Best Life Lessons From Ryan Allis
There's Actually a Lot to Learn From the 1,285-Slide Presentation People Are Mocking
My expectations were low when I read about 30-year-old entrepreneur Ryan Allis creating a 1,285-page slideshow that dispensed the wisdom he learned from his 20s. After all, some of what I've read in the media wasn't too favorable. For example, the search title for this Business Insider piece is "Ryan Allis's Life Lessons Are Inane," while ValleyWag described it as "It's what The Secret sounds like after you lock yourself in a conference room with a week's supply of Soylent and a whiteboard."
So I opened the slideshow with dread, and after reading the entire thing, I thought, this extremely successful guy (who sold his company iContact for $170 million) took the time out of his busy day to create a slideshow in order to share what he's learned with the world for free — how nice of him. Allis told us that it took him about 12 weeks of work to put this together over the course of 12 years.
In the first few slides, Allis says his motivation to create this slideshow is his mother, Pauline, who passed away from a brain tumor in 2012. "I wanted to document all the amazing knowledge she gave me in her 60 years," Allis says. "She inspired so many to love everybody, follow their bliss, and dream big." I found this whole project to be a really nice gesture and a touching tribute, so I'm a bit taken aback by all the snark.
I know some will find it overwhelming to go through over 1,000 slides, so I've rounded up some of my favorites and ones I think people will find the most useful. However, you should really read it in full here when you find the time!
Source: Instagram user ryanallis
It's Important to Write Down Your Goals
This Simple Venn Diagram Will Help You Figure Out Your Purpose
This Is What Finding Your Purpose Is All About
Make a Vision Board to Better Visualize Your Dreams
This Is Ryan Allis's Vision Board
Bucket Lists Are Also Important
Be Picky With the People You Spend Time With
Here's What You Should Do to Be Happy at Your Job
Keep Learning
This Is a Really Great List
This Is Why Finding a Mentor Is So Important
We Often Forget About the Importance of a Mentor
A Great Way to Get a Response From a Potential Mentor
The Key Is to Be Kind and Genuine When Making Connections
This Is Why You Should Embrace Struggle
You Can Choose to Be Happy
Good Habits Are Important
The Three Key Lessons About Money
The Secret to Better Relationships
Don't Ignore Your Instincts
