Reflection on 2024. Over the past year, I've significantly changed my way of thinking. I've reevaluated many aspects of my life. If the past year had a name, it would definitely be related to mindfulness. The past year was probably the most stressful year I've had: work issues, moving, war in my hometown, social fears, self-doubt, new relationships, and experiences I feared. I encountered instability and that feeling of "uncertainty about tomorrow." As stressful as it was, it was an extremely beneficial experience for me, pushing me to reassess almost everything. By the end of the year, everything settled down: job stability, moving ease, reduced fears, better relationships, enthusiasm for new experiences, and self-confidence emerged. At the beginning of last year, I set goals to increase blog views, boost income, get a full health check-up, and launch a startup. I didn't achieve any of the goals I set. Is that bad? Absolutely not. The startup consumed too many resources without any output, leading me to lose interest, but I gained valuable experience. It was too big a project; we should have started with something smaller. Reach and income stopped being goals in themselves; now, I focus on benefiting society, from which income follows naturally. I didn't get a full medical check-up, but I actively worked on my health, eliminating bad habits and forming beneficial ones. Throughout the year, I reevaluated my values and lost interest in the goals I had set. However, I achieved much more in other aspects. 🏆 My achievements: Clearing the mind. The most harmful habit I got rid of: mindlessly scrolling social media and watching short videos. This was the first step in shifting my focus from informational noise to something more meaningful. I watch fewer series and movies, unsubscribed from everything unnecessary, use my phone only with a specific purpose, meditate daily, and spend more time in silence. Year of Knowledge. I filled my mind with higher quality information. I started delving deeper into history, economics, philosophy, languages, scientific theories and discoveries. I've read many books. They have replaced TikTok for me. I learned English up to a B1-B2 level. My friends helped me. Traveling also helped as I spoke a lot with foreigners. I also started learning Latin. This year, we'll go to Vietnam, and I'll start learning Vietnamese there. Overall, I've become more eager to learn new things, and I enjoy it. Learning something new is no longer a problem, be it knowledge or acquiring a new skill. Total Health Focus. Regular physical workouts, cross-fit, morning runs, yoga, stretching. This might have been my most active year. My physical shape has improved, which is now visually noticeable. Sleep has improved. I aim to sleep 9 PM–5 AM. Sleep is priority number one. Everything depends on sleep (including life success). I now pay special attention to sleep quality, for which I even bought @WHOOP. I've cut out harmful foods from my diet. Less sugar, less fat, less processed food. More natural and fresh products. I've started intermittent fasting. I eat within a 6-hour window each day. Also, I don't eat at least 6 hours before sleep. Thanks @bryan_johnson for the tips. Understanding the World. Now, I can say I understand economics, markets and money. I now understand why there are poor and rich, why wars occur, how states work. The form of money determines everything, especially the freedom and prosperity of each individual. I've concluded that #Bitcoin is not just some virtual currency. It's a necessity for global progress and reducing violence in the world. Thanks @saifedean for a book that changed my thinking. 🚀 My priorities for 2025: - Accumulate as much $BTC as possible; - Share knowledge and learn new things; - Benefit society; - Make the world better and reduce violence; - Enhance my media presence; - Secure a stable and job-independent income; - Improve my health; - Promote freedom.

I just finished reading "21 Lessons for the 21st Century" by Yuval Noah Harari. It’s now on my must-read list. The book indeed covers 21 lessons about understanding our world and surviving in it: #politics, #nationalism, #war, #God, #religion, #economy, #ecology, #terrorism, #technology, #longevity, #algorithms, #AI, #freedom, #self-knowledge, #faith, #truth, and the meaning of life. Below I’ll outline some conclusions I hadn’t thought about before. ☠️ The Problem of Terrorism. Terrorists are too weak to confront powerful enemies (like the U.S.) directly, so they rely on fear. By spreading terror, they hope governments will overreact. Widespread publicity amplifies this effect — media outlets benefit from sensational stories, which, in turn, helps terrorists sow panic. Meanwhile, actual casualties from terrorist acts are fewer than those from car accidents or diseases, but fear multiplies their impact. The surest strategy is for governments to respond quietly, without giving terrorists a stage. Without an audience, terror loses its meaning. 🍄 The Ecology Problem. Climate change is a serious threat. Some nations stand to gain — Russia might discover new trade routes through melting ice — while others turn into deserts or end up underwater. Greenhouse gas emissions keep rising. Humanity must abandon fossil fuels now to preserve our environment and economy. The meat industry also fuels global warming while causing suffering to billions of animals. Fortunately, “clean meat” grown from cells is becoming more affordable. Global warming may be more perilous than nuclear war, because its effects vary by region and don’t unite countries in prevention the way nuclear threats do. 🧐 Key Skills for the 21st Century. Traditional schooling — memorizing facts and focusing on narrow fields — has lost its former value in today’s info-saturated world. It’s more important to filter knowledge, adapt, and keep calm when facing the unknown. Many educators believe schools should emphasize critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. Above all, we need the ability to learn continuously and reinvent ourselves to stay relevant in a fast-changing future. 😵 No Meaning of Life. No Free Will. We can direct our actions toward our desires, but we don’t control the underlying desires themselves, which arise from biochemical processes influenced by external factors. If we fail to understand our own minds, algorithms might do it for us — and control us. Because our “self” is part of a broader matrix, letting go of rigid identity may be crucial for survival. Meditation, especially Vipassana, helps us observe our thoughts and bodily reactions, peeling away illusions and reducing suffering. 😵‍💫 Imagined Stories. Humans create stories — nationalism, religion, corporations — that shape our collective lives. These narratives can unite societies, yet they’ve also led to countless needless deaths. We must distinguish belief in a story from truth, focusing on the suffering such beliefs can inflict. Instead of asking “What is the meaning of life?” perhaps we should ask “How can we reduce suffering?” Human well-being depends on social bonds: if we harm others, we harm ourselves. Observing suffering brings us closer to truth than clinging to invented stories. Overall, "21 Lessons for the 21st Century" provides profound insights. I’ve only scratched the surface; the book explores each theme in depth, answering many questions and “opening your eyes.”

I am reading the book "The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age". I feel as if our world is developing exactly as predicted in this book. it's from 1997.

What's the best client for #Nostr?