At the age of 94, Buffett, perhaps at the last of his career's many gatherings, shared the wealth secrets and life wisdom he had verified throughout his life.
This man, known as "the world's best money-maker", has compiled a set of guidelines that contain the codes for ordinary people to navigate through life - even understanding just one of them could save them from taking a decade-long detour.
I. The Core of a Career: Making Passion Irreplicable Competence
When choosing a career, Buffett never advises young people to focus solely on the starting salary. He says: "You must find something you love and are willing to devote yourself to wholeheartedly."
Just like at the age of 94, he is still engaged in investment, simply because his passion has transcended the mere concept of "work".
When you truly love something, going to work is no longer about "persevering" or "selling your labor", but rather an investment in your own life.
Love will drive you to continuously delve deeper, building a core competitiveness in your field that is difficult for others to undermine.
If you can't find your passion for the moment, don't panic. Instead, get closer to outstanding people, learn their thinking and actions, and during the process of "copying their work", the direction will gradually become clearer.
2. The Power of a Circle: The people around you determine the height of your life
"Those who are close to vermilion (red) will become red, while those who are close to ink (black) will become black," Buffett firmly believed in this.
He emphasized: "The average level of the five people you interact with most often is basically the level you will achieve in your life."
When you are around intelligent people, your cognition will improve gradually through subtle influence; when you are with positive people, your mindset will be positively affected, becoming full of growth momentum.
He always mentions his old partner Charlie Munger - that person with direct thinking and incisive insights, calling him "a walking cheat code".
Choosing the right partner can avoid risks, and choosing the right boss can provide freedom for growth. Actively approaching the role model you aspire to become is the best investment for the future.
3. The truth about wealth: Slow is fast, and compound interest is the key.
"Don't always think about getting rich overnight." Buffett's investment wisdom is also applicable to life. The real secret to wealth is just two words: compound interest.
Just like a snowball, time allows wealth and value to gradually increase.
Quick money often comes with high risks, while sustained accumulation requires patience - making just a little progress each day may seem slow, but over time it can lead to an exponential breakthrough.
This is not "slow", but the most stable "fast".
4. The fuel for growth: Continuous learning is the key to breaking through the cognitive ceiling.
At the shareholders' meeting, 94-year-old Buffett remained clear-minded and articulate. The secret to his success lies in continuous learning.
He said, "Making a 1% improvement every day leads to a huge breakthrough over time."
Maintaining curiosity and absorbing new knowledge like a sponge is the only way to expand the boundaries of your cognition.
The level of your cognition will ultimately determine the upper limit of your wealth and life.
For young people, learning is not a task, but rather the confidence that enables them to always have "choices".
5. The key to happiness: The mindset is the steering wheel of life.
When facing the ups and downs of life, Buffett always says: "Compared to history, our current era is full of opportunities. There is no need to complain."
Many people are not happy because their desires are too many - what they want exceeds their capabilities, and naturally they are dragged by anxiety.
Controlling desires is not about "passivity", but about clearly understanding what you truly need. A good mindset is like a steering wheel, which can remain stable and not sway even in favorable circumstances, nor collapse in adverse conditions, and steadily reach the goal.
6. The foundation of stability: Reputation is a more valuable asset than money.
"It takes 20 years to build a good reputation, but it only takes five minutes to destroy it." In Buffett's eyes, personal reputation is a thousand times more valuable than money.
Whether in business cooperation or interpersonal communication, integrity is the passport.
Ability determines the starting point, while character determines the destination -
adhering to the bottom line of integrity can help one gain lasting respect and opportunities.
Just as he said: "The ultimate asset for establishing oneself and making a living is never money, but a person's reputation."
The Strategy for Ordinary People to Overcome Obstacles: 6 Interconnected Suggestions
These six suggestions actually form a complete "overcoming rule":
- Passion is the engine, driving you forward;
- the circle is the territory, determining how far you can go;
- compound interest is the accelerator, making growth twice as effective;
- curiosity is the fuel, continuously providing energy;
- a good mindset is the steering wheel, controlling the direction;
- and credibility is the brake pad that protects you in critical moments.