If you’ve ever read Naval’s story at the beginning of The Almanack, you know he had every right to play the victim card.

Except he didn’t play it.

Naval grew up poor.

During his formative years, he had books as his companions.

He spent lots of time reading.

Eventually, his knowledge earned him the opportunity to get a world-class education.

Now, Naval is one of the most-quoted and most successful businesspeople of the 21st century.

He has inspired millions of people to pursue and succeed at entrepreneurship.

Can you imagine how little impact Naval would’ve had on the world if he decided to play the victim card!?

Most people who grow up poor stay poor.

Not Naval.

He chose to make the best of his situation in life.

But for every Naval, there are hundreds if not thousands of people who play the victim.

Maybe something bad happened in their life and they’re living as victims so they can earn other peoples’ pity.

Or maybe they didn’t have the best upbringing, or they were the victim of some kind of crime, or they’re just outright pessimistic.

Some people who've never even been a victim will find ways to present themselves as a victim!

I know the victim mentality too well, and if I’m not careful, I can fall into it.

As online creators, we need to be aware of the victim mentality... and we need to avoid it at all costs.

🔎 The victim mentality is a dangerous worldview.

When we condition ourselves to live as victims, rather than victors, our worldview becomes distorted.

We begin to think we are owed something, and in all our interactions, it’ll appear as though we’re trying to take from other people.

That’s what victims do. They take, take, take.

Then, the people who are being taken from begin to resent the “victim.”

When in reality, the victim is the one committing the crime!

Nobody likes someone who plays a victim.

And if you’re playing the victim, don’t be surprised when no one wants to spend time around you.

🔎 You can’t control the past, but you can shape the future.

If you were the subject of some kind of trauma, loss, or crime in the past…

Yes, you were a victim.

But in this present moment, are you a victim?

Or are you bringing too much of the past into the present?

See, too often, people bring their baggage into the present.

It’s very difficult to let go of baggage.

Everything that has happened to us in the past is part of our story, and there’s nothing we can do to change that.

In real life, you can’t hit Command + Z and undo something that’s already been done.

But what you can do is choose to carve a path forward, one that’s rooted in personal responsibility, optimism, and a commitment to creating a future that’s about victory.

🔎 You are not defined by your damage.

If you are being haunted by something that happened in your past, get the help you need.

Could be a pastor, a friend, a therapist... whatever you do, go seek counsel.

And regardless of who you go to for help, remember:

You are not defined by your damage.

You are a human being in a fallen world where tragedy, trauma, and loss are part of reality.

What are you defined by?

Character. Courage. Bravery. Fortitude. Integrity. Self-control. And so many other traits victims refuse to embody.

You are not your damage.

Want a free copy of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant?

​Click here to go to the PDF edition.​

You can also get a .mobi and .epub for free over at https://www.navalmanack.com/.

I hope you enjoyed this inaugural edition of CreatorFocus™!

It’s my mission to speak to the struggles us creators face as we walk on our path toward digital freedom.

If something in this email resonated with you, hit me with a response. I read and reply to all my emails. :)

Have a great week, and talk to you soon.

—Neil

P.S. If we're not already connected on 𝕏, head over to my profile and check out some of my stuff.

P.P.S. I'm looking to grow this newsletter. If you have a friend who you think could benefit from the message I'm putting out, encourage them to subscribe by heading over to https://www.creatorfocus.xyz. New editions are released every Monday at 9AM EDT, and next week, I'll be exploring creator burnout.