The Worst Metaphor for Life You’ve Ever Read

186 people had breakthroughs this week. Will the next one be you?

Too many things for you to think about

Life advice is like clothing. Try it on and if it doesn’t fit, discard it and try something else. And when you grow, don’t be surprised when the old advice needs to be changed out for the new.

Like clothing, when you finish with a piece of advice that no longer fits, don’t throw it away, pass it on to someone else that it might fit.

We’re just going to keep this clothing metaphor going. Like clothing, bad quality advice will only last a few weeks, while high quality advice will last a lifetime.

Like clothing, some advice quickly goes out of style, while other advice is timeless.

Is it over yet? Is it safe to come out? Is the clothing metaphor finally gone?

Like poorly-made clothing… even when you throw away bad advice, it just sits in the landfill and destroys the environment for everybody else.

Oh my god, I think it’s finally over… or wait… like clothing, when you strip yourself of all prescriptive behaviors and norms, who are you really, but a naked soul, bared to the world?

One thing for you to ask yourself

I don’t even remember what I was talking about. Do you?

Two things for you to try this week

Wear clothing. Please. And don’t overuse bad metaphors.

New This Week

How to Be Successful in a World That Wasn’t Built for You (ft. Astronaut Cady Coleman) – How do you find your way in a world where the odds are forever against you? My guest in this latest podcast episode, Cady Coleman, shares how she navigated the male-dominated fields of science, the Air Force, and NASA. From her time on the International Space Station to the release of her first book, Cady’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of mission, adaptability, and the unwavering belief in one’s potential, even when the world says otherwise. Check it out.

Let’s Wear Clothes Together… Down Under

As I’m sure you know by now, I’m going to be touring Australia and New Zealand this November. So put on your Sunday best and come for a fun evening of humor, insights, and a few surprises. Stay for the Q&A and meet and greets. Leave with a whole new wardrobe of life advice that fits.

Tickets are going fast, so if you are, or will be, or have always wanted to visit Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, or Auckland, click the link below to secure your seat. Hope to see you, fully clothed, in November!

Last week’s breakthroughs

In last week’s newsletter, I asked you to give yourself permission to live your life without giving a fuck what people think.

Moritz is jetting off to Japan:

All my life I was obsessed with Japanese media, the culture, the food, everything, but I’ve always avoided traveling to the actual country.

I wrote a bucket list when I was 15 and going to Japan was the very first thing. I could’ve afforded going a long time ago, but I always found some stupid excuse not to.

I kept telling myself that I had too much work or that I needed to learn more of the language to enjoy such a trip. In my head this trip was the reward for some undefined goal that I was never going to achieve, so I pushed it back further and further.

After a big break-up last year I realized that I was completely stuck in life, trying to fulfill my parents’ expectations of getting a stable career and a ‘normal’ life before I do anything fun. I’ve been struggling at living a life someone else mapped out for me without my consent and I was too blind to see it.

Today, without having achieved anything noteworthy, I’ve finished booking the last hotels for my trip to Japan. I will go there, I will love it and no one is going to stop me.

Sean gave himself permission to be a kickass bartender:

For the longest time I told myself that I would start my life and develop good habits when I got a ‘real job.’

Well I’m done waiting. I’m 30 years old and I bartend for a living and the truth is, I love it. I’ve recently given myself permission to love it, despite what my family and society thinks. I decided that if I’m going to bartend, I’m going to be the best damn bartender in town and that’s exactly what happened, I won an award, best bartender in town in 2023.

I stopped giving a fuck about what people think about what I do for a living and decided to live well. I quit drinking eight months ago, started saving money and exercising regularly, rescued a dog and most importantly, decided to help out my little brother in a huge way.

Also, I gave up on the productivity hacks and actually started enjoying my life by doing less of what I don’t enjoy and more of what I do enjoy. I turned what I should do into what I want to do and none of this would’ve happened if I waited for the ‘right time’ to demand the best for myself.

The right time is now and not a second longer.

Finally, Amy is letting herself switch off:

This message came at a perfect time. I have an upper level management job that I love but takes a lot of time including evenings and weekends.

This week I am taking off from work, something that I rarely do for more than a day or so. I am committed to taking off the whole week, half of it at home catching up on projects and half of it traveling to a vacation spot.

As I am relaxing with my coffee and reading morning newsletters, including this one, my boss is messaging me. I reminded her that this was my week off and she continues to message me.

Normally I would reply, including offering to come to a meeting or two if she really wanted me to. But fuck it, I am going to hold firm to my plans and if work burns down without me then so be it!

The difficult part is that I will be missing out on some decision making but if things don’t go the way I would have decided then fuck that too, it will be OK. Or they can wait until next Monday to ask my opinion.

I have turned off work notifications, it’s just a week!

As always, send your breakthroughs by simply replying to this email. Let me know if you’d prefer to remain anonymous.

Until next week,

Mark Manson

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
My Website — My Books — My YouTube Channel