57 Inspiring Quotes from The Third Door by Alex Banayan
The Third Door by Alex Banayan is a good book.The way he goes about interviewing successful people is inspiring.Even though it is an interesting book but it's not very good.The Third Door does not tell you in easy to follow steps about how you can improve your life. In spite of this,some parts of the book are very motivational and informative,especially the story of Qi Lu.If you choose not to read this book at-least google the story of Qi Lu.it's a must read.Another part of the book that's definitely worth reading is when Kamen tells him how to solve a stubborn problem.Those few pages are very informative.
Here are the quotes I Like:
''I was beginning to realize that a
college degree no longer came with guarantees.''
ꟷAlex Banayan,The Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
''Many times the hardest part about achieving a dream isn’t actually
achieving it—it’s stepping through your fear of the unknown when you don’t have
a plan. Having a teacher or boss tell you what to do makes life a lot easier.
But nobody achieves a dream from the comfort of certainty.''
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
''This was the Spielberg Game.
1. Jump off the tour bus.
2. Find an Inside Man.
3. Ask for his or her help to
bring you in.
The most important step, I
realized, was finding that “Inside Man”—someone inside the organization willing
to put his or her reputation on the line to bring you in. If Chuck Silvers
hadn’t offered Spielberg a three day pass, or called the VP of production and
demanded he watch the film,Spielberg never would have gotten the contract.''
“There’s something about you that
tells me you’re actually going to make this happen. I believe in you. I believe
you can do this.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“You may have the heart—you keep
fighting, you keep fighting, you keep fighting—but your mind is saying, ‘Man,
forget this. I don’t need this.’ The head and the heart aren’t going together;
but they have to go together. It all has to connect. Everything has to
connect to reach that level, that pinnacle…You may have a desire, a wish, a
dream—but it’s got to be more than that—you’ve
got to want it to the point that it hurts. Most people never reach that point. They
never tap into what I call the Hidden Reservoir,your hidden reserve of
strength. We all have it. When they say a mother lifted up a car off a trapped
child, that’s that power.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“How many times have people told
you, ‘You can’t interview these types of people’? How many times have they
said, ‘No way’? Don’t let anyone tell you your dream isn’t possible.
When you have a vision, you’ve got to hang in there. You’ve got to stay in the
fight. It’s going to get tough.You’re going to hear no. But you’ve got to keep
pushing. You’ve got to keep fighting. You’ve got to use your Hidden reservoir. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s
possible.
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“But first, we need ground rules. These five things aren’t just for today. They’re for the rest of your life.” ….Write these down…
Rule number one: Never use
your phone in a meeting. I don’t care if you’re just taking notes. Using your
phone makes you look like a chump.Always carry a pen in your pocket. The more
digital the world gets, the more impressive it is to use a pen. And anyway, if
you’re in a meeting, it’s just rude to be on your phone.
Rule number two: Act like you
belong. Walk into a room like you’ve been there before. Don’t gawk over
celebrities. Be cool. Be calm. And never, ever ask someone for a
picture. If you want to be treated like a peer, you need to act like one. Fans
ask for pictures. Peers shake hands…
rule number three: Mystery makes history.
When you’re doing cool shit, don’t post
pictures of it on Facebook. No one actually changing the world posts everything
they do online. Keep people guessing what you’re up to. Plus, the people
you’re going to impress by posting things online aren’t the people you should
care about impressing…
rule number four,…this rule is
the most important. If you break it…you’re done…If you break my trust, you’re
finished. Never, ever go back on your word. If I tell you something in
confidence, you need to be a vault. What goes in does not come out. This goes
for your relationships with everyone from this day forward. If you act like a
vault, people will treat you like a vault. It will take years to build your reputation, but seconds to ruin it.
Understood?...
Here’s a last one: Adventures only happen to the adventurous.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
''Everybody has experiences in
their lives,…Some choose to make them into stories.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“When it’s in front of you,…make
your move….When it’s in front of you, make your move….The best cure for nervousness is immediate
action.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’Bite off more than you can
chew. You can figure out how to chew later.”
‘’You have to go for it, even if there’s a chance you’ll fail. The
planets are never going to perfectly align. When you see an opportunity, it’s
up to you to jump.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“You see, most people live a linear life,…They go to college,
get an internship, graduate, land a job, get a promotion, save up for a
vacation each year, work toward their next promotion, and they just do that
their whole lives. Their lives move step by step, slowly and predictably…But
successful people don’t buy into that model. They opt into an exponential
life. Rather than going step by step, they skip steps. People say that you first need to ‘pay your dues’ and get years of
experience before you can go out on your own and get what you truly want.
Society feeds us this lie that you need to do x, y, and z before
you can achieve your dream. It’s bullshit. The only person whose permission you
need to live an exponential life is your own…Sometimes an exponential life
lands in your lap, like with a child prodigy. But most of the time, for people
like you and me, we have to seize it for ourselves. If you actually want to
make a difference in the world, if you want to live a life of inspiration,
adventure, and wild success —you need to grab on to that exponential life—and
hold on to it with all you’ve got.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“You have a choice,…You can be good at those twenty-five things or you
can be world-class at the five.’’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“Most people never take the time to ask themselves why they’re doing what
they’re doing,…And even when they do, most people lie to themselves.’’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’Don’t judge the motivations as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Just ask yourself why
you’re doing what you’re doing. Choosing the right tactics becomes easy once
you know your end goal.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“No one smart actually drops out of school,…It’s a myth.Bill Gates
and Mark Zuckerberg didn’t drop out the way you think they did. Do some
research. You’ll see what I’m talking about.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’Even when Facebook had nearly 200,000 users, Zuckerberg had doubts
about its future.’’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’For years I’d seen headlines that read ‘Dropout Mark Zuckerberg’ and naturally
assumed his decision to leave college was clear-cut. Headlines and movies make
things seem black and white. But now I was realizing:the truth is never black
and white. It’s gray. It’s all gray.If you want the whole story, you have to
dig deeper. You can’t rely on headlines or tweets. Gray doesn’t fit in 140
characters.’’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
''Gates didn’t impulsively drop out of college….He took just one semester
off during junior year to work full-time on Microsoft. And when momentum for
the company didn’t fully pick up, Gates went back to college. Again, no
one talks about that. It wasn’t until the following year that Gates took
another semester off, and then another, as Microsoft grew. Maybe the hardest part about taking a risk isn’t whether to take
it, it’s when to take it. It’s never clear how much momentum is enough
to justify leaving school. It’s never clear when it’s the right time to quit
your job.Big decisions are rarely clear when you’re making them—they’re only
clear looking back. The best you can do is take one careful step at a time.''
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
''My agent had told me rewriting the proposal would take thirty days. I finished
in eight. When your back is against the
wall, you learn what you’re capable of.''
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“This is the thing,…Although
people won’t meet with you for the reason you want, that doesn’t mean
they won’t meet at all.Just find another angle. Figure out what they need
and use that as your way in.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’Buffett is famous for being a long-term
value investor and this story shows he treated his career the same way. He
could’ve gotten a highpaying job right out of school and made far more money in
the short term. But by offering to work for free under Graham, he set
himself up to make much more in the long term. Instead of trying to get
paid as much as possible in dollars,
Buffett chose to get paid in mentorship, expertise, and connections…It’s like
what Elliott told me,…’One path leads to a linear life,the other an
exponential.’ ‘’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“Colonel Sanders got rejected
a thousand and nine times when he started KFC. ‘’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“You’ve got to stay in the fight.It’s going to get tough. You’re
going to hear no. But you’ve got to keep pushing.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’You need to understand that
business is not target practice. It’s not about obsessing over a bull’s-eye.
It’s about putting as many balls in the air as possible and seeing which one
hits…You need to start working on building a pipeline and getting other balls
in the air. Business is not target practice.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’Let’s say there’s a
one-in-one-hundred chance you’re going to get something right. If you’re
willing to do it more than a hundred times, you start to approach the
probability that, eventually,you’re going to get it right. Call it luck. Call
it tenacity. You will eventually get it if you exhaust all your efforts.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“ ‘Restating the boundaries,…is
sometimes what gives you the insight to create an innovative solution.’ He told me a story about the lack of science
and technology education in American public schools. Most people claimed it was
an education crisis, so they tried to solve it in the same old ways—updating
curriculum,hiring more teachers—but nothing seemed to work. Kamen wondered what
would happen if they asked the question differently. What if this wasn’t an
education crisis, but a culture crisis? As soon as he reframed the problem, new
frogs [different ways to solve a problem] appeared. Kamen decided to create a
competition called FIRST, which treats scientists like celebrities and turns
high school engineering into a sport. FIRST is now a phenomenon across the
country,having impacted the lives of millions of students.’Instead of getting frustrated by repeating the same old problem,’
Kamen said, ‘reframe the question in a new way that is amenable to a different
kind of solution.”
“To attract money, you should
deserve money. And you
should develop a record over time that does it. You should explain to people
why that record is a product of sound thinking rather than simply being in tune
with a trend or simply just being lucky. Charlie?”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
''Dishonesty breeds dishonesty.''
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’ ‘Sometimes when people are starting out and feel they don’t know how
to interview, they look to the people they admire—maybe it’s Barbara Walters or
Oprah or myself—and they see how we interview and they try to copy that. That’s
the biggest mistake you can make. You’re focused on what we’re doing,
not why we’re doing it….When young interviewers try to copy our styles, they’re
not thinking about why we have these styles. The reason why is because
these are the styles that make us the most comfortable in our seats. And when we
are the most comfortable in our seats, our guests are the most
comfortable in their seats—and that’s what makes for the best interviews.The
secret is: there is no secret,’ Larry added. ‘There’s no trick to being
yourself.’ ”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’You want to know the secret
to changing the world? Stop trying to change it. Do great work and let your
work change the world.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“How does one become
successful?... you have to want to do it very,very badly.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’Larry said, pointing a
finger.’The secret is: there is no secret. Just be yourself.’ ”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’Gates…explained that the first step in a sales meeting is having to
blast through skepticism, and the best way to do that is by overwhelming people
with your expertise. Gates would talk fast and dive immediately into the details—character sets,
computer chips, programming languages, software platforms—to the point that it
became undeniably clear he wasn’t just some kid.’’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’Gates wanted to be paid in something more valuable than
cash:strategic positioning. It’s better to make a fair deal today that sets you
up for more deals down the road than a great deal that doesn’t set you up for anything.
The takeaway was clear: choose long-term positioning over short-term profits.’’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’During the IBM negotiation, Gates knew he had to keep Microsoft’s source
code secret, yet he also knew he couldn’t tell IBM not to take the source code
because that was the very thing it was buying. Gates figured out what IBM was
scared of—a major lawsuit—and used that to form a strategy. In the contract, he
insisted on unlimited liability if IBM accidentally disclosed the source code.
That meant if any employee even unknowingly leaked the code, Microsoft could
sue IBM for perhaps billions. That scared IBM’s attorneys so much that the
company chose not to even take the source code, which is exactly what
Gates wanted. The lesson: figure out
your opponent’s fears, then use them to your advantage.’’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’The best negotiating tactic is to build a genuine, trusting
relationship. If you’re an unknown entrepreneur and the person you’re dealing
with isn’t invested in you, why would he or she even do business with you? But
on the other hand, if the person is your mentor or friend,you might not even
need to negotiate.It was the last thing I expected to hear from the business
world’s chess grandmaster. I thought he’d share battle-tested secrets, but
instead he was telling me to befriend my opponent so I wouldn’t have to battle.’’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’No business book ever talked about this. No inspirational quote
warned me about the dangers of over-persistence. Not once had I stopped to ask myself, ‘Am I being the kind of person
people want to help?’ Instead I just kept calling Buffett’s assistant week
after week. And after months of hearing no, I still flew to Omaha and sent her
a freaking shoe. I was so obsessed with
achieving my goal I was blind to how I came across. I’d dug myself into such a
deep hole that even Bill Gates couldn’t pull me out.I should’ve learned
about the dangers of over-persistence a long time ago, when I was harassing Tim
Ferriss by sending him thirty-one emails. Ferriss wanted nothing to do with me.
He agreed to the interview only because of my Inside Man at DonorsChoose.
Though because Ferriss ultimately said yes, I took that as a win. It was only
now, because Buffett ended in failure, that I was taking the time to reflect.
Life will keep hitting you over the head with the same lesson until you listen.’’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’I told you there is no tipping point. It’s all just little
steps…A tipping point only appears in hindsight,…You don’t feel it when you’re
in the trenches. Being an entrepreneur is about pushing, not tipping.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“There’s the First Door,…the
main entrance, where the line curves around the block. That’s where ninety-nine
percent of people wait around, hoping to get in…Then there’s the Second Door,
the VIP entrance. That’s where the billionaires, celebrities, and the people
born into it slip through….School and society make you feel like those are the
only two ways in.But over the past few years, I’ve realized there is always,
always…the Third Door. It’s the entrance where you have to jump out of line,
run down the alley, bang on the door a hundred times, crack open the window,
sneak through the kitchen—there’s always a way. Whether it’s how Bill Gates
sold his first piece of software or how Steven Spielberg became the youngest
studio director in Hollywood history, they all took…the Third Door.’’
“ ’Society tells you that
success is getting the most powerful position possible,’ Wozniak said. ‘But I
asked myself: Is that what would make me happiest?”
“Most people do things because
that’s what society tells them they should do. But if you stop and do the math—if
you actually think for yourself—you’ll realize there’s a better way to do
things.”
“ ‘I started to understand the opportunity I had if I really focused,’
Pitbull said. ‘That’s number one in
anything: understanding the opportunity you have. I knew that if I wanted
to make money rapping, I had to write to music. So I started writing rhymes. I
didn’t know what a record was at the time. I just wrote rhymes, rhymes, rhymes,
rhymes.’ ”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
''key to continued success: it’s
about always staying an intern.It’s about humbling yourself enough to
learn, even when you’re at the top of your game. It’s about knowing that the
moment you get comfortable being an executive is the moment you begin to fail.
It’s about realizing that, if you want to continue being Mufasa, at the same
time you have to keep being Simba.''
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
''It’s the fact that most men
won’t even acknowledge our reality. There are problems women face that most men
will never understand…because they never try to understand.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“What I know,…is that: it’s
going to be better. If it’s bad, it might get worse, but I know that it’s going
to be better. And you have to know that. There’s a country song out now,
which I wish I’d written, that says, ‘Every storm runs out of rain.’ I’d make a
sign of that if I were you.Put that on your writing pad. No matter how dull and
seemingly unpromising life is right now, it’s going to change. It’s going to be
better.But you have to keep working.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
''Approach writing, approach
whatever your job is,with admiration for yourself, and for those who did it
before you. Become as familiar with your craft as it is possible to become.''
“Now, what I do, and what I encourage young writers to do, is to go
into a room alone, close the door, and read something you’ve written already.
Read it aloud, so you can hear the melody of the language. Listen to the rhythm
of the language. Listen to it. Before you know it, you’ll think, ‘Mmmh,
it’s not too bad! That’s pretty good.’ Do it so you can admire yourself for trying.
Compliment yourself for taking on such a difficult, but delicious, chore.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“I don’t think we are born with the art,… if you have a certain eye you
can see depth and precision and color and all of that; if you have a certain
ear, you can hear certain notes and harmonies;but almost everything is learned.
So if you have a normal brain, and maybe a little abnormal, you can learn
things. Trust yourself.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’Don’t narrow your life down. I’m eighty-five and I’m just getting started!
Life is going to be short, no matter how long it is. You don’t have much time.
Go to work.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“Facing death,…makes you sensitive to how delicate life is.Everything
is so…in a moment. It forces you to think about all of your decisions in
a different way. What really matters? What are you spending your life doing?
What are you going to do when you stare your biggest fear in the eyes?”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“Nobody is in control of who they are when they’re born,….You’re born
into the family you’re born into and you’re born into the circumstances you’re
born into. So you just have to take what you can from where you’re at and not
compare yourself to other people. You have to look at your path and know that
whatever got you there, and where you’re going, is unique to you. You weren’t
supposed to be any other way.’’
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
‘’The obstacles women face just make for better businesses. Because in
the end, we know how to deal with some shit….you really only learn if you’ve
gone through it.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
“You can’t get an A if you’re afraid of getting an F,”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
Growth comes from mistakes. You have to cherish them, so
you can learn from them. Your mistakes are your greatest gift.”
ꟷThe Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
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