77. pillars of health
With all the noise coming from the media’s glorification of the impending mythical antidote, we seem to be losing touch with what was necessary for humanity to achieve a level of health that allowed us to arrive at this pivotal moment in history. Contented with the fact that Big Pharma will have an answer to the consequences a lifetime of indulging in desires will ultimately bring, most people no longer value the fundamental principles of health. The main message being delivered is that your health no longer needs to be your responsibility. It’s tragic. Unfortunately, I can’t save everyone, yet, for those that choose to take responsibility for their health, I want to share my fundamental pillars of health.
Wholesome Nutrition - What you need to eat will largely come down to your individual goals. It is important to understand that there is no perfect diet for all people. We all need to find what works best for us. A good place to start is to look at how your ancestors ate. Try to recreate it with the freshest, least processed, locally sourced, and most nutrient dense products you can find. Eat both veggies and vegetarians for the best health.
Functional Movement - Movement is more than exercise. It is the acquisition of strength to do what you need to do on a daily basis, and the mobility that grants you the ease to get in and out of necessary positions. The easiest way to improve your functional movement, without a gym, is to sit on the floor while you watch TV instead of the couch. You’ll constantly need to move and shift positions which will stretch different muscles, and then you will need to use those to get up, which over time, can improve strength.
Sleep Optimization - Sleep is underrated. Prioritizing rest and recovery is key to optimizing health. Without it we are unlikely to think, act, move, perform, or make decisions to the best of our abilities. The body thrives on consistency so follow a schedule. As the sun starts to set and bedtime gets closer, turn off unnecessary entertainment and dim the lights to mirror the outside environment.
Stress Management - While stress is necessary for adaptation and growth, if it becomes chronic, as in today’s society, there can be negative consequences, like a suppressed immune system. Knowing that you control how you react in any situation — that you choose, how anything affects you — will allow you to approach life differently. If you choose to take responsibility for your actions in all situations, you will have less stress and more time to appreciate the things you enjoy.
Digestive Health - You are not what you eat, but what you can absorb. The bacteria in our gut outnumber the cells in our body by a factor of 10. Their health can impact not only our nutritional input, but also our mood and immune health as well. The only way to improve your digestive health is to find a diet that works for you. If you’re not consistently shitting a 4 on the Bristol Stool Scale, you’ll need to change some aspect of your diet or lifestyle.
Efficient Detoxification - There is no such thing as a “pure” lifestyle in the 21st century. We have to be vigilant with what food and products we put in, on, or around our bodies because a majority of them have chemicals that aren’t tested by the FDA, as they trust companies to “self regulate.” Start with looking at the ingredients of everything you use and compare them to the EWG.org database, replace the most toxin ones. Oh and juice cleanses are bullshit. You need a certain amount of amino acids to efficiently detoxify, which are woefully deficient in fruit.
Resilient Mindset - Mindset is the most powerful thing we have. It is able to have a positive influence on our world and manifest change in ways we never thought possible. Stop focusing on the negative messages you hear all day and instead practice gratitude. Start a grateful journal today to change where your focus lies. Get a pen and paper, and write down 3 things you’re grateful for today. Repeat this everyday.
Community of Support - We are tribal animals. We were never meant to exist in solitude. To thrive, we need to find an environment with like-minded people in pursuance of similar goals, where we can connect with those who challenge us, as well as support our decisions to grow. I invite you to be a part of my tribe.
Maybe I missed the memo, but I don’t think these are being talked about by any mainstream source as a way to achieve a better quality of life. I’m assuming because they require taking responsibility for your own health and that’s not a money-maker for pharmaceutical companies. Regardless, they are what I have used to transform my own life as well as those I have worked with. It may take a little bit of effort, but they are the foundational principles of health that can save you from a reliance on the “sick care” system.
76. salutogenesis
What are the origins of health? Aaron Antonovsky sought to answer that question in his 1979 book entitled Health, Stress and Coping. In it, he introduced the term salutogenesis, which places emphasis on the elements that promote health, rather than the factors that strip it away and cause disease (a.k.a. pathogenesis). It’s a radical departure from the “pill for every ill” ideology we’ve all become accustomed to in the traditional healthcare model. Much like myself, Antonovsky rejected the theories of the “traditional medical-model dichotomy separating health and illness” and instead figured that one can only exist in the absence of another.
Today, more than ever, the majority of people seem to only be worried about not getting sick, rather than taking actions to optimize health. Unfortunately, if you continue to think this way, it’s important to understand the fundamental truth that you’re never going to be able to get healthy by doing the same things that made you susceptible to poor health to begin with. Perhaps, it’s the hypnotic narrative of fear perpetuated by daily body counts on the “News” that keeps you holding on to the current medical model. Yet, it is not your savior and it was never designed to make you well to being with. It’s time to start to think differently. The origins of health aren’t rooted in medications or vaccinations, they come from making the right decisions that work for you and your biology.
To illustrate the fundamental difference between the current pathogenetic medical model and the idea of salutogenetic model, let me ask you this. Say, your friend entrusts you to take care of their plant while away on vacation. While they’re gone, you see the leaves starting to turn brown. What do you do? You can paint those leaves green, or you can give the plant what it needs? (Here’s a hint, it’s not electrolytes!) I’m assuming, that since it’s not 2505, your first thought is to give the plant water. The browning of the leaves is a symptom of something not right with the plants biology. Painting the leaves green is akin to taking medication to “solve” the problem, yet only serves to mask the symptom.
Taking the analogy further, think of yourself as the plant. Are you giving yourself the proper things you need to thrive? Do you know what they are? Or do you wait until things start to breakdown, and then search for medications to suppress they symptoms of your faulty lifestyle? This isn’t meant to be harsh so much as eye-opening. Remember, I can’t make you change unless you want to.
You came into this world with only one responsibility, and that was to take care of yourself. Somewhere along the line, most of us surrender our power to a system that seeks profit over health, that manipulates our understanding of what health is, how it’s achieved, and maintained. Staying within this mindset keeps us looking in the wrong direction. We are continuously looking forward in time for the latest medication or vaccination to save us. It’s a faulty and dangerous premise. Instead, we need to look backward to the past, to see what made us strong enough to prevail thousands of years to get to this point where our health is crumbling. I’m a firm believer in the salutogentic model of health as it seeks to define the origins of health. Those origins fall directly in line with the ancestral approach I have successfully applied with my clients in the past, and will continue to use it with anyone who wishes to break free from the tragic paradigm that is the modern “healthcare” system. It’s time to change the way we think. Sometimes a step backwards can be a step in the right direction.
75. dialogue over dictates
To initiate change, dictates need to be replaced with dialogue. Over the past few days, I have tried to illustrate the issues we’ve been confronted with over the past few months without telling anyone specifically what I think needs to be done do to improve anyone’s health and safety. I firmly believe that no one can be forced to change if they aren’t ready to, no matter how much information is thrown at them. However, I want to be part of the discussion that changes your life, that allows you to create a greater sense of awareness about the world we are living in, and ultimately helps you achieve a healthier life.
The best way to help people find greater personal motivation in their journey is to avoid demotivating their interest by simply telling them what needs to be done, and instead invite them to look at the world from a different perspective, with the hope that it can pique their interest. I have shared many things that have been contradictory to the prevailing “wisdom,” not because I have a political agenda, but because I truly love what I do and want everyone to gain from my passion. As I encourage others to look at things differently, I understand that it can be tough to take the first steps outside of what you’re comfortable with. I get it change is hard. People tend to resist taking on new ideas or behaviors more so because they’re crystal clear about what they’ll lose by changing, but uncertain about what they’ll gain in the process. It’s tough, albeit necessary in these times.
When it comes to creating change, we all tend to overvalue what we’re losing, while undervaluing what we’ll gain. It’s understandable that we don’t eagerly embrace alternatives, yet I think it’s time we start a dialogue about how to move in the direction that seeks to optimize our health instead of cowering in a corner waiting for the status quo to be saved.
74. xyz
On a scale from 1 to 10, how well do you understand how zippers work? …. Okay, next question. How does a zipper work? Describe in as much detail as you can, all the steps involved in a zipper’s operation. If you’re like most people, you don’t work in a zipper factory and have little to say in response to the second question. You don’t really know how zippers work. So, here’s another question, on the same 1 to 10 scale, please rate your knowledge on how a zipper works again. I’m assuming it’s less than your first answer.
Why do we assume a higher level of knowledge? Well, the simplest answer to that question is it’s the easiest and most energy efficient way to go about our day. If we had to know all the inner-workings of everything we encountered to get through our day, we would never make it past cooking breakfast without wanting to go back to bed. It’s not a bad thing to have so little detailed knowledge about how things work. For the most part, it’s necessary. We learn from previous experiences we’ve had an apply that going forward without having to apply additional thought. This allows us to focus on only what we need, while filtering everything else out.
The problem comes when people start speaking or spreading information as though they they worked in our proverbial zipper factory, without actually ever stepping foot in one. Unfortunately, just because someone reads a post about YKK, doesn’t make them an expert on the subject. Just because someone can regurgitate facts, doesn’t make them capable of putting concepts together across genres, in an effort to deliver a broader picture. Just because someone prefers a zipper, doesn’t mean it’s better than a button It may just be that prefer the zipper because they can’t figure out how to use a button.
The world we live in is driven by emotion and fueled by abstract bits of information woven into a narrative to justify that feeling. In an effort to simplify the message, the complexity of details gets lost as conflicting narratives emerge. If you don’t work in the “factory,” it’s very easy to become susceptible to people who seem like they do, and say things you like hearing. We all want the best advice possible, but with no real understanding about how the “factory” is working, how can you really discern whether it’s information or misinformation used to further a narrative.
It should seem alarming that everyone is now an expert in the health field and has “facts” to back it up, yet, these people have no real concept of health or how to achieve it. It’s fucking dangerous in more ways than one because these are the people whose voice is often the loudest. We all have our areas of expertise, but on most subjects (specifically health), the majority of people only dive deep enough to string together shallow bits of information, while in reality what we know is little more than a feeling of understanding that we really can’t unpack. Attaining real knowledge is hard work, that is why most people just rearrange their prejudices and call it learning.
book summary: The Carnivore Code
TL:DR — Meat isn’t bad for you and doesn’t have to be for the planet either. Veggies may be the underlying cause of your health or digestive issues.
What is the Carnivore diet?
The Carnivore diet is what “healthy woke” people think the #Paleo diet is. To clear up any confusion, Carnivore is a way of eating in which you only consume animals (steak, fish, bone broth, steak, organ meats, steak), NO PLANTS. You can stretch that into animal products (eggs, cheese, or honey) but you’d really be blurring the lines. Paleo consists of both meat and plants.
Why would anyone only eat animals?
Because steak is delicious?! Regardless of what the “game changers” told you, animals (and everything in them) are the best concentrated source of nutrients you can find (assuming they’re humanely raised, wild caught, grass fed, free range, etc). Animals are able to extract nutrients from the plant material they eat better than humans can because of the length and structure of their digestive system. In this case, size matters! Additionally, animals have an innate intelligence that allows them to know how much of any particular plant they can eat without it making them sick, as they navigate the landscape, selecting up to 170 different grasses and twigs for daily consumption. This becomes important because all plants contain toxins, and too much of one can cause problems.
Why are plants making toxins? Can they be harmful?
Plants make toxins as a defense mechanism against being eaten because they can’t run away. In small doses they’re probably fine. There is an argument that plants are only beneficial due to the hormetic response that comes from these toxins. The problem arrises when we eat too much and get overloaded, as in consuming that same fucking kale smoothie you’ve had for the last 6 years. It's possibly doing more harm than good. If you are suffering from inflammation, digestive issues, skin problems, or autoimmune conditions, using #Carnivore as a tool for an elimination diet to see if symptoms improve might be a good idea.
73. wtfru waiting for
Most peoples health is so poor that they don’t have the energy to take care of themselves in order to meet the very basics of what it takes to achieve a foundational level of health. This is why the medical system is so profitable. They prey on the weak — both in mind and body. But, it’s more important than ever to understand that it’s not a medical system. It’s a disease maintenance system designed to make money through the suppression of symptoms, not the elimination of disease by an accumulation of health. It’s a system that doesn’t make money when people are getting better.
Why don’t you hear about the value of sleeping well, mitigating stress, improving digestion and detoxification pathways, optimizing nutrition, and finding activities you enjoy that influence you to move on a daily basis? Because their bottom line is more important. There is no cohesive message because if there were, people would start to develop a baseline level of health and profits would decline. It’s a fucking racket. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their health. Unfortunately, it takes energy for people to invest the time to change, as well as forcing them to acknowledge that most of the “information” they’ve been trained to see as truth is not serving them, but those they seek for service.
In the current climate, a strong foundation of health is more powerful than any intervention or government mandate — whether it be masks, closures, or social distancing. The latest CDC data — as of August 26, 2020 — shows that only 6% of people died FROM Covid-19, whereas 94% died WITH Covid-19. What that basically means, is that if you treat your body well and are a healthy individual, then you really don’t have much to worry about. That is an important distinction, and really illustrates the crux of what I am getting at with all my bluster. On the other hand, if you treat your body like a used condom like the majority of this country, then YES you are at risk, but hopefully you’re coming to the understanding that your risk isn’t due to me wearing a mask or not. It’s because you CHOSE to live a lifestyle that isn’t conducive to optimal health.
Fortunately, all hope is not lost. If anything this situation should serve as an awakening for people to take responsibility for their health, and not rely on the disease management system. If done right, it can take as little as 3 months to completely change the direction in someones life for the better. But it’s up to you to make that move. So, if you want more life, vibrancy, health, safety, strength and energy, then what the fuck are you waiting for?
72. just a thought
Yesterday, through the introduction of a friend, I met someone for the first time. As she approached, I saw she was wearing a mask, so to be polite, I asked if she would like me to put my mask on so we could sit down and talk. “No, I don’t think it’s necessary.” I agreed, I didn’t think she needed her’s either, so she took her mask off and we proceeded to have a great conversation.
In the small community of people I interact with, I’ve found that none of them really care about the “safety procedures” of social distancing or the need to wear a mask. And to be honest, I’m fine with that because I don’t find the merit in doing so either. Before the Karen’s and Kevin’s jump down my throat because my mouth is exposed, let me explain myself.
Everyone I surround myself with is deeply entrenched in the health, fitness, research, nutrition, functional medicine, and the strength and conditioning world. They are not IG influencers searching for likes or part of the Dr. Oz tribe that likes to lead you down the yellow brick road of bullshit. These people are not average in anyway. They are the people you look for when you want to improve your health or get in shape because the government guidelines on health you’ve been following haven’t worked. They are people I respect, because they place their health as a top priority in their life. I’m assuming this is strange to hear as it sounds like some type of cognitive dissonance. They want to be healthy, yet they don’t follow the guidelines or wear a mask?!? GASP! They must be crazy, right?
No, they are not crazy. Nor do I think they are dangerous or careless. How could they be? They are the best at what they do and it shows. They, much like myself, stopped listening to the “wisdom” the government was shoveling in our direction many years ago, and it’s subsequently the reason why they have acquired the health they have. If these people aren’t worried about the biggest health crisis of our lifetime, maybe we should start to ask why, and take on some of their practices so that we can get on with life. Perhaps the “information” you’ve been hearing on the News isn’t the best advice to lockdown your health in these uncertain times. Just a thought.
71. what if
We’re wired to stay alive, so we’re constantly aware of things that tend to pose a threat to our sense of well-being. But with the advent of modern technology, and knowledge of the past, there are very few things that actually place anything, including our lives in real danger (this may seem absurd in our current climate, but it’s true nonetheless). Still when confronted with a decision in our daily lives, we cannot overcome thoughts of, what if? What if this goes wrong? What if that doesn’t work out? What if I fail at my attempt? What if I decide on the wrong thing? We’re continually worried about a loss to our current self, or our current way of life.
The simplest solution to the “what if” question is to actually find out. If you are wondering what life will be life on the other side of a decision, you are most likely unhappy with your current position, so you may as well find out — as long as it’s not illegal, immoral, or dangerous of course. You’ll be better off failing and knowing because you’ll have gained insight toward making better decisions in the future, and you will no longer need to worry about the “what if” of your current situation. You come to see that the stories you’ve conjured up, form playing years of the “what if” game are just that, stories. They’re not real. Eventually, you will come to see that you suffer more from imagination than reality. In the end, what hurts us more is the fear that “what if” presents in our mind, than the actual failure itself, because as I’ve spoke about before failure is just learning how to do it better the next time.
70. covibesity
The News is full of information about how to not get sick, yet rarely provides any information regarding what you need to do to actually improve your health. Whether it’s due to sheer ignorance, or scare tactics meant to keep you tuned in, neither is helpful for creating a healthier and safer you. There needs to be more emphasis on the foundational things we can do to bolster our health.
A study entitled Individuals with obesity and COVID‐19: A global perspective on the epidemiology and biological relationships was recently published in the Journal of Obesity Reviews. It goes in to the affects of COVID-19 on those who are obese, stating that obesity increases the risk of death by nearly 50%! You would think with news like this, we would hear more about what can be done while we all sit at home and wait for a vaccine besides order take out and shelter in place.
Anyone who has been into a Wal-Mart lately will know that obesity problem may be just as large as the actual pandemic itself. The US has some of the highest obesity rates in the world, with the US government data showing more than 40% of Americans as obese with the trend rising. According to the World Health Organization, “obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with at least 2.8 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight or obese.”
Assuming there is a correlation, why isn’t this being talked about? Probably because it’s easier to sell you a vaccine than it is to ask you to change your lifestyle. Unfortunately, the study also mentioned the vaccines being developed to address the COVID-19 “will be less effective for individuals with obesity due to a weaker immune response.” And, don’t think that because you don’t consider yourself obese, you’re safe. Metabolic derangement can happen at any size and is the leading cause of obesity! The need to talk about the small things to improve health is becoming more and more important as time goes on. However, the we wait to gather this rather obvious information, the more at risk we become.
With poor health being endemic during this pandemic, what more do you need to hear to put your health first? There is no easy button for achieving better health. Not a vaccine. Not a mask. Not social distancing. Health is cumulative. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to reverse any damages done to your body, and with that will come an increase in your susceptibility to COVID19, as well as whatever else 2020 decides to throw at us. For better or worse, a lot of us were given months to get our priorities in line, to lose weight, improve our sleep habits, focus on a little bit of exercise, and reassess our lives. With the information that you can’t simply wait the virus out until a vaccine comes along, hopefully you can use the remainder of this gift of information and time to work on improving your lifestyle.
69. get specific
Sit down and make a list of the things you want the most. Make sure they’re specific. You want to lose weight; how many pounds? You want to get stronger; pick an exercise? You want to be a small business owner; how much capital do you need to start? You want to be in a relationship; what do you need to get someone to swipe right? It’s your world, so there is no wrong answer. It’s just that if we don’t have what we want, it’s probably for lack of focus.
Now take that list, and look at those specifics. What systems do you need to put in place or what variables do you need to change in your life to get you to the second part of those questions? That is where your attention needs to be. Most people get tripped up because they’re blinded by what they want, instead of focusing one what it takes to get there. If you take the time to put the necessary things in place that will deliver the result you’re after, you will be able to achieve it.
By focusing solely on the outcome, you lose sight of the small things that need to be done day-after-day. Pretty soon, you have little to no results, lose steam and quit. To get closer to what you desire, you need to get specific on what it takes to reach the larger outcome. If you show up everyday and consistently check off the necessary boxes you will be able to lose the weight, get stronger, start your business, have a relationship, or whatever it is that you’re after.
Get specific and have faith in the process.
68. default programming
If you’re consistently getting frustrated from getting the same results, perhaps you need to look at the story you’re telling yourself. If you take the same way to work, eat the same foods, watch the same shows, complete the same workout, or listen to the same advice as you always have, you’re running on default. Our lives consist of a few simple stories we’ve gotten comfortable with repeating over and over again. They’ve become our programming, and are the reason you’re experiencing the same results in your life, health, relationships, and business that you always have. The most interesting part is that because you’re telling yourself the same stories, the results are predictable.
This fact shouldn’t be discouraging, but liberating in the fact that you can change your life by telling a new story. By adding a new variable into your story, you can change the outcome and produce a different result. In fact, it’s really the only way to change. In terms of health, you can’t get well by telling the same story that made you sick, or unhealthy. You have to change your approach, and it starts by leaving your default narrative. If you want to lose weight or optimize your health, you’re going to have to revise what you’ve been telling yourself, whether it’s improving your nutrition, sleep habits, activity levels or better yet all three. Once you do, you’ll be distancing yourself from your old story by creating a new one in the process, and surprise, you’ll be on your way to a new healthier lifestyle.
Diving a little deeper, it’s an unfortunate truth that most people just want the outcome without having to create a new story for themselves. In doing so, they never rewrite their default narrative, but simply put it on hold to get a temporary result, then eventually put the weight back on. To affect long lasting change, you have to rewrite the whole story, both inside and out. You cannot simply change the external variables — nutrition, sleep, exercise — without also changing the internal variables — mindset, systems we have in place, stories we tell ourselves. This can be more difficult to address in the short term, but far more impactful to achieving the best quality of life you can. For example; if you’re trying to make healthy changes in your life, maybe as a child your parents rewarded you with cookies and cakes every time you did something good, or maybe every time you messed up, you were told to do something physical like mow the grass or chop some wood. It’s possible that you’re subconsciously equating sweets with reward, and physical effort (exercise) with punishment. So you will always derail your progress if you cannot address both internal and external variables when rewriting your story, and getting out of your default programming.
If you’re living your life through the story you’ve always told yourself, expecting things to change, hopefully you can now see why it’s not going to happen. To change, you need to get out of your default programming by rewriting the story you’ve been telling yourself.
67. lions, tigers, and bears. oh, my!
The news has been nothing if not a promotion of fear, alarmism, and anxiety. There is no real mention of how to actually take care of ourselves or how to improve our health. Why? All we get are message reminding us to social distance, wear a mask, stay inside, and hold out for a vaccine because this virus is so bad. Maybe it’s so bad because no one has any clue of what it is feels like to be healthy. But the facts are that Corona disproportionately affects the metabolically challenged and immunocompromised the most, a.k.a. the least healthy among us. Not surprisingly, both of these conditions can be exponentially impacted with positive lifestyle changes. Yet, we hear nothing of value, just how bad it’s getting.
At the beginning of each News broadcast, you’ll hear these frightening statistics — 800,000 deaths and 24,000,000 cases world wide! (Lions, tigers and bears OH MY!) Why not tell people that around 95% of the cases are mild, with only 3% being serious, and less than that being deadly? Why is fear the best option? Newsflash, it’s not. Stress induced states of mind lower our immunity, but I’ll play the game. Here’s some scary statistics: globally, 60 million people die every year. Locally, the latest mortality report from the CDC stated there were roughly 3,000,000 deaths in the United States in the year 2017. That breaks down to around 650,000 people dying from Heart Disease; 600,000 from Cancer; 80,000 from Diabetes; 50,000 from Suicide, just to name a few. And the scariest fact about that is these things are largely preventable! Where are the daily updates for these? Why has Corona been chosen to be the “crisis” that it is? Better yet, why are you waiting until now to think about your health?
66. life is too easy
Life is too easy. We’re all suffering from a deficit of physical challenge, exposure, and adversity. Modern life simply isn’t hard enough to promote optimal health. We sit too much. Move too little. Spend too much time indoors. And graze on “food” far too frequently. Our lives have become so easy that it’s detrimental.
We no longer need to hunt, gather, expose ourselves to the outdoors, fight or flee to survive, and rarely are we ever truly starving. Virtually everything our ancestors struggled for is now readily accessible to us. We’ve taken complete advantage of our ingenuity, and shifted away from the necessity to actively survive. Our bodies are inadequately challenged and our health is paying the price. The environment we built to serve our desires for comfort is failing to challenge our original programming past down from our ancestors. The stressors that made our species thrive are no longer applicable. We basically live in a zoo of our own creation.
If we wish to optimize our health we’re going to have to get out of the zoo and back into the jungle. This isn’t to say that we need to go live in a tree, but that we need to reintroduce ourselves to a little bit of discomfort. Everyone from Ancestral Health enthusiasts to Exercise Scientists understand that challenging the body in almost any form makes us stronger individuals — both in body and mind. We need to add some adversity back into our lives. Physically challenge our bodies by engaging in activities that push us to move in different ways. Expose ourselves to some of the elements by sweating in the sun or catching a chill from the ocean. In a sense, adversity nourishes the resiliency we once had, and without it, we will surely lose. It may be unpleasant to get started, but in the long run we’ll be better off.
65. emotions are just a gauge
The emotions we feel serve as a gauge for what is happening in our life, not as a guiding light. Just like the gauges on your Uber drivers dashboard allow us to know how fast we’re going, how hot the engine is running, and how far we’ve traveled. Emotions are feedback from the situations we find ourselves in, letting us know that things things are or aren’t working out well. However, it is a mistake to blindly let emotions dictate your responses to those situations.
There is a protocol pilots know about when they’re in flight called “flying on instruments,” which basically means the visibility outside the plane is so low — due to fog or various other types of inclement weather — that the only way to continue flying is to rely on the instrument panel they have directly in from of them, instead of a clear line of sight. By doing this, a pilot surrenders a certain amount of control over the situation to what the instruments are telling him. Emotions arise in a “stormy” situation, just like the need to “fly on instruments” during inclement weather. But, when you let emotions take over, you can’t clearly see the situation for what it is. You relinquish the control you have over choosing to objectively see how things are impacting your path forward, blindly letting your emotions control your way forward, just like the pilot on a stormy night.
You don’t blame the air speed indicator for how fast or slow you’re cruising through the air. You know the speed you’re traveling is controlled by how much pressure you give to the handles providing the thrust. You don’t blame the fuel indicator for running out of gas. You know you need to put in a certain amount of fuel to get you to go where you need to go, or you’d fall out of the sky! The gauges are like emotions. They simply let us know how things are going.
Letting your emotions run the show is akin to flying on instruments, also known as “flying blind.” It’s a reaction to the moment you find yourself in, but it’s very hard to land a plane successfully. That storm of emotion doesn’t always allow you to make the best decisions. It’s easier to fly on a clear day because clarity in action allows us to see the best route forward.
Allowing the emotions that arise from getting flipped off in traffic or being reprimanded for poor work performance should not serve as a guide to your next action, but to gauge that your actions aren’t in line with what you should be doing. Letting anger, shame, resentment, embarrassment, etc. dictate the response to a situation is equivalent to trying to land a plane blindfolded. You’re blaming the symptom for the root cause of the problem when it could simply be that you’re actually a terrible driver or aren’t as productive at work as you think you are.
It’s a difficult matter to confront, but we all need to be check from time to time, because that is how we grow. Besides, isn’t that better information? Choosing to be offended because someone nonverbally suggested that you’re a bad driver is insignificant to the actual understanding that you many actually drive like shit. Choosing to resent your boss for bringing up that you failed to hit you numbers is irrelevant to the understanding that you are in control of your performance. The former state of mind keep you where you are, while the latter enables you to grow.
This is why emotional awareness is key on your journey to becoming the person you wish to be. Allowing the feelings that come up during any given situation to dictate your response is only going to keep you a slave to those emotions. All experiences are learning experiences. Learning to let those emotion serve as a gauge that something needs to change, instead of a green light for your first thought of action, will produce a much more powerful outcome.
64. excuses
We all want something different, yet we’re too scared to try. Instead of facing fears that allow us to become who we want to be, we insist on making excuses. The problem is, all excuses are valid. It’s a trap anyone can fall into. For example, I often hear “I want to lose weight, but I can’t eat like that” or “I wish I could look like that, but I don’t have the discipline to go to the gym.” While I appreciate the honesty, it’s really a bunch of bullshit. What these people fail to understand is that they are more interested in looking for a way out, than a way through. If you want something different, yet you are too afraid to do anything other than what you’re doing, you’ll never be able to achieve anything more than what you have.
They say things like:
“Oh, but Ryan, you don’t understand my situation.”
“Would love to eat better, but it costs too much money.”
“That sounds great, but there isn’t enough time for me to workout.”
“It must be nice to have great genetics.”
“Let me just get through today, so I can worry about that tomorrow.”
If you’re looking for excuses, the list is endless.
If you’re caught yourself making statements like these, you’re more attached to your excuses than you are committed to being deliberate and intentional about your life. A simple and fundamental law of life is: you get to keep what you defend. If you think you need a specific amount of money to start eating better, you’ll always find cheaper options and declining health. If you feel that you just aren’t disciplined enough to make room in your schedule to incorporate a small amount of daily exercise, you’ll always live a less than optimal life. If you believe it’s not possible to be a certain weight or look a certain way because your parents dealt you a bad genetics hand, you’ll continue to be that person. If your mindset is founded on excuses that keep you from moving forward, then you’ll always be where you are, but it’s okay because you’ll always have an excuse.
63. what is love?
The opposite of fear is love. To love is to be without fear on your unpredictable journey through is life. It is an indefatigable belief in whoever bears the object of your affection. That they will always show up for you, and never doubt who you aspire to be. Most of us gain our concept of love from our parents, but their methods of love may have been expressed more like fear than love. Their anxiety and worry could have held us back from trying new things because it meant we might take a different path or be something different than what was intended. In that sense, fear looks, feels, and sounds more like control. Love on the other hand, feels like unquenchable fulfillment. It is unconditional understanding and acceptance. It is a willingness to trust that, together, things will always work out. It is unconstrained and unbridled. Love is just “being” in the moment, with no past or future worries. It is freedom.
62. money isn’t freedom
People say they want freedom. To most, that means the ability to go and do whatever they want without the burden of having to worry about money. It sounds nice, but it doesn’t make you free. The thing is, money is like an ocean, it ebbs and flows. There will always be enough, but there is only a finite amount of things that can truly fulfill you, or love you back. Giving up on something you’re passionate about will never make the world a better place. Settling into a life where you have to trade what fulfills you for money will never make you free. Yes, you’ll have money to escape the life you chose, but wouldn’t it be better to build a life you don’t need an escape from? Freedom comes from finding something or someone you love, that fulfills you, and allows you to be You.
Freedom isn’t about what money can buy, it’s about the intangibles. It’s finding love, passion, support, fulfillment, and chemistry from something that you want to escape to, not from. Yes money can take you places, but it’s never going to get you closer to what you need. Finding that thing, or that person that delivers those intangible emotions with intensity is freedom. That is not to say we don’t need money to take care of things, but at what cost are we willing to “pay”? Staying in a situation that doesn’t make you happy, that isn’t working for you, that hasn’t worked in the past, or is causing you to miss out on something far more fulfilling for a chance to be financially stable isn’t freedom, it’s servitude. How long do you want to continue paying off a debt you don’t owe? It’s not easy, but it’s a choice. You want freedom? Find what you love, and never look back because the money will come.
61. stop complaining
It’s all about where you place your energy. If you are always thinking about how much you dislike something, you will be consumed by the complaints and negative thoughts. In doing so, you are not giving yourself the freedom to think about how to overcome the situation. It’s a spell that’s only broken by taking ownership of whatever it is that’s causing you to complain, choosing to see that you have the power to control where you place your energy, and understand that what the world is giving you is just a reflection of what you’re putting out. If it’s always complaining and negativity, you will continue to see the world as a victim. Whereas, if your energy is focused on creating a better world for yourself, then that is what the world will award you with.
It’s about where you place your energy. If you are always thinking about how much you dislike something, you will be consumed by the complaints and negative thoughts. In doing so, you are not giving yourself the freedom to think about how to overcome the situation. It’s a spell that’s only broken by taking ownership of whatever it is that’s causing you to complain, choosing to see that you have the power to control where you place your energy — into complaining or into overcoming, and understanding that what the world is giving you is just a reflection of what you’re putting out. If it’s always complaints and negativity, don’t be surprised if you continue to be a victim. But, if your energy is focused on creating a better world for yourself, then that is what the world will award you with.
I used to believe this line of thinking was bullshit, but the more I shift my energy, thoughts, and emotions toward what fulfills me, the more I feel I am able to achieve.
60. you never get today back
If you’re not careful, occasional enjoyments like watching Netflix can turn into a chronic activity that fills your free time. The result is a lost opportunity to take action towards the life you want to lead, the body you wish to have, or the person you need to become. By choosing idleness over effort, you fall slave to your weaker impulses. Spending time watching TV, or any wasteful activity, means less time exercising, reading, writing, or working on your dreams. You are exchanging your future fulfillment for temporary pleasure. There is nothing wrong with enjoying your free time, but if it is consistently taking the place of putting in the necessary effort to fulfill your dreams, you are effectively trading your future for entertainment. And Tiger King was not that good!
Be mindful that the habits you choose to live by should be built upon the person you wish to become, So, be sure to use the time you have to your advantage because you never get today back.
59. i hope you fail
Improvement in any endeavor is based on thousands of tiny failures. It is never easy, but it is necessary because the magnitude of your success is based on how many times you’ve failed. Wondering why you’re not as far along as the next person, is a waste of time, as that energy could be better utilized on creating your next opportunity. If someone is better than you, it’s because they have taken an opportunity, and failed more than you have. If someone is worse than you, it’s probably because they haven’t been through all the painful learning experiences you have.
I’ve failed plenty of times, but I can honestly say I’ve learned something from each opportunity that I taken. I have been saying I wanted to write for at least 10 years. I’ve started at least a dozen different blogs or websites over that time and failed every time. Either because I didn’t know what to write about, or I wasn’t getting the feedback I needed, or it just wasn’t good enough. All of that led me to the website I have now. Will it work this time? We’ll see. I hope it does, but if not, then I know the next one will be that much better.