today, what kind of world changing
problem would you tackle?
Wow.
You know?
What kind of tools or services would you create?
Right.
To like empower others and make a real difference?
Yeah.
It's a big question.
It is.
But one that Bezos clearly thinks is worth asking ourselves.
It's so powerful because it goes beyond like just
follow your passion.
Right.
It's like how can your passion be a force for good,
you know, in the world?
It's like aligning that individual drive with a purpose.
It's bigger than yourself.
It makes me think about all the incredible innovations
we've seen.
Right.
Especially like in recent years,
often driven by people who just saw a problem
and thought there has to be a better way.
Totally.
And that's really at the heart of what Bezos is saying.
Yeah.
Right.
100%.
It's about having the courage to not just dream,
but to like act on those dreams.
To take that leap and see where it leads.
And maybe, you know, maybe it won't
lead to building the next Amazon.
Right.
But maybe it leads to something just as amazing.
Absolutely.
You know, even if it's on a smaller scale.
Like maybe it's that community garden
you've always wanted to start.
Right.
Or writing that children's book you've had in your head.
Right.
Or just being like a more present parent or friend,
you know?
Right, to a point.
It's about recognizing we all have the potential
to make a difference in our own way.
That's so true.
Right.
It's easy to get caught up in that go big or go home.
Yeah.
Totally.
Mentality.
But impact can happen at any level.
Right.
Exactly.
Like what are you passionate about?
And then how do we channel that into action?
You know, create positive change.
However we define it.
Exactly.
And I think that's what makes this whole talk so inspiring.
It's not just about like one man's journey to success.
Wait.
It's a call to action for all of us.
It's like a reminder that we have the power
to choose a life of meaning and purpose.
Totally.
To embrace challenges.
You know, the adventure that comes with going
after what we're passionate about and to make
a difference in the world.
Right.
You know, one choice at a time.
So, you know, as you go about your day, your week,
think about some of those key takeaways from Bezos.
Right.
That regret minimization framework,
the power of consistent effort, the importance of, you know,
choices over gifts.
Absolutely.
And most of all, remember that sense of possibility,
that belief that it's never too late to start creating
the life you want.
Right.
To leave your mark on the world.
Even if it starts.
Even if it starts, you know.
Right in your garage.
Love it.