This means subjecting our muscles to more mechanical tension over time.
The best way to subject our muscles to more mechanical tension is to add more weight to the bar for the same amount of reps.
For example, if one week you barbell squat 80kg for 3 sets of 5 reps.
Then next week if you squat 85kg for 3 sets of 5 reps you’ve subjected your muscles to more mechanical tension and thus your body will build muscle (hypertrophy) because of this.
The powerful signal of lifting progressively heavier weights acts as a stimulus for our bodies to build muscle.
And then next time we train, the recovered and newly built muscle can help us send an even more powerful muscle-building stimulus to our bodies by enabling us to lift even more weight. And again our bodies will build even more muscle. It’s hard and it’s tough, but it’s a virtuous cycle when done properly.
At the heart of this virtuous cycle is progressive overload.
Pump training is effectively training your body to get blood flow to your muscles. Pump training is most often achieved by lifting weights in the 10-12 rep range with short rest periods of a minute or less.
Training for the pump feels good and the pumps can make it look like you’ve built more muscle than you have for a short period, but over time if you don’t focus on getting stronger (progressive overload) your results will stagnate.
The Pump Should Be A Side Effect Of Proper Training
Subjecting your body to more mechanical tension requires you to contract your muscles under increasingly heavier loads.
This way you’ll build more muscle and your muscle will look fuller and denser than if you focused your workouts entirely around getting a pump.
The Mind Muscle Connection And The Pump
The good thing about getting a pump is that it helps you to build the mind-muscle connection.
More blood flow in your muscles can help them become easier to feel during your workouts and easier to contract.
To prove this point, next time you work out your arms (mainly your biceps and triceps) try tensing them during or slightly after your workout. And then the morning after try tensing your arms again.
You should find that it’s easier to contract your muscles during/ straight after your workout.
Why Pump Training Doesn’t Yield Good Results In The Long Run
Pump training merely focuses on getting blood flow into the muscles. This by itself does not cause muscle growth.
Applying more mechanical tension to your muscles (progressive overload) does cause muscle growth and that is what you need to be focusing on to see results.
This one study had two groups of adults perform 2 different types of resistance training.
1. Group one performed 4 sets of 10-12 reps (pump style training) with short 1 minute rest periods.
2. Group two performed 4 sets of 3-5 reps focusing on strength with 3 minute rest periods.
Each group trained for 8 weeks and the results found :
” It appears that high-intensity resistance training stimulates greater improvements in some measures of strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men during a short-term training period. “
Note: High-intensity training means using heavier weights. It also means using weights that are a greater percentage of your one-rep max ( the heaviest weight you can lift for one repetition).
So If you can bench press 100kg for a one-rep max. Performing sets with 90 kg means that you’re training at a higher intensity than if you were performing sets with 80kg.
The study clearly shows that strength training (lifting heavier weights for fewer reps and having longer rest periods) increases muscle mass and strength, especially when compared with higher rep pump training (training with higher reps and having short rest periods).
Why Having Longer Rest Periods Is Important For Better Muscle And Strength Gains
If your training consists of compound exercises like barbell squats, the bench press, overhead press and the deadlift (like it should) It makes sense to have longer rest periods of 3-5 minutes.
Having longer rest periods gives your muscles a chance to reduce fatigue before you perform your next heavy set or sets.
Whereas performing higher reps and having less rest in between your sets will increase the amount of lactic acid in your muscles and you’ll be more fatigued for your following sets which will result in you lifting the same amount of weight for fewer reps or even having to lower the weight all together.
Whereas if you just implemented longer rest periods to your training you wouldn’t have to lower the weight or reduce the number of reps you perform.
This is one of the reasons why the individuals in the study who lifted heavier weights for lower reps and implemented longer rest periods had better results.
The Most Muscular Guys And Gals Have Admirable Levels Of Strength
Everyone who has developed a decent amount of muscle mass has also developed an admirable level of strength.
Progressively overloading your muscles (getting stronger) is the best way to build muscle.
There Are Multiple Ways To Apply Progressive Overload To Your Training To Increase Muscle Size And Overall Strength
1. Lift more weight for the same amount of reps. (Linear progression)
2. Lift the same amount of weight for more reps then add weight when you hit the top range of your rep target e.g working in the 4-6 rep range (double progression).
1. Use better form with the same weight for the same number of reps. When the weight feels easy, add weight to the bar or use heavier dumbells. ( A more subjective and intuitive way of applying progressive overload to your training).
Real-Life Examples Of The Different Ways To Progressively Overload Your Muscles
Example 1 ( Linear Progression)
Here’s an example of using linear progression to get stronger at barbell squats (all examples are for barbell squats):
Week 1
Set 1 80kg x 5 reps
Set 2 80kg x 5 reps
Set 3 80kg x 5 reps
Week 2
Set 1 85kg x 5 reps
Set 2 85kg x 5 reps
set 3 85kg x 5 reps
Week 3
Set 1 90kg x 5 reps
Set 2 90kg x 5 reps
Set 3 90kg x 5 reps
Example 2 (Double Progression)
Week 1
Set 1 80kg x 6 reps
Set 2 85kg x 4 reps
Set 3 85kg x 4 reps
Week 2
Set 1 85kg x 5 reps
Set 2 85kg x 5 reps
Set 3 85kg x4 reps
Week 3
Set 1 85kg x 6 reps
Set 2 90kg x 4 reps
Set 3 90kg x 4 reps
Example 3
This way of progressive overload is quite subjective. If one week you’re squatting 80kg for 5 reps and it seems hard. But the week after you are squatting 80kg for 5 or more reps and your form is pretty much perfect and the weight feels easy then progressive overload has occurred and you’re ready to either increase the number of reps you perform or the weight you’re lifting.
What Comes First Muscle Or Strength
When you lift sufficiently heavy weights you provide your body with a stimulus to build muscle.
When you leave the gym and focus on proper recovery, your body will adapt and you’ll build muscle.
The recovered bigger and stronger muscles cause you to display greater levels of strength in your next workouts.
So in fact the strength comes second to the muscle we’ve built. It’s the mixture of progressively lifting sufficiently heavy weights, utilizing proper recovery methods and nutrition that helps us to build muscle in the long run.
These are the laws of muscle growth and if anyone deviates from these methods be very sceptical.
Rep Ranges And Muscle Growth
Just because I’ve mentioned lower rep training doesn’t mean that I think it’s superior to higher rep training.
You can build muscle using higher and lower rep ranges so long as you’re utilizing progressive overload, performing an equal amount of sets and putting in a comparable amount of effort.
But just focusing on getting the blood flow into your muscles without emphasizing progressive overload is missing the forest for the trees.
The Bottom Line On How Important Is Getting A Pump For Building Muscle?
Getting a pump really isn’t that important for building muscle. If you’re following a properly structured strength training program, getting a pump will be the side effect of performing and getting stronger at the exercises within your workout plan.
As long as you’re getting stronger in your workouts you don’t need to worry about training solely for the pump.
The 12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson has sold 5 million copies. And for a good reason. Jordan’s advice is helpful.
The reason it’s helpful is because Jordan Peterson is a clinical psychologist and he’s worked with many people to help improve their psychological well being.
We all have a psyche, and if any advice can help us improve our lives I think we should take heed.
For the rest of this article, I’ll be summarising the 12 rules for life as concisely as I can.
Rule 1. Stand Up Straight With Your Shoulders Back
Jordan puts forward the point that to stand up straight with your shoulders back is to face the world in a courageous manner.
Whereas being hunched over is a sign of defeat and helplessness symbolic of a prey animal.
Jordan gives the example of lobsters having a fight, and explains the different outcomes.
For example, a lobster who wins a fight has higher levels of the feel-good neurotransmitter chemical serotonin.
Because of this the winning lobster develops a confident yet aggressive stance and goes on to win more fights.
Thereby climbing up the lobster hierarchy ( the lobster world). And becoming more attractive to female mates.
Whereas the defeated lobster has lowered levels of serotonin, is likely to lose future fights and lives a wretched existence.
Even when free moving lobsters are injected with serotonin they develop more aggressive and confident postures similar to animals.
The bottom line of this rule is if we develop a good posture by standing straight with our shoulders back. We face the world in an optimistic and courageous manner.
To quote an interesting study that was done on 74 participants who developed an upright or a slumped posture. During the experiment the results found:
” Adopting an upright seated posture in the face of stress can maintain self-esteem, reduce negative mood, and increase positive mood compared to a slumped posture. Furthermore, sitting upright increases rate of speech and reduces self-focus. Sitting upright may be a simple behavioral strategy to help build resilience to stress. The research is consistent with embodied cognition theories that muscular and autonomic states influence emotional responding. “
The Reason Jordan compares lobsters to humans is because like us lobsters exist in hierarchies and have a nervous system that adapts to status.
The higher the lobster climbs the hierarchy, the more the brain makes serotonin available.
Rule 2 – Treat Yourself Like Someone You Are Responsible For Helping
In this rule, it basically means if you were someone else, and you were responsible for helping the person that is you. How would you go about it?
Obviously, there’s no simple answer for this. But there are general things that can improve our lives no matter what.
Some things include:
Eating a healthy & nutritious diet.
Exercising multiple times per week.
Getting a good amount of sleep.
Reading 30 minutes per day.
Improving in our careers through hard work.
Not smoking.
Not drinking alcohol in excess.
Why We Care About Others More Than Ourselves
Jordan gives the example of someone with a sick dog, the individual would need to feed the dog medication so it can get better. Apparently, most people would do this no questions asked.
But when it comes to looking after ourselves, we don’t fare so well. Many people neglect things that help them and instead replace healthy productive behaviours with unhelpful ones.
Why is it that some people would devote themselves to others ( and even animals) yet neglect themselves?
Why We Should All Treat Ourselves Like Someone We Are Responsible For Helping
When we help ourselves to become healthier, stronger and better individuals, we in turn help others become better as well.
There are a few different ways we can do this:
If we help ourselves and set a good example others may follow, and without knowing it we might just help them to improve their own lives.
If we help rather than denigrate ourselves we’ll be happier individuals. Thereby becoming a nicer more pleasant person to be around. Who knows your presence might make someone’s day better.
If we help ourselves we’ll become more productive individuals. This will help us take a step closer to our realised selves, and hopefully, improve the world for others.
When we treat ourselves like someone we are responsible for helping, we make better decisions for ourselves and in the long run, these decisions improve our lives.
Rule 3 – Make Friends With People Who Want The Best For You
At the heart of this rule, we need to have friends who want the best for us.
For example, if you’re trying to quit smoking because you know how bad the long term implications of smoking are and your friend knows you’re trying to quit, yet offers you a cigarette. That friend does not want the best for you.
Or if a friend becomes spiteful when you start to do well, that’s another red flag.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that if a friend is going through a difficult time in their life and isn’t exactly a positive influence (which is understandable), to kick them when they’re down.
We should be the type of friend that we’d like to have. But if a proposed friend takes more than he or she gives and doesn’t, necessarily want the best for you, find new friends. There’s plenty of people out there.
This rule also applies to family members and associates throughout our lives. Not everyone wants the best for us (sorry for sounding sceptical) in fact some people want you and me to fail.
But there is a subset of people that want you to succeed as well and I promise they are out there if you look hard enough.
And going back to the second rule, psychologically sometimes we don’t want the best for ourselves.
When we engage in unhealthy behaviours and avoid the important things we ought to do. Self-sabotage is real.
But if we can make friends with people who want the best for us and if we can treat ourselves like someone we’re responsible for helping. Life can work for us rather than against us.
Rule 4 – Compare Yourself with Who You Were Yesterday, Not With Who Someone Else Is Today
The Entrepreneur and Investor Naval Ravikant Says:
” One day, I realized with all these people I was jealous of, I couldn’t just choose little aspects of their life. I couldn’t say I want his body, I want her money, I want his personality. You have to be that person. Do you want to actually be that person with all of their reactions, their desires, their family, their happiness level, their outlook on life, their self-image? If you’re not willing to do a wholesale, 24/7, 100% swap with who that person is, then there is no point in being jealous. “
Comparing ourselves to others is completely futile.
When we compare ourselves to others we see only one perspective of their life, not the truth.
For example, In fitness, it takes a long time to get the physique of a fitness model ( roughly 3-5 years).
But if at the very beginning of your journey you’re comparing yourself to individuals who have been training for 5, 10, or even 20 years, then the journey can seem overwhelming.
Instead of comparing yourself to others focus on the process and improving just a little bit every day.
And even if we compare ourselves to a particular part of someone’s life whether that be their physique, wealth, car or whatever. Other parts of their lives may be in a neglected state.
For example, the wealthy individual might have very little family time and his relationships with his wife and kids may be neglected.
Car Jung Says:
” The shoe that fits one person pinches another ; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.”
Why would we compare ourselves to others when we’re all different?
All we can do is focus on improving ourselves one day at a time.
And each day we make progress toward our goals should provide enough motivation for making more progress tomorrow.
Rule 5 – Do Not Let Your Children Do Anything That Makes You Dislike Them
I personally don’t have children. But what I get from this rule is don’t let your children do anything that makes you dislike them because it will sour your relationship with them and turn the parent’s and children’s lives into a sorry state of affairs.
Because if you allow your children to do things that make you dislike them. There’s a good chance other people dislike them as well.
And likeability is an important trait in order to get on life.
On the other hand, Jordan says if you allow your children to do things that make you like them and don’t let them do anything that makes you dislike them.
You’ll be able to turn your relationships with your children into something special to be cherished.
I suppose you could take this rule for people in general. If a trend or social custom that individuals engage in is ugly and bad for humanity as a whole call it out.
Or if a friend or family member is doing something that makes you dislike them, tell them your concerns in an open, but not condescending way.
As Marcus Aurelius puts it:
” If they’ve made a mistake, correct them gently and show them where they went wrong. If you can’t do that, then the blame lies with you. Or no one. “
Rule 6 – Set Your House In Perfect Order Before You Criticise The World
This isn’t the first time this pithy piece of wisdom has manifested itself.
Confucious said over 2000 years ago:
“Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbor’s roof when your own doorstep is unclean.”
Almost 2000 years ago Marcus Aurelius said:
“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.”
Think of the successful and effective people of this world. People like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Martin Luther King Junior etc.
It’s not what these people say that makes us look up to them, it’s what they do. And how they do it.
Complaining in general is a waste of mental energy. It doesn’t really achieve much especially when actions aren’t taken to resolve whatever you’re frustrated about in the first place.
Before we criticize the world we first must as Mahatma Gandhi says ” Be the change we wish to see in the world. ”
Rule 7 – Pursue What Is Meaningful (Not What Is Expedient)
Carl Jung said in the book Modern Man In Search Of A Soul:
“The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.”
To pursue what is meaningful is to as Viktor Frankl Says in Man’s search for meaning:
” To live is to suffer , to survive is to find meaning in the suffering. If there is a purpose in life at all then there must be a purpose in suffering and dying. But no man can tell another what this purpose is. Each must find out for himself and must accept the responsibility that his answer prescribes. If he succeeds he will continue to grow in spite of all indignities. Frankl is fond of quoting Nietzsche “he who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.”
One way Frankl prompts us to find meaning in the suffering is to ask ” why do you not commit suicide?”.
Everybody has some form of tragedy in their lives. No matter how rich or poor you are.
But in all of our lives, we have things to be grateful for. And things that make life bearable.
Some things that help me find meaning.
Spending time with family and friends.
Reading, learning for its own sake.
Writing, I also like doing it for its own sake and I always learn more about whatever I write about.
Working out, getting stronger and seeing your body change in a good way is cool.
Watching/playing sport, playing is always enjoyable and watching athletes of the highest level is fun and inspiring.
Walking in nature.
Helping others.
Eating and cooking good food.
Everyone can find meaning in their lives in different ways. So try and pay attention to the things that you enjoy (the things that make life worth living).
Rule 8 – Tell The Truth – Or At Least Don’t Lie
For me, this is probably the most important rule. Honesty is a virtue worthy of respect. To lie is to go against yourself.
For me, I just can’t lie. It makes me feel bad. And if we get into the habit of lying to others, we get into the habit of lying to ourselves. Which can make life more complicated than it needs to be.
The key is to be an honest person. This way we can live life how we genuinely want to live it. Being an honest person also helps us to build and maintain relationships with others becasuse no one likes a lier.
Jordan also mentions that we can’t know the absolute truth about everything all the time, there’s just too much to know and the world is too complex.
But we all have the ability to not tell a lie.
What Jordan proposes we do is:
Not say or write things we intentionally know are false.
Think of getting on in the world like following a map. If your map is full of lies and is incorrect you won’t get to your destination.
Whereas if the map is based on truth and is made correctly and honestly you’ll get to your destination.
Being an honest person above all knows him/ her self. And can make decisions and act accordingly to their honest values and self.
In Stoicism honesty is one of the four greatest virtues that Marcus Aurelius practised.
Also, one of the 13 Virtues that founding father and polymath Benjamin Franklin practised was Sincerity.
Practising the virtue of sincerity is defined as:
” Sincerity is the virtue of one who communicates and acts in accordance with the entirety of their feelings, beliefs, thoughts, and desires in a manner that is honest and genuine. “
Jordan says that telling lies is dangerous and he wholeheartedly advises against telling them.
Rule 9 – Assume That The Person You Are Listening To Might Know Something You Don’t
What I take away from this rule is:
Learn what you can from others.
In general, we should be humble individuals willing to learn. And as we go through this life we should learn from the people we meet. Chances are they probably know things that we don’t.
In the book, Reinvent Yourself by James Altucher he says to become remarkable in any field, you should read 500 books on a subject or have one great mentor.
We never know what we can learn from the people we meet. And that’s why it’s important we keep our ears wide open and be generally interested in people.
If we can stay, humble, and curious and can become good listeners we can learn a lot from other individuals.
Marcus Aurelius the Roman Emperor in his outstanding book Meditations says:
“Practice really hearing what people say. Do your best to get inside their minds”.
And if we’re doing things in an inefficient way that we could do better, it’s best to listen to the experts so that we can take their advice and improve.
We should also listen to enemies/competitors because unlike our friends, enemies/ competitors don’t care about our feelings so there’s no filter with them, and they’ll tell us some important things about ourselves that may be harsh but true that our friends are too nice to say.
I remember when I first started this website, I emailed Andy Morgan from rippedbody.com and told him I’d recommended his books (the muscle and strength pyramids) on my website.
And he got back to me, grateful of course that I recommended his books. But he also gave me some helpful criticism on some of the not so good things I was doing on my website.
But he also gave me tangible tips on how I could improve my website.
And I gladly listened to his advice and took it on board.
Always Learn What You Can From Others, Even If It Shatters Your Previous Paradigms (Mental Models).
Rule 10 – Be Precise In Your Speech
Carl Jung said in the book Modern Man In Search Of A Soul:
” It is probable that one form of neurosis is conditioned by the predominance of secrets, and another by the predominance of restrained emotions. “
To get where we want to go in life, we must describe what it is we’re feeling, what problems we have and where it is we want to go.
Only then when we have a clear view of the problem and the solution can we develop a clear plan on how to resolve it so that it ceases to be a problem.
Socrates said:
“The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms”.
The key is to capture whatever it is we want to say in a precise and truthful way. So that we can Say What We Mean And Mean What We Say.
The more we read and actually understand each word as fully as we can. The more we can be precise with what we’re saying. And the more precise we can articulate ourselves the easier it will be to get on in this world.
Rule 11 – Do Not Bother Children When They Are Skate-Boarding
Carl Jung said in his book modern man in search of a soul:
“Man is completely human only when he is playing “.
Most of life’s joy and happiness comes from what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defines as being in a flow state.
Mihaly says in his best selling book flow:
” The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. “
This rule essentially means we need to immerse ourselves in activities that push us to get into that flow state.
I remember when I was a kid, I used to ride a BMX and me and my friends at the time would try to master different tricks for hours each day we went to the skatepark.
Time goes by so quickly when you’re in this flow state.
Essentially this flow state that I’m referring to is one that athletes, composures, and artists immerse themselves in.
A lot of happiness comes from activities that help us enter this flow state.
For children to do difficult, courageous and sometimes dangerous things like skateboarding requires them to be in a flow state.
We should encourage children to do difficult and hard things that push their abilities and fully immerse them in consciousness.
We should also try our best to immerse ourselves in this flow state as much as possible in our daily lives.
Being in the flow state is part of why I write this blog, why I read books, and work out at the gym. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi proposes that being in the flow state is the key to happiness.
The more we’re engaged in activities that get us into a flow state the better our lives will be.
Rule 12 – Pet A Cat When You Encounter One On The Street
This rule essentially means:
We need to pay attention to things in our lives that are good for the soul.
This could mean petting your cat, or dog, or even just enjoying nature in general by going for a walk.
For example, in the book, Man’s Search For Meaning By Viktor Frankl (which is essentially about Viktor’s experiences in a concentration camp) Viktor would pay special attention to the beautiful sky at the crack of dawn and be in general awe of the beauty of nature during some of the most horrendous experiences you could imagine.
On the front cover of the book theres a beautiful robin amidst the suffering of a concentration camp.
Which carries an important message:
Essentially life is suffering and we must pay attention to the things that make it worthwhile.
My Favourite Jordan Peterson Quotes
“We experience much of our positive emotions in relation to goals. We are not happy, technically speaking, unless we see ourselves progressing. And the very idea of progression implies value.”
” We must have something to set against the suffering that is intrinsic to being.”
“Dominance Hierarchies have been an essentially permanent feature to which all life has adapted.”
” If you present yourself as defeated, then people will react to you as if you are losing. If you start to straighten up people will look and treat you differently.”
” How could the nature of man ever reach its full potential without challenge and danger? “
Each of us should ask ourselves:
“ What might my life look like if I was caring for myself properly?”
On helping someone who doesn’t want to be helped:
“Maybe instead of continuing our friendship I should just go off somewhere, get my act together, and lead by example.”
On the importance of gratitude in our daily lives:
“Gratitude is great protection over the dangers of victimhood and resentment.”
“The past Is fixed but the future- it could be better by some precise amount. The amount that can be achieved within a day with some minimal engagement. The present is eternally flawed. But where you start isn’t important as where you are heading. “Perhaps happiness is always to be found in the journey uphill, and not in the fleeting sense of satisfaction awaiting at the next peak” much of happiness is hope no matter how deep the underworld in which that hope was conceived. “
The importance of the rules of religion and virtues to achieve our goals:
“You cannot aim yourself at anything if you are completely undisciplined and untutored.”
On the importance of being present:
“Take therefore no thought for tomorrow. For tomorrow shall take thought for things of itself.” – Jordon quotes Matthew 6:34 The Bible.
On the importance of discipline in parenthood:
” Nature and society will punish in a draconian manner whatever errors of childhood behaviour remain uncorrected if the parent Forgo’s discipline. “
On the importance of delaying instant gratification:
” That something better might be attained in the future by giving up something of value in the present.”
“There is little difference between sacrifice and work.”
” The successful among us delay gratification. “
The Bottom Line On 12 Rules For Life By Jordan Peterson
Jordan Peterson’s work ( especially his lectures and his books) provides pithy nuggets of wisdom. His reading list has also changed the way I look at the world. I highly recommend you read the 12 rules for life. And listen to Jordan’s lectures. I always come away with something.
Eating a diet high in added sugar is definitely not the best for you. Added sugar is nutritionally bankrupt. So eating lots of this sweet nutrient can result in nutrient deficiencies, and impact your health negatively. But can sugar cause anxiety? That’s what I’ll be addressing in this article.
Eating a diet full of whole foods is one of the most important things you can do for your health. When you swap out the whole foods for the added sugars, your health can suffer and if your health suffers, that can take its toll on you and cause anxiety (anxiety, and health anxiety).
What Do The Facts Say?
A 2017 study where data was collected on 23,245 people showed that men who had a higher sugar intake had a 23% greater chance of developing common mental disorders after 5 years. These common mental disorders include anxiety and depressive disorders.
Another study that was done in 2019 on 1128 adults shows that diets that are higher in refined sugars and saturated fat were associated with higher levels of anxiety in individuals.
There was a meta-analysis ( a study of studies) of 23 studies. And this study was made up of children, some normal and healthy and some healthy but autistic, and they ingested either sugar or a placebo (which was aspartame). The children and researchers were unaware of what they were given.
The results found that:
” The meta-analytic synthesis of the studies to date found that sugar does not affect the behaviour or cognitive performance of children.”
So the belief in sugar rushes and crashes isn’t as clear as commonly thought. Sugar rushes and crashes rarely affect the generally healthy individual. But they could indicate that an individual is pre-diabetic or diabetic.
You Shouldn’t Have To Worry About Sugar Too Much Unless Intake Is Excessive
Eating too much added sugar can leave you swapping healthy foods for less healthy foods. But unless this is taken to the extreme ( eating the majority of your diet from added sugars) then it shouldn’t cause you a problem.
Sugar And Obesity
This study which was conducted by the sugar bureau, shows:
” Evidence showed that higher intakes of sugar were related to leanness, not obesity, and had no detrimental effects on micronutrient intakes in most people.”
Sugar isn’t the main cause of obesity. Eating too many calories is. But many high-calorie foods that are more likely to result in overeating and weight gain are made up of sugar and fat.
These foods include:
Donuts.
Cakes.
Twinkies
Biscuits
Chocolate
Other popular desserts
Although the evidence suggests that eating sugar isn’t associated with obesity. It can definitely be one of the factors causing obesity if you were to regularly overeat foods like the ones above.
Obesity And Anxiety
If high-calorie foods like the ones above are consumed excessively they can quite easily result in weight gain.
And studies show ” a moderate level of evidence exists for a positive association between obesity and anxiety disorders “.
Soft drinks are also very high in calories and if drank in excess alongside the aforementioned high-calorie foods and an excessive amount of dietary fat, can also cause obesity ( if you eat more calories than you burn). Which can inherently cause feelings of anxiety.
Because how we feel and look can affect how we think about ourselves. And feeling unhealthy and unhappy with our appearance can definitely impact our mental health negatively.
Limits For Sugar Intake To Avoid Any Issues
You have no need to worry about your added sugar intake and any issues. So long as you consume it as part of a nutritious diet.
A good rule of thumb is to limit added sugar to around 10-20% of your diet.
This way your diet will be mostly made up of 80-90% of nutritious whole foods.
And if your diet is mostly made up of nutritious whole foods, then this amount of sugar won’t leave you nutrient deficient. Because most of your calories will be coming from nutrient-dense foods.
The Difference Between Sugar From Fruit And Added Sugar
Added sugar includes things like table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, these are not the only types of added sugar but they are some of the most common types.
Chemically speaking the sugar from an apple and the sugar from a mars bar isn’t different.
But the fruit contains much more micronutrients ( vitamins and minerals ) compared to the mars bar.
And that’s why most of your sugar intake should come from fruit. It’s also very hard to overeat and gain weight eating fruit whereas it’s much easier to gain weight eating chocolate, desserts, candy, and drinking sugary soft drinks. And if weight gain occurs and health suffers this can cause anxiety.
There was a study conducted by the University of Hawaii which included an extensive review of the literature on sugar and found:
“It is important to state at the outset that there is no direct connection between added sugars intake and obesity unless excessive consumption of sugar-containing beverages and foods leads to energy imbalance and the resultant weight gain.”
So Can Sugar Cause Anxiety?
There’s definitely a correlation between a diet high in added sugar ( and just a poor diet in general) and anxiety. There’s also evidence to suggest that obesity can cause anxiety.
Although as part of a healthy diet, added sugar is unlikely to be a problem for you. If you overconsume added sugar and eat too many calories resulting in weight gain, this could lead to feelings of anxiety.
Added sugar isn’t nutritious. And eating a poor diet that includes lots of added sugar, and other nutritionally bankrupt foods isn’t going to be great for your health.
And if your health isn’t as good as it could be you could easily develop feelings of anxiety.
So yes, in a scenario when someone eats a poor diet regularly including high amounts of added sugars and saturated fats and eats very few or even no nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables and also overeats.
They are likely to be unhealthier, lack important nutrients and feel uncomfortable at a higher body fat percentage which can lead to feelings of anxiety.
But if you eat a diet that includes 80-90% of whole foods and include added sugar in moderation and also exercise a few times per week.
Then consuming added sugar is not very likely at all to affect you in any way.
The Bottom Line On Can Sugar Cause Anxiety? Here Are The Cold Hard Facts
Sugar is unlikely to cause anxiety when consumed as part of a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.
Sugar is likely to cause anxiety if you’re overeating in general, eating too much added sugar, not eating enough nutritious whole foods and have a sedentary lifestyle resulting in weight gain and diminished health.
Did you enjoy this article? Let me know in the comments below.
In the Little Black Book Of Workout Motivation By Mike Matthews, he advocates that every Monday you should take a cold shower to get out of your comfort zone. Following this challenge, I took a cold shower every week for 3 months and here are the benefits.
1. They Increase Wakefulness And Reinvigorate You
The science on cold showers indicates that they don’t do anything special.
But the cold showers definitely shocked my body into waking up. Because the water was so cold ( the lowest setting on the dial) it resulted in me deep breathing which left me feeling awake, invigorated and full of energy.
The cold water also constricts your blood vessels and causes blood to move to your organs to keep them warm.
If you have a cold shower then a warm shower alternating between the two you can improve your circulation.
Because heat opens up your blood vessels and promotes blood flow. Heat also helps sore and tightened muscles relax.
If you alternate between the two you’ll get the best of both worlds.
2. They Teach You How To Do Hard Things
If left to our own devices jumping into an Ice cold shower would be something that we have an inherent dislike for.
The reason being is that it’s hard and uncomfortable.
But having cold showers is one way to force ourselves to do hard things even though we don’t want to.
And this can help with many things.
Because many activities that are hard but can also improve our lives are inherently uncomfortable.
Such as:
Working out (it’s hard and uncomfortable).
Working on a project that needs your best effort ( it’s hard and uncomfortable).
Reading books (especially harder to read books such as classics).
Building a good life for yourself and your family (obviously no easy task).
To achieve many important goals, and build the lives we want at times will require the ability to do hard and uncomfortable things even when we don’t want to. Cold showers are good for training this ability.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, ” Nothing worth having comes easy”.
And if we can train ourselves to do hard and uncomfortable things, when we face hard and uncomfortable problems in our lives we’ll be better prepared for them.
3. They Can Help You Breath More Deeply
During our hectic lives, most of us don’t really focus on our breathing. It’s easy for our breathing to go unnoticed because it’s automatic, so why should we focus on it?
But not breathing deeply is a big mistake. The good thing about cold exposure is that it stimulates your body to take deeper breaths, which decreases the levels of CO2 throughout your body and helps you to concentrate.
Whereas shallow breathing can trigger anxiety and cause dry mouth.
Different Civilazations And Cold Showers
Arguably the toughest soldiers in history, the Spartans had a disdain for hot water. They thought hot water was for the weak and unmanly. They would only use cold water.
There is a tradition in Finland where you first go into a sauna for several minutes and then cool off in an ice-cold lake.
Japanese people also have a ritual called Misogi. Where they effectively douse themselves in water under a waterfall.
Wim Hof’s Proposed Benefits Of Cold Showers
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard of Wim Hoff. He’s basically made cold exposure and deep breathing almost mainstream.
I agree with most of Wims proposed benefits of cold showers such as:
Reduced Stress levels
The nature of deep breathing when taking a cold shower can definitely lower the stresses in our daily lives.
Deep breathing has been found to do this on its own. But due to the uncomfortable nature of cold showers, they can make normal life seem quite nice in comparison.
Higher Level Of Alertness
There’s no doubt about this one. Taking a cold shower is an excellent way to wake up in the morning and increase your levels of alertness.
Increased willpower
Again, cold showers are hard and uncomfortable and if we can train ourselves to do hard and uncomfortable things when we don’t want to, the better our lives will be.
Other Claimed Benefits Of The Wim Hof Method
Stronger Immune Response
Essentially the Wim Hof Method Is just deep breathing with some cold exposure. There is a study on his site that indicates people who performed the Wim Hof method have a better immune response to pathogens.
This might be true or it might not be.
But I think the increase in immune response would be marginal compared to if you did things like:
Exercised Reguarly
Slept 7-9 hours per night
Limited alcohol intake
Reduced your stress levels
Ate a healthy diet
Yes, you could add the Wim Hoff method into your regimen as well. But focusing on breathing techniques and cold exposure without focusing on the fundamentals ( the list above) is putting the cart before the horse.
Weight Loss
Cold exposure probably does increase your metabolic rate ( how many calories you burn when you do nothing) but again it would be marginal.
Cold exposure is definitely not the main thing you want to focus on if you want to lose weight.
Here’s what you want to primarily focus on:
Eating in a calorie deficit ( eating fewer calories than you burn)
The book is just an elaborated version of the graduation speech.
Here are my 5 Takeaways:
1. Nothing can replace the strength and comfort of one’s faith, but sometimes the simple act of making your bed can give you the lift you need to start your day and provide you the satisfaction to end it right. If you want to change your life and maybe the world—start off by making your bed!
In order to do the big things in life right, it’s best to start with the small things. The simple task of making your bed ensures that you start your day with one completed task.
And performing this simple task over and over again creates discipline. And discipline can help you achieve many things in life.
Making your bed is a small task. But it’ll ensure you start your day in a satisfied and disciplined manner. So as William says, If you want to change the world start by making your bed.
And hopefully, this one completed task to start your day can trigger a chain reaction of other completed tasks throughout the rest of your day. But if not, no need to despair, you’d have come home to a made bed.
2. ” No SEAL could make it through combat alone and by extension, you needed people in your life to help you through the difficult times. “
Benjamin Franklin once said, ” Man is a sociable being ” and I believe it’s true. Isolation is dangerous and we must try our best to help and serve others.
Think about it, the self-made man is utter hogwash. Histories greatest figures had mentors and teachers to help them fulfill their greatest ambitions.
For example:
Alexander the great was mentored by Aristotle.
Mark Zukerburg was mentored by Steve Jobbs.
Bill Gates was mentored by Warren Buffet.
Kanye West was mentored by Jay Z.
Harry Potter was mentored by Albus Dumbeldore (fictionally speaking).
As Aristotle says ” society precedes the individual “. Humans need other humans to get on in this world. Man cannot get very far in this life alone.
William also says in his book:
” You cannot paddle the boat alone. Find someone to share your life with. Make as many friends as possible, and never forget that your success depends on others. “
I believe this is true. Because by being a positive influence and helping others, we also help ourselves.
As Benjamin Franklin said in his biography:
” To pour forth benefits for the common good is divine “.
3. ” Sometimes no matter how hard you try, no matter how good you are, you still end up as a sugar cookie. Don’t complain. Don’t blame it on your misfortune. Stand tall, look to the future, and drive on. “
In navy seal training if a recruit doesn’t make their bed or sort their uniform out up to certain standards ( basically perfection) some recruits become sugar cookies.
In the United States military, a sugar cookie is when a recruit runs into the ocean and then rolls around in the white sand becoming covered from head to toe with sand. Resulting in the recruit looking like a cookie covered in sugar.
But no matter how well a recruit made their bed, wore their uniform or prepared their equipment, recruits would be chosen as sugar cookies anyway, just to wear them down physically and mentally.
In life, we all become sugar cookies. Unfortunate things happen to us when we don’t deserve it, but that’s just the way life is.
But we have 2 options:
We can complain about the undesirable things that have happened to us and blame our misfortune on others.
Or we can take responsibility, and try to do our best in any given situation. We can do this by focusing on what we can control, and developing an optimistic outlook.
In my opinion and from experience, the first option is virtually useless. The second is far more effective.
4. ” Life is a struggle and the potential for failure is ever-present, but those who live in fear of failure, or hardship, or embarrassment will never achieve their potential. Without pushing your limits, without occasionally sliding down the rope headfirst, without daring greatly, you will never know what is truly possible in your life. “
The more you fail the more likely you are to succeed.
In order to succeed you need to at least try. There’s no success without effort, that’s a given.
In order for us to realise our full potential, we must first dare greatly, only then can we see what’s truly possible in our lives.
Remember : Who dares greatly wins.
5. ” In life you will face a lot of Circuses. You will pay for your failures. But, if you persevere, if you let those failures teach you and strengthen you, then you will be prepared to handle life’s toughest moments. “
The German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said ” That which does not kill us makes us stronger.“
If we can look at the hardest moments in our lives and face them head-on with optimism and courage, then these hard moments can forge our character and our will, so that we can deal with life’s hardest moments.
Just like weightlifting can make our muscles grow bigger and stronger, overcoming difficult situations can help us build ever greater mental fortitude, and can help us become more resilient.
Some More Takeaways From Make Your Bed By William H. McRaven
” Remember … start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone. Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if you take some risks, step up when times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden, and never, ever give up—if you do these things, then you can change your life for the better … and maybe the world! “
” Life is full of difficult times. But someone out there always has it worse than you do. If you fill your days with pity, sorrowful for the way you have been treated, bemoaning your lot in life, blaming your circumstances on someone or something else, then life will be long and hard. If, on the other hand, you refuse to give up on your dreams, stand tall and strong against the odds—then life will be what you make of it—and you can make it great. “
” At some point we will all confront a dark moment in life. If not the passing of a loved one, then something else that crushes your spirit and leaves you wondering about your future. In that dark moment, reach deep inside yourself and be your very best. “
The Bottom Line On Make Your Bed By William H. McRaven
This book provides practical advice on how to get through life, from a military veteran with 37 years of experience, who served in some of the most difficult operations in military history.
If this advice has served an extremely successful military veteran well during his life. It can definitely help you and me navigate this complex world.
Have you read Make Your Bed By William H McRaven? If you have, let me know what you thought of it in the comments below.
In this article, I’m going to be giving you my best tips on how to track your workouts in the most effective way possible.
Because without tracking your workouts ( and improving on them) you won’t’ make any substantial long term progress in the gym, it’s as simple as that.
In order to develop a more muscular physique, it’s important to build strength. This is called progressive overload.
Without progressive overload, your body stays the same. There must be a stimulus for growth to occur because your body needs a good reason to change.
If you don’t track your workouts it’s impossible to know if progressive overload is occurring.
What To Use For A Workout Journal
Some people like to use a notepad or a purpose-made workout journal but it really doesn’t matter what you use. Because as long as you’re striving for progress in your workouts by getting stronger, any option will do.
For a long time, I’ve just used my notes app on my iPhone. There are also purpose-made apps such as the app strong which I’ve used before and found to be useful.
How I Journal My Workouts
I plan my training in 8-week cycles and after every 8 weeks, I have a week off from the gym. This is called a deload week. And it can be very productive for the next training cycle.
Every 8-week interval is called a training phase and typically I complete 6 training phases in a year.
I make my yearly training phase in advance on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet although you can also use google sheets.
And each week I track my workouts on the notes app on my iPhone. And every Sunday I add the week’s worth of workouts that I’ve completed to my spreadsheet.
An Example Of One Weeks Worth Of Workouts For A 3 day Push Pull Legs Program
Monday: Push Day
Barbell bench press 8-10 reps for 3 sets
Dumbbell shoulder press 8-10 reps for 3 sets
Dumbbell bench press 8-10 reps for 3 sets
Standing lateral raises 8 -10 reps for 3 sets
Cable crunches 8- 10 reps for 3 sets
Wednesday: Pull Day
Barbell deadlift or barbell row 8-10 reps for 3 sets
Seated cable row for 8-10 reps for 3 sets
Lat Pulldown for 8 -10 reps for 3 sets
Dumbbell row for 8-10 reps for 3 sets
Cable crunches 8-10 reps for 3 sets
Friday: Leg day
Barbell squat for 8 – 10 reps for 3 sets
Romanian deadlift or hamstring curls for 8 – 10 reps for 3 sets
Leg press for 8 -10 reps for 3 sets
Calf raises for 8 – 10 reps for 3 sets
Warm Up Sets
It’s very important to know that you must perform warm-up sets before you perform the first exercise of each workout.
For each workout warm-up for the first exercise only, although the push day is the only exception to this rule.
Monday ( Push workout) warm-up for the barbell bench press and shoulder press.
Wednesday ( Pull workout ) warm-up for the deadlift.
Friday ( Leg workout) warm-up for barbell squats.
Once you’ve warmed up for these compound exercises your muscles will have an increased blood flow and your body temperature will be higher which will reduce the risk of injury.
The reason you don’t have to warm up for the rest of the exercises in your workouts is because the compound exercises such as the barbell squat, deadlift, bench press and shoulder press target the muscle groups you’ll be using in the other exercises in the workout, thereby already warming them up. So its not necessary to warm them up again as they’ll already be warmed up.
A Simple Warm Up
Set 1 warm-up with 50% of your working weight for 12 reps.
Set 2 warm-up with 70% of your working weight for 4 reps
Set 3 warm-up with 90% of your working weight for 2 reps.
Next sets: perform with your working weights.
Here’s what your warm up sets might look like for barbell squats if your working weights were 100kg.
Set 1 50kg for 12 reps.
Set 2 70kg for 4 reps
Set 3 90kg for 2 reps.
Next sets 100kg for 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
How To Find Out Your Working Weights And Warm Up Set Numbers
All it takes to find your working weights is a bit of trial and error. I recommend starting off light. This way you won’t hurt yourself.
Once you’ve had a reasonable but conservative guess of your working weights you can calculate your percentages off that.
Alternatively, if you’re just starting to work out as a beginner or after a long lay off you can just start off using the bar for 3 warm-up sets of 12, and then you can add 2.5 or 5 kg for your working sets. And just work up from here.
How To Track Your Workouts An Example:
Here’s a 4-week example for progressing on barbell squats although you can use this method of progressing on all of the exercises in the example program.
Barbell Squats
Week 1
Warm up sets x 3
Set 1 – 100kg x 10
Set 2 105 kg x 8
Set 3 105 kg x 8
Week 2
Warm up sets x 3
Set 1 – 105kg x 9
Set 2 – 105kg x 8
Set 3 – 105 kg x 8
Week 3
Warm up sets x 3
Set 1 – 105kg x 9
Set 2 – 105kg x 9
Set 3 – 105 kg x 8
Week 4
Warm up sets x 3
Set 1 – 105kg x 9
Set 2 – 105kg x 9
Set 3 – 105kg x 9
Week 5
Warm up sets x 3
Set 1 – 105 kg x 10
Set 2 – 110 kg x 8
Set 3 – 110 kg x 8
The Truth About Tracking Your Workouts
There’s no one best system for tracking your workouts. The most important thing is that you know how much you’re lifting and improving on that, by doing things such as:
Increasing the number of reps you perform with the same weight.
Using better form with the same weight.
Lifting a heavier weight for the same number of reps.
Lifting the same amount of weight with shorter rest intervals between sets.
Using Google Sheets On Your Phone Or Tablet
One great way of tracking your workouts is to use the same principles as above but track your workouts on google sheets/ excel on a tablet or on your phone when you’re at the gym after each exercise.
Rest Intervals
For the example workout program above I recommend you have 2-3 minute rest periods in between sets. This way you’ll be able to give each set everything you’ve got without being extremely fatigued like you would in a circuit style workout program.
You can also update your workout journal on your app, notes on your phone, notepad or even a spreadsheet on your phone or tablet during these 2-3 minute rest intervals.
Add A Notes Section To Your Journal
This is optional. But it can definitely help to make notes on how you were feeling during your workouts and how they went. For example, if you were squatting and you feel like you didn’t squat low enough. You could make a note in your journal to squat lower next time.
Or if you felt like you were lifting the weight too fast and less controlled (thereby increasing the risk of injury) you could put ” slow tempo down so that my form is more controlled next time ” to get a better mind-muscle connection with the same weight and reduce the likelihood of injury.
Optional Addition To The Workout Journal
For me, it really helps to record my workouts when I can, and I recommend that you do it as well. More specifically try to record compound exercises like the barbell squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead press.
Because naturally compound exercises are more complex and watching your form on a video recording and improving your form when appropriate can help you perform exercises better and result in your workouts being more effective.
The Bottom Line On Hacking The Workout Journal: How to Track Your Workouts in The Most Effective Way Possible
Tracking your workouts is needed for you to make progress. Without tracking you won’t know if you’re improving. So whatever your method may be, make sure you track your workouts and focus on slow progression.
Theres no one best way of tracking your workouts. As long as your progressing from your previous workouts you’ll do well.
Simply just tracking your sets, reps, and how you’re feeling each workout and then trying to improve on yur previous numbers is a timeless way of tracking your workouts. It’ll never become out dated.
James Altucher is an author, podcaster entrepreneur and hedge fund manager. He’s also cofounded more than 20 companies and wrote 20 books. And in this article, I’ll be giving you my top takeaways from Reinvent Yourself.
Because James has experienced a lot of success in his life ( and some failures) I think you and I can all learn something from him.
Here are my top 5 takeaways from Reinvent Yourself.
1. ” When you compare, you despair. When you are humble, you learn. When you get curious, you get better. “
Theodore Roosevelt once said, ”Comparison is the thief of joy.” And it’s easy to see why. For example, if you’re overweight, unhealthy and have a long road ahead of you to get the body you desire.
Then comparing yourself to others who are already fit and healthy can be demoralising. You start to think of how long the road ahead is, and you start to doubt your ability to get there.
In the 12 rules for life by Jordan Peterson one of the rules is:
” Compare Yourself To Who You Were Yesterday, Not To Who Someone Else Is Today. “
If you develop this mindset, even making small steps towards your goals can provide you with motivation.
The trick is to make just a little bit of progress every day, and over time that progress adds up and eventually, you’ll achieve your goal.
Why It’s Important To Be Humble
If you’re humble you are without arrogance. And because you won’t embody arrogance you’ll be without ego and you’ll avoid many undesirable situations, that your ego might get you in.
For example, someone who isn’t humble might:
Not take helpful criticism on board.
Not see themselves and situations objectively because their ego clouds their judgement.
Put their needs ahead of the team or organisations needs thereby becoming less effective.
When one person becomes larger than the group or team the mutually desired outcome becomes thwarted.
In successful teams, groups and systems, each individual knows their job. And they work for the goal of the whole system.
A humble person will be able to :
Take helpful criticism and learn how things can be done better. Putting personal ego aside.
See themselves objectively and ask for the help of others when needed.
Sacrifice themselves for the system and the greater goal of the team.
This quote by Benjamin Franklin puts what I’m saying nicely
” Let this be a caution to not always hold your head so high. Stoop, young man ,stoop – as you go through this world – and you’ll miss many hard thumps”.
2. ” I keep telling my kids, if they want to learn to sing, or to tap dance, or draw manga comics, or to do anything, learn everything you can about all the masters in your field over the past 100 years. Learn all of their styles, learn how to mimic them, learn what influenced them. Be able to recognize them at a moment’s glance. And only then will you start to develop your own unique style, which you can only then begin to master. “
Sir Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants”.
If you and I wish to make progress in any given sphere we should learn from the best.
This way we’ll be able to make progress faster, and we’ll avoid many failures that others have already made before us.
This reminds me of Law 7 of the 48 laws of power:
Law 7: Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit – Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed.
3. ” Empowering others empowers you.”
I honestly believe the only way to get on in this world is through service and helping others.
This means to be a giver rather than a taker. And to do the right thing because people appreciate it, I know I do.
When you help others you help yourself, when you degrade others you degrade yourself.
Martin Luther King once said:
” Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. “
Selfishness and not being willing to help others is in fact a disservice to ourselves. But if we can help others we’ll flourish spiritually and economically.
If you set out to help others you’ll reinforce your reputation, and expand your possibility for opportunities.
4. ” Money is a side effect of trying to help others. Trying to solve problems. Trying to move beyond the “good enough.”
I believe that the more you and I can find different ways to help others. The more we can do better financially.
Generally, the people who are earning the most money, people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are providing the most value to others, and that’s why their net worth is so high.
Elon has multiple businesses such as Tesla, Tesla energy (formerly solar city) and Space X. Tesla was ranked as the best selling electrical vehicle manufacturer worldwide.
Elon is clearly providing value to others by manufacturing and selling good looking cars through Tesla that are more economically viable than diesel and petrol cars. And he’s being rewarded handsomely for it. His main focus with Tesla is to make electric cars become mainstream. Which ultimately will be better for the environment and the world.
And I won’t say any more about space x other than providing you with this pithy quote from Elon musks biography.
“Where Mark Zuckerberg wants to help you share baby photos, Musk wants to … well … save the human race from self-imposed or accidental annihilation. “
5. ” Blaming and complaining are draining. They never solve future problems and they only drain away energy from this moment. “
Blaming and complaining are some of the least productive things you and I can do.
Blaming others for our misfortunes doesn’t make the situation any better.
Complaining about how bad a situation is doesn’t make the situation any better.
In fact, both blaming and complaining are more likely to stir up negative emotions such as anger, envy, and resentment. Whereas not blaming and complaining and just focusing on the task at hand won’t give rise to these unproductive emotions.
Of course, there are scenarios where you should make formal complaints like when you’ve been treated unfairly by an organisation for example.
But generally speaking, blaming and complaining are unproductive. And if you and I look at our actions, we’re mostly responsible for the situations we find ourselves in.
No matter how unsatisfactory a situation is, it’s best to take full responsibility for it and focus on what we can control.
In Will Bowen’s book a complaint free world, he suggests that we take on a 21 day challenge where for the full 21 days we win the challenge only if we don’t complain.
To keep tabs on how many times you complain you can use an elastic band. Wear it on your wrist, and if you complain, put the elastic band on your opposing arm to reset the challenge.
This challenge will bring awareness to how many times you complain. I know it did for me. It teaches you to complain less. And to just pause before you start slurring that draining complaining drivel.
Some More Takeaways From Reinvent Yourself By James Altucher
” Many studies show that the key to contentment and confidence is three things: * Growing competence in a pursuit you love * Strengthening every day the relationships around you * Increasing your freedom of choices. “
” The average book is 60,000 words. If you can write 1,000 words a day then you’ll have six books by the end of the year. “
” So many people ask, “How do I get traffic?” That’s the wrong question. If you ask every day, “How did I help people today?” then you will have more traffic and money than you could have imagined. “
The Bottom Line On Reinvent Yourself By James Altucher
I really enjoyed this book. It was digestible and full of practical advice that makes sense. James Altucher is a credible source of information because he’s achieved a lot of things, so he’s definitely worth listening to.
Have you read Reinvent yourself by James Altucher? If you have let me know in the comments below what you thought of it. And if you haven’t I highly recommend that you read it.
Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. His work has been influential in many fields, most notably psychiatry. In this article, I’ll be giving you my top 5 takeaways from Modern Man In Search Of A Soul By Carl Gustav Jung.
1. ” It is probable that one form of neurosis is conditioned by the predominance of secrets, and another by the predominance of restrained emotions. “
Carl Jung thought that neurosis which is essentially anxiety is caused by having secrets and restraining our emotions.
Anecdotally we know it’s bad to lie or keep secrets. If we feel ashamed to hide or say something isn’t that a good indicator that the secret shouldn’t be kept or the lie made in the first place?
I know from personal experience that it’s better to be honest and not keep secrets.
Benjamin Franklin once said, ” Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead “.
The best way to be is an open book. Honesty is a virtue worthy of respect. Honesty makes our life easier and it helps us become ourselves, and people know us for who we are, not who we try to be.
Emotions shouldn’t be restrained either, I believe that we should always have an objective view of the emotions we feel. What are they trying to tell us?
Don’t dismiss them. If say a relative has recently passed away. Should you try to act tough and strong? Yes, probably but initially it’s only normal to feel sad and grieve, so express the emotion and don’t restrain it. Otherwise, it will bubble up inside you. And make the situation worse.
This is one of the many reasons people have therapy.
Our emotions can also tell us about situations in our daily lives. If some people or a situation is giving rise to emotions such as anger, sadness, and frustration then it might be best to remove yourself from instances that make you feel these unhelpful and undesirable emotions.
2. ” A man who suffers from a running abscess is not fit to perform a surgical operation. “
Whatever we seek to achieve in life we need to make sure that whoever we look to for help, support, and guidance has been there and done what we want to achieve, or has a proven track record of the result we wish to obtain.
The number of personal trainers I see who are trying to help people become healthier and fitter but can’t get fit themselves is a prime example of what I’m talking about.
Keep this in mind: How can someone truly help us solve our problems if they can’t even solve their own.
Remember this when someone gives you unsolicited advice.
3. ” As a rule , the life of a young person is characterised by a general unfolding and a striving toward concrete ends ; his neurosis , if he develops one , can be traced to his hesitation or his shrinking back from this necessity. “
I believe that our main job as individuals is to help others and become better, more effective individuals by doing so.
If we aren’t spending our time on meaningful things and activities that not only improve our lives but the lives of others, life can get pretty grim and seem meaningless.
For example, some things that we can do to improve our lives every day are:
Workout 3-5 times per week.
Eat a nutritious diet.
Read for 30 minutes to an hour per day.
Have a good sleeping routine.
Some things that we can do to help improve the lives of others but are not limited to:
Any job were your helping others or serving the community.
A business that creates products/ services that help others and have a net positive effect on humanity.
Writing content, that provides clear and practical advice so that people can use it to improve their lives.
I personally feel bad if I’m not writing for at least an hour per day, working, learning, and keeping healthy by eating well and going to the gym 3-4 times per week.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t have leisure/ downtime after you’ve spent your time on meaningful things. Because you absolutely should have leisure time, it’s good for relaxing, and winding down which makes you more productive the next day.
There’s nothing worse than the feeling of wasting time. Time is the only commodity we can never get back. So what helps me is getting the meaningful things in my day done as soon as possible and then I can have some well-deserved downtime.
4. ” The shoe that fits one person pinches another ; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.”
We all have different talents, traits and characteristics. There isn’t one cookie-cutter way to live life to derive the maximum benefits. It would be good if there was but life isn’t like that.
It’s okay to have different interests and enjoy different things. In fact, it’s the way life is meant to be. We’re all different.
Just because someone loves/ hates something doesn’t mean you or I will. We need to try things and experience things for ourselves.
Think of your favourite colour. You probably don’t know why it’s your favourite colour, you just like it. Instinctually we’re all going to be drawn to different things.
The most important thing to remember is to capitalise on your strengths.
If the proverbial shoe doesn’t fit, change it for one that does, figuratively speaking. Apply this to relationships, hobbies, careers and even your fitness regimen.
This is another reason why we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. We all have different lives and paradigms. Just because one way works for someone doesn’t mean it will work for you and me.
” Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own”.
-Bruce Lee
5. ” We have come to understand that pshychic suffering is not a definitely localised , sharply delimited phenomenon, but rather the symptom of a wrong attitude assumed by the total personality . “
Marcus Aurelius said in his book meditations ” The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the colour of your thoughts. “
If we live our lives in an optimistic way, and colour our thoughts with the positive aspects of our lives we’ll feel happier, and more positive in general.
But if we colour our thoughts with a pessimistic, cynical and nihilistic attitude, life instantly becomes much harder and less joyful.
Some More Of My Favourite Takeaways From Modern Man In Search Of A Soul
” About a third of my cases are suffering from no clinically definable neurosis, but from the senseless and emptiness of their lives. It seems to me, however, that this can well be described as the general neurosis of our time. Fully two thirds of my patients have passed middle age.”
” The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it. “
” Man is completely human only when he is playing “
” It is just mans turning away from instinict -his opposing himself to instinct – that creates consciousness. “
” It cannot be denied that primitive people are capable of concentrating on things that interest them. If we try to give our attention to uninteresting matters , we ourselves , like them , are dependent upon emotional undercurrents. “
” The artists life cannot be otherwise than full of conflicts for two forces are at war within him – on one hand the common human longing for happiness, satisfaction and security in life , and on the other a ruthless passion for creation which may go so far as to override every personal desire. The lives of artists as a rule are highly unsatisfactory- not to say tragic. “
” If we are pessimists, we shall call it a sign of decadence; optimistically inclined, we shall see in it the far-reaching spiritual change in the western world. “
” Neurosis is an inner cleavage -the state of being at war with one’s self. “
” Man is never helped in his suffering by what he thinks himself, but only revelations of wisdom greater than his own. It is this what lifts him out of the distress. “
The Bottom Line On Modern Man In Search Of A Soul
Carl Jung has been one of the most influential thinkers in the realm of psychology. He was influenced by other greats such as Sigmund Freud and Friedrich Nietzsche and he inspires many still today. Most notably Jordan Peterson. Jordan recommends this book on his website.
Have you read Modern man in search of a soul by Carl Gustav Jung, if you have let me know what you think. And if you haven’t I highly recommend that you read it.
James Clear is a writer who primarily started off writing articles at Jamesclear.com. His articles are well written, digestible and practical. His bestselling book atomic habits can help anyone break bad habits and build effective ones.
As of writing this article (April 2022), we have more opportunities and all of the information we could possibly need within our grasp than at any other time in history.
And yet many of us find it hard to make positive changes in our lives and realise our full potential.
At the heart of this unrealised potential lies our habits. In the long run, the quality of our lives depends on the quality of our habits.
Here are my top 7 takeaways from Atomic Habits by James Clear.
1. ” Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be “.
We have choices at every moment. Some better, and some worse. If we can make better choices more than we make worse ones. Our lives can go on an upwards trajectory.
Think about how you spend your time. Could you swap some bad choices for good choices? For example, if you’re trying to lose weight you could:
Swap the elevator for the stairs.
Walk instead of driving if it’s only a short journey.
Swap the cheese for a lower-fat cheese.
Eat the piece of fruit instead of the chocolate bar.
Swap the junk food for whole foods.
Swap the 3-5 unhealthy meals with 3 healthy meals made up of whole foods rich in protein, carbohydrates and some dietary fat, also include 2 snacks (preferably fruit) in between the 3 meals.
These seemingly insignificant changes can result in you having a greater energy expenditure (you’ll burn more calories) and a lower caloric intake ( you’ll eat fewer calories) resulting in a higher chance of weight loss in the long term by putting you in a calorie deficit.
Of course, you’d need to stick with these good habits for weeks/ months but you should make remarkable progress in the long run.
Or if your goal is to go from reading no books to reading more books you could:
Buy an amazon kindle (this small choice provides a neverending supply of books to become a perpetual learner).
Read for 10 minutes upon waking and read for 10 minutes before going to sleep.
Reading during your rest intervals when you’re working out at the gym.
If you think about it, we can always find pockets of downtime to read throughout our daily lives.
Good Habits Can Bring Us Closer To the Person We Want To Be, Bad Habits Drift Us Further Away From Our Realised Selfs
James compares making better or worse choices to an aeroplane taking off. If the aeroplane takes off on a slightly different trajectory and sticks to this wrong trajectory it can find itself at a completely different destination than first intended.
Our daily habits and choices are like that as well. By making the right choices we can see tangible success relatively quickly and eventually reach our goals. Whereas the wrong habits and choices can lead us down a road of unhappiness, anxiety, idleness and mediocrity the place where we don’t want to be.
2. “Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.”
By reading 30 minutes every day, over time you can become an expert in almost anything.
Exercising 45 minutes several times per week over a sustained period can transform your body.
Investing 10% of your salary every month throughout your life can result in amazing returns due to compound interest.
Just an hour or two of writing every day over the long term can produce a legacy of work.
For example, John McPhee only writes 500 words every day which takes around an hour. And he’s published 29 books, 2 of which have national book award nominations!
Small changes add up to extraordinary results. They can also work against you. For example, bad habits like smoking cigarettes, and drinking alcohol increase your likelihood of succumbing to disease.
Make sure you make the changes that matter. And stick with them long enough to see extraordinary results.
3. ” Our dreams may influence what we’re capable of, but our habits will ultimately determine what kind of lives we live. “
Merely thinking about what we want to achieve can be helpful. But it’s the habits we build that lead to the realisations of our goals and dreams.
The trick is to set a goal, then forget about it and focus entirely on the systems that will result in the achievement of that goal.
If you want to lose 20-30 pounds because you’re overweight, then you’d need to focus on eating in a calorie deficit (eating fewer calories than you burn) and exercising several times per week.
If your goal is to build a blog, try writing a minimum of 500 words every day.
You get the point.
Thinking that we’re going to achieve this or that, Is radically different to building and sticking to the systems needed to achieve x goal.
4. ” Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions, which build up the potential required to unleash a major change. “
In any system where you have an intended goal, know that we reap what we sow.
The more you write the better writer you become.
The more you strength train the stronger you get.
The more you ( insert X activity) the better you get at it.
” A territory can only be claimed by work. When Arnold Schwarzenegger hits the gym, he’s on his own turf. But what made it his own are the hours and years of sweat he put in to claim it. A territory doesn’t give, it gives back. A territory returns exactly what you put in. Territories are fair. Every erg of energy you put in goes infallibly into your account. A territory never devalues. A territory never crashes. What you deposited, you get back, dollar-for-dollar. “
In the book ” so good they can’t ignore you ” Cal Newport says how much experience you have in a given field/ profession is career capital.
For example, the more you write the more career capital you have in the writing profession. And the more career capital you have, the more you’re rewarded.
Essentially in any activity that we get better at the more capital, we build up over time in that activity/ profession or field. And over a sustained period, the more career capital you have the more remarkable the results will be.
Because in most economies it’s the people who are the best at what they do, and who provide the most value, that are rewarded the most.
It all starts by doing the work every day which is the result of habits and systems.
5. “Small habits helped me fulfill my potential, and since you picked up this book, I’m guessing you’d like to fulfill yours as well.”
You can’t argue with James on this one. He’s living proof good habits build a good life. He says on his website how it all started off, just publishing 2 articles a week. And within years he’s had a positive impact on millions of people.
This book is extremely well researched and everything is evidence-based.
6. ” When you make your bed each day, you embody the identity of an organized person. When you write each day, you embody the identity of a creative person. When you train each day, you embody the identity of an athletic person. “
Whatever type of person we wish to be, we can only become that type of person through habits and systems. The more you write the more of a writer you become, the more you make your bed the more of an organised person you become.
We don’t just magically become the person we say we’ll be. We prove it with actions.
Words are fickle and actions are always more powerful. We should embody the type of person we want to be. Not say it.
As Ralph Waldo Emmerson says:
” Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying. “
This is an important reminder that actions prove who we are above everything else.
7. ” It is easy to get bogged down trying to find the optimal plan for change: the fastest way to lose weight, the best program to build muscle, the perfect idea for a side hustle. We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we never get around to taking action. As Voltaire once wrote, “The best is the enemy of the good.”
Looking for the perfect way to do something, whether that be to lose weight, build muscle or the perfect idea for a side hustle. Not taking action towards those goals in the present is a form of procrastination.
Take action now, but at the same time learn more about whatever you’re doing and you should see progression slowly but surely.
One thing that has helped me become more productive with this blog is prioritising writing every day no matter how perfect or imperfect the articles are. Writing will always be the main thing that I need to accomplish every day the rest of the day I can just play by ear.
Use this approach with whatever goal you may have. If you want to build muscle prioritise getting stronger and eating enough protein and calories above all else.
If you want to lose fat focus on eating in a calorie deficit and building/maintaining your strength above all else.
Some More Of My Favourite Quotes From Atomic Habits By James Clear
” Like the muscles of the body responding to regular weight training, particular regions of the brain adapt as they are used and atrophy as they are abandoned. “
” In a sense, every habit is just an obstacle to getting what you really want. Dieting is an obstacle to getting fit. Meditation is an obstacle to feeling calm. Journaling is an obstacle to thinking clearly.”
” One push-up is better than not exercising. One minute of guitar practice is better than none at all. One minute of reading is better than never picking up a book. It’s better to do less than you hoped than to do nothing at all. “
The Bottom Line On Why You Should Read Atomic Habits By James Clear
James is living proof that his advice on habits work. He’s become an extremely succesful writer by embodying effective habits.
Atomic habits is evidence-based so it’s hard to deny the effectivensss of this book if we apply the advice in our daily lives.
Have you read atomic habits? If you have, let me know in the comments below what you thought about it.
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor from 161- to 180 AD. His book meditations was essentially a diary to himself that was never intended to be published.
Meditations provides one of the greatest works on ethical and spiritual reflection ever written. It contains nuggets of practical advice on dealing with adversity, living in this world, understanding human behaviour and much more.
Many influential and successful people have read meditations. Some include but are not limited to:
Bill Clinton ( he reads it every year)
Theodore Roosevelt
Arnold Schwarzenegger
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Meditations is also part of volume 2 of the Harvard classics and has become required reading by statesmen and philosophers.
Marcus Aurelius Was A Proponent of Stoicism
To be stoic is to show strength and courage in adversity and misfortune. As Marcus says ” To be like a rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved and the raging of the sea falls still around it” can be related back to the stoic adjective.
At the heart of stoicism is the belief that everything is interconnected and that everything happens for a reason.
Marcus says:
” Nothing can happen to me that isn’t natural” and ” I can keep from doing anything that god and my own spirit don’t approve. No one can force me to”.
“It was for the best. So Nature had no choice but to do it”.
Two things that Marcus goes back to over and over again is the willing acceptance of all external events and conducting your life in a virtuous way.
To put it in a different way it’s not what happens to us that matters it’s how we respond that really matters. And we must respond in a virtuous manner so we can flourish.
In Stoicism Virtue Is The Highest Good
“If, at some point in your life, you should come across anything better than justice, honesty, self-control, courage—than a mind satisfied that it has succeeded in enabling you to act rationally, and satisfied to accept what’s beyond its control—if you find anything better than that, embrace it without reservations—it must be an extraordinary thing indeed—and enjoy it to the full.”
Throughout stoicism, a common idea is that virtue is the highest good. And essentially virtue is just good moral behaviour. If we conduct ourselves virtuously in this world, we’ll become more effective, more successful and become better people.
Marcus thinks that the 4 greatest virtues are: justice, honesty, self-control, and courage. If we think of the opposite of these virtues like injustice, dishonesty, indiscipline or loss of control, and cowardice.
You can see that the opposite of these virtues are inherently bad and the virtues themselves are inherently good.
Justice
I like to think of justice as treating people as they deserve to be treated. If someone was going to be rude to you, would you be nice to them? No, you’d probably not want to associate with them. Just keep your distance.
Honesty
This simply means, to tell the truth, to never lie.
Self-Control
Self-control means simply not losing control. This might be needed so you don’t eat the whole bag of crisps when you’re trying to lose weight.
Or it might mean not losing your composure when someone cuts you off in traffic.
It could also mean not engaging in unhealthy behaviours like doing drugs, smoking, and excessively drinking alcohol.
Courage
At its most basic level courage is the strength to follow through on your actions. A basic amount of courage is needed to follow through on the aforementioned virtues.
On a larger scale, it’s the 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians who fought against the 100’s of thousands of Persians during the battle of Thermopylae.
At its highest level courage is putting yourself on the line for the benefit of the greater good.
Courage is the strength to do the right thing. Because doing the right thing is the only thing that matters.
My Top 7 Takeaways
1.) ” Because most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquillity. Ask yourself at every moment, “Is this necessary? But we need to eliminate unnecessary assumptions as well. To eliminate the unnecessary actions that follow.”
Imagine a life where all we did was do what was essential? For me, I’ve got rid of unnecessary and ineffective habits/behaviours such as:
Deleted social media (it’s a massive time suck. Basically the mental equivalent to junk food).
Stopped drinking alcohol (primarily for health reasons).
Stopped watching porn ( It’s a time suck, unproductive, provides instant gratifaction at its finest and it has many negative consequences, I don’t see any benefits in it at all ).
And some more of the essential more productive things I’ve focused my attention on are:
Writing
Reading
Exercise
Watching sport
Socialising
How Do You Determine Whats Essential And Innesential?
When determining what’s essential in your life it’s extremely important to not make assumptions.
To determine if something is essential in my life I ask myself these questions?
How does this activity / behavior make me feel during and after?
Am I benefiting myself and the common good by doing it.
Is my precious time being wasted?
Could I spend the same amount of time being more effective on something else?
How Essentialism Has Made Me More Productive
For my blog to grow and help more people/ be more effective, good content is at the heart of that.
If I make it my primary focus to make good content (mainly articles), instead of spending lots of time on marketing, answering questions, and making social media posts then I’d of focused on what is essential.
Because I’m focusing on the most essential part of my blog, (writing articles) I’m enjoying writing more, and my output has increased.
Whatever You Do In Life Focus On The Essentials, And Avoid The Innesentials.
2. ” The tranquillity that comes when you stop caring what they say. Or think, or do. Only what you do. (Is this fair? Is this the right thing to do?) <… > not to be distracted by their darkness. To run straight for the finish line, unswerving. “
To give any mind space, to other people’s actions, or what they think or do is a waste of time (especially if they’re unhelpful). At the end of the day, we can only control our thoughts, our actions and our intentions.
If we’re trying to do the right thing, have the best intentions, and focus our actions on the common good does it really matter what other people say, think or do? I don’t think so.
As an emperor of Rome Marcus knew this all too well. He knew that we shouldn’t let praise or criticism get to our heads. We should be objective and see things as they are.
Marcus Said:
” Then what is to be prized? An audience clapping? No. No more than the clacking of their tongues. Which is all that public praise amounts to—a clacking of tongues. “
Do the right thing, nothing else matters and become indifferent to praise and unworthy criticism.
This isn’t to say that some criticism can’t be helpful and productive. Because it can.
Marcus says:
” If anyone can refute me—show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective—I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance. “
3. ” It’s silly to try to escape other people’s faults. They are inescapable. Just try to escape your own. “
Sure there are a lot of people and things in the world that can frustrate us. But there are a lot of people and things in this world that are good and positive.
This is the way the world has always been, and always will be.
It’s extremely unproductive to judge other people’s faults and actions.
No one is perfect.
All we can do is become the very best versions of ourselves, escape our faults (everyone has them, I’m sure Marcus did) and we can hope to set an example to others.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi
4.) ” Not to assume it’s impossible because you find it hard. But to recognize that if it’s humanly possible, you can do it too. “
If you have an ambitious goal that has been achieved before by others, then why can’t you achieve it?
No one is inherently special. And we shouldn’t put others on pedestals. Throughout history, people just like you and me have achieved great things.
Keep this in mind always, in whatever you’re trying to achieve. And yes, maybe you might need help from others and there’s no shame in that.
Marcus said:
” Don’t be ashamed to need help. Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish. And if you’ve been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up? So what “.
5.) ” It’s normal to feel pain in your hands and feet, if you’re using your feet as feet and your hands as hands. And for a human being to feel stress is normal—if he’s living a normal human life. And if it’s normal, how can it be bad? “
Although in theory, it might seem like a good thing to be happy all of the time. But it’s just not realistic.
The unhappy and stressful times in life are needed for the happy ones and vice versa.
We do live in a culture with social media where everyone portrays themselves in the best light. You only see the good times on social media. Not the bad. Social media just gives us a perspective, not the truth.
Marcus said ” Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
It’s okay not to feel happy all of the time. In fact, it’s normal. And if it’s normal how can it be bad.
6. “What injures the hive injures the bee.”
When you punish or hurt someone. You inadvertently hurt yourself.
To harm the individual is to harm humanity and to harm humanity is to harm the individual.
7. ” At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work—as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for—the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?” —But it’s nicer here.… So you were born to feel “nice”? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands? “
Even Marcus Aurelius the emperor of one of history’s greatest empires struggled with procrastination.
But he reminded himself of the workings of nature, how the ants, spiders and bees go about their individual tasks putting the world in order.
We live in the age of entitlement, where everyone wants to get paid for travelling the world being an “influencer” doing very little work.
Life doesn’t work like that and that’s a good thing.
Marcus says:
” If you don’t have a consistent goal in life, you can’t live it in a consistent way.” Unhelpful, unless you specify a goal. There is no common benchmark for all the things that people think are good—except for a few, the ones that affect us all. So the goal should be a common one—a civic one. If you direct all your energies toward that, your actions will be consistent. And so will you. “
If we can direct our attention towards helping others, and giving more than we take (there are many ways to do this) then not only will we flourish, we’ll help others flourish as well.
Some More Of My Favourite Quotes From Meditations By Marcus Aurelius
“To stop talking about what the good man is like, and just be one.”
“Joy for humans lies in human actions. Human actions: kindness to others, contempt for the senses, the interrogation of appearances, observation of nature and of events in nature.”
” You could be good today. But instead, you choose tomorrow. “
” Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what’s left and live it properly. “
” No one objects to what is useful to him. To be of use to others is natural. Then don’t object to what is useful to you—being of use.”
” Take care that you don’t treat inhumanity as it treats human beings. “
” The best revenge is not to be like that. “
” Concentrate every minute like a Roman—like a man—on doing what’s in front of you with precise and genuine seriousness, tenderly, willingly, with justice. And on freeing yourself from all other distractions. Yes, you can—if you do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life, and stop being aimless, stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you, stop being hypocritical, self-centered, irritable. You see how few things you have to do to live a satisfying and reverent life? If you can manage this, that’s all even the gods can ask of you. “
The Bottom Line On Why You Should Read Meditations By Marcus Aurelius
Meditations has stood the test of time, it’s almost 2000 years old and It wasn’t even intended to be published! It contains nuggets of wisdom that we can all use. It’s one of my favourite books and I always find myself going back to it.
Have you read it? If you have, let me know what you think in the comments below.
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