Matt Gray

When I was 22, I was crippled with depression and thought about taking my own life. Today, I experience more energy and happiness than I ever have in my entire life. My philosophy for a happy life (that anyone can apply): The only way to achieve lasting happiness is through entrepreneurship. You’ll never live a life of freedom until you build your own thing. Freedom to work where you want, when you want, on what you want. But entrepreneurship isn’t so pretty for most… Most founders are depressed. 72% of us report mental health issues like depression and anxiety. We’re 3x more likely to abuse substances. Most of us feel stressed, overwhelmed, and lonely - while building a business driving us into the ground. So what’s the solution? If entrepreneurship is the key to happiness, why are so many stressed, depressed, and unfulfilled? Because people don’t have a philosophy of life, they don’t have a system to engineer happiness on command. Here’s what I’ve come up with: 1. Whole Body Yes This concept changed my life. Only pursue what excites your head, heart, and gut - whole body yeses. This is what made me get out of brick and mortar to build a community of 14+ million cannabis lovers and help founders build $5M/year systems. 2. Prioritize Nature Nature is your greatest mentor. National Parks are your best friend. • Get outside daily • Take your shoes off and ground yourself • Never stop exploring what the planet has to offer Nature’s not a day out. It’s home. 3. Health is Wealth Taking care of your physical and mental health is the foundation for happiness and success. I learned this the hard way by burning out after my first business. Now, I prioritize sleep, nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness. Healthy founder = healthy business. 4. Community > Competition The best founders operate in tribes. They surround themselves with positive, driven people. They bounce ideas, lift each other up, and inspire each other. Entrepreneurship is not a single-player game. Build together. Stop suffering alone. 5. Time > Money The biggest misconception in business: you have to sacrifice your time for wealth. That’s bullsh*t. My businesses do $8M/year while I travel the world without working around the clock. My secret? Systems. Automation. Delegation. Less busy work, more deep work. 6. Systems > Goals Goals are cool, but they don’t mean anything without proven systems. Systematize everything - sales, marketing, operations. Use tools like Loom to record how you do stuff. Delegate to talented contractors around the world. Buy back your time. — Elevate your life habits with our free weekly newsletter. Join our community of 80,000+ subscribers today: https://lnkd.in/eMB4fWuy  Enjoy this? Share the post with others and follow me Matt Gray for more.