Subj: How to get more out of life, live better and enjoy the ride.
Current Location: Palm Beach, Florida (pictured)
Today is my 32nd birthday. To celebrate this monumentous occasion I am sharing 32 nuggets of wisdom collected during my 32 revolutions around the Sun.
My birthday wish is that you take what is useful from the following words and apply it to improve your own life. (There are nearly 5000 words in this article so you are bound to find something valuable.)
I hope you enjoy.
32 Ways to Live Better
1) To be exceptional you must be unconventional
The best advice is unconventional advice. Conventional advice only gets you conventional results. Conventional is average and average is broken.
The average man makes less than $40,000 per year, is over $35,000 in debt, and is 30 pounds overweight. If that’s what you want, then listen to conventional advice from conventional people.
If you want more out of life, then you need unconventional advice. Unconventional advice goes against the grain, and that’s exactly why it works.
Conventional people follow the herd. You cannot be exceptional when you follow the herd.
You need an edge to pull ahead.
Unconventional people lead the pack. Their perspective gives them an edge which allows them to break away from the herd and pull ahead.
Sources of unconventional advice are blogs, classic books, and your neighborhood entrepreneurs. Mainstream advice is too diluted, too politically correct and panders to the masses too much to be of any value. You can’t create a masterpiece when you paint by number. The outcome is dull, boring and unoriginal.
One good piece of advice can change your life. It can give you a significant advantage. If you wish to live an above average life you need above average advice.
2) Your attitude is your best asset
Your attitude makes all the difference. You have ultimate authority over your attitude no matter the circumstances. Which means you get to decide how to act in any given situation.
A good attitude is powerful force. But with great power comes great responsibility. And people avoid responsibility. This presents you with an opportunity to take care of business.
When you do what others won’t, eventually you can do what others can’t.
So take heart.
And listen, shit happens. You can bitch about it or you can do something about it. You can see a problem to complain about or you can see an opportunity to find a solution.
A good attitude will ALWAYS allow you to do a thing better than a bad attitude.
A great attitude transcends the circumstances. You may not be the smartest or the strongest, or the best or the brightest, but if you have a winning attitude, the odds tilt in your favor.
Take the lion for example. The lion isn’t the biggest, or the strongest, or the fastest, or the smartest animal. The elephant could crush the lion under its weight and the giraffe could kill it with one kick from its powerful legs.
But the elephant and giraffe fear the lion.
Why?
Because of the lion’s attitude. When the lion sees an elephant or a giraffe he doesn’t think he’s outclassed.
All he thinks is “Lunch”.
You’re always better off with a good attitude. The right attitude breeds confidence in yourself and inspires others.
Remember what Henry Ford said: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.”
3) Spend time alone
Your top priority in life is to find yourself. The more time you spend alone the more you get to know yourself.
Figure out who you are. You don’t want to live a whole life only to look back and realize you didn’t live true to yourself. That’s a recipe for regret.
Imagine finally figuring out who you are when you’re 90 years old, but being too weak and tired to live the life you wanted.
Sad.
Another thing – Being around people causes groupthink. Groupthink muddles your thoughts and you naturally adopt a conformist mindset. Your surroundings influence you at a subconscious level.
Spend some time in solitude.
4) Live below your means
Keeping up with the Jones’ is the fast track to financial ruin.
Don’t catch affluenza. It’s a horrible disease that makes life miserable. Affluenza makes you buy things you don’t need to impress people you don’t like. Don’t be silly and throw away your hard earned money on frivolous things.
Financial freedom is your goal.
Financial freedom is the ability to live off the money earned on your own. In other words, the money you make without a job.
There are many way to make money without a job such as investing or owning a business.
When I got my first good job I lived in a cheap, dumpy apartment. I had no bills other than student loans, car insurance and a gym membership. I spend my days at work, my evenings lifting weights at the gym and every minute in between working on my business.
During this time I saved money and built my business. I lived cheap like this for years and the benefits of doing this cannot be understated.
The biggest mistake you can make is buying a brand new car and getting a luxury apartment as soon as you get a good paying job. Don’t take on any big expenses until you have AT LEAST 1 year worth of cash to fund your luxury lifestyle and pay your bills.
You never want to put yourself in a position where you feel trapped. Living below your means let’s you build momentum and accumulate resources. Resources give you options. Options = freedom, and freedom = happiness.
5) You have the power to change
Your life can be anything you want it to be. If you’re reading this you have the internet, and if you have internet you have access to all of mankind’s knowledge.
I quadrupled my income in three years and I went from a skinny-fat slob to lean and mean machine.
How did I do it?
I changed.
I changed my attitude. I changed my thoughts. I changed my habits. I ate better, I slept better, I moved out of my parents house and into a cheap apartment. I worked longer, I worked harder. I evolved and I had a lot of fun along the way.
But, for things to change YOU have to change.
For the first time I had direction and I felt Like I was in control of my life. Most of us weren’t born into a family with rock star parents that did everything right. Many people have discipline, behavior, and self esteem issues as a result. Whatever it is, everybody’s got their hangups. Luckily you can fix it and level up your life in the process.
I used to be a negative, brooding, moody bitch. I’m not anymore because I re-programmed my mind.
I listened to motivational speakers 3+ hours a day, everyday, for 3 years straight. That’s one part of the the formula.
Override your faulty programming by injecting positive ideas into your mind and eliminating negative ones.
Like Ben Franklin said, “Life is plastic.”
Mold it to your liking.
6) Throw away your television
Television is for dummies. Television turns smart people into fools by stuffing stupid messages into their head.
It doesn’t matter how high your IQ is, you’re only as good as the information that enters your mind. The information that makes it into that 6-inch space between your ears is all you have to work with to draw conclusions. Don’t allow your world to be shaped by anything you see on television (or any media).
Television is also a colossal waste of time.
The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run. – Henry David Thoreau
When you factor in all the time spent watching the boobtube the opportunity cost is massive. Most people think they get a great deal on a flat screen T.V. but the reality is that it costs them thousands.
Worst of all it wastes your most precious resource: Time. And time never comes back once it gone. Once the moment is gone it’s gone forever. Don’t piss it away so carelessly because you want to watch Netflix. Go for a walk instead.
7) Play the long game
You’re not promised tomorrow, but odds are you will live a long time. Anything could happen, but play the long game and don’t sweat the small stuff. Remember that failures are temporary and, as long as you learn from it, you can cash in on your experience for life.
Remember things compound over time. When I invest, I plan to keep that investment for life. The law of compounding works better as time goes on. That also means don’t get too caught up in things that don’t work out today. Regroup and try again.
8) Stay out of debt
Debt is slavery. Avoid debt at all costs.
If you can’t pay for an item in cash, don’t buy it. And be sure to pay off your credit card in full each month. Credit card interest rates are astronomical. They might as well be loansharks.
9) You don’t need college
Convincing children they need college was the biggest con of the century. The highest paid professions require exactly zero college credits.
What they require is desire, determination and relentless work ethic. As well as a willingness to gain knowledge through self education and learn through experience.
You 100% do not need college. (Unless you’re a doctor, lawyer or engineer.) A business degree isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. Everything can be learned on the internet for free.
Consider starting your own business instead of taking on debt for school.
Starting a business gives you something you won’t get from a college degree: Real world experience.
10) Start your own business
Start your own business. Even if it’s just on the side. It gives you perspective you won’t gain anywhere else. Even if you don’t go full time into your business, the skills you gain will transfer into your career. Not to mention, making a dollar with your own business is one of the best feelings ever.
You can start your own business online right now. It’s easier than ever. Your business can be anything. Sell your art, write short stories, whatever it is, there are people in the world who want to buy what you have to offer. You just need to find them (or make it easy for them to find you.) People will pay you for ANYTHING as long as you add value to their lives. Get a part time job to cover your living expenses while building your business. Then quit when you business gains traction.
It’s easier than ever to start an online business. Everyone should. It cost virtually nothing and the upside is unlimited.
11) Create options
Earlier this year I was laid off from my job as a Project Manager at a Fortune 150 company. Most people were upset. Me? I moved south where it’s sunny and warm and I go to the beach everyday. I’ve designed my life to allow optionality.
To be fair, I’ve also had a bit of good fortune and luck. (See Point #32) However, I knew the day would come. I know that there is no such thing as job security and I planned accordingly.
My work helped me build valuable skills and stockpile resources. Skills that allowed me to cut my own path, and resources to buy time for what’s next.
12) Wake up early
Waking up early is the ultimate life hack. You get a jump on the competition. You get to set your plan into motion with complete focus. There are no distractions in the early morning hours because everyone is snoozing.
I love starting my day looking out over the city from my high rise apartment balcony at 4am. I stand there butt naked drinking my mason jar full of lemon water, breathing in the fresh morning air.
What do I see as I peer out?
Stillness.
The streets are empty and motionless. All I hear is the soft brush of the breeze and the subtle stir of ocean water in the distance.
Earlier risers have first mover advantage. Wake up early and attack the most important item on your to do list. Do this long enough and you will be so far ahead no one can catch you.
Let your competition dream in bed while you’re up making your dreams a reality. Every high performing person I’ve ever met wakes up early. Waking up before the Sun rises each day will change your life.
How do you wake up early? You have a mission, baby. And when you’re a man on a mission you shoot out of bed like a rocket. When you’re excited about life you can’t wait to get up.
13) Have a good day by noon
Tackle you most important task of the day before noon. You will enjoy your day much more. You will make a lot more progress and feel great about yourself. Stress and anxiety will fall away. String a bunch of productive days like this together and you build a great life.
14) Live naturally
Living naturally is the great open secret to health and happiness. It seems so obvious, yet my personal observation of peoples’ behavior convinces me otherwise…
Anyway, living naturally is possible. Even though we live in an unnatural world.
It’s super simple. All you do is go outside, eat real food and walk every day.
That’s it. Barring a genetic predisposition, doing those three things daily results in optimum health.
Get some sunlight on your skin, go for a walk in the woods, and eat the food that nature intended man to eat.
We were created in nature and Mother Nature nurtures her children as long as they follow her Laws.
Living unnaturally deteriorates your body, decays your mind, and weakens your spirit. Sitting under florescent lights for 8 hours a day, breathing stale indoor air, eating frankenfoods, while staring at a screen all day will wreak havoc on your physical and mental health.
When all else fails, get out of the concrete jungle, stray away from the suburbs and head into the mountains or a secluded lake in the forest. You will be amazed at how much better you instantly feel.
15) Sometimes there’s something better waiting for you
Sometimes you don’t get what you want, and that’s a good thing. Allow me to explain:
I remember interviewing for a job I really wanted. After a series of interviews I didn’t get the job. I was disappointed because I spent so much time and effort preparing for the interviews and I really wanted the job.
Oh well…
Fast forward a few months later and I got another job, a better job, that more than doubled my salary. A couple weeks into my new role I bumped into the guy who had the job I interviewed for originally. He said “I hope you asked for a lot money,” and went on to say that he was paid peanuts. He felt cheated.
Had I got his old job, the one I interviewed for originally, I would have been in his shoes. I would have been underpaid, overworked and hated life.
I (unintentionally) dodged a bullet there.
Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way you want it to. But that’s okay, because life has something better in store for you.
You don’t know what you don’t know. Opportunity is limitless. So, don’t sweat it when things don’t work out exactly how you want them to. Sometimes bad things happen to your benefit. If you don’t get what you want it could be for the best. Keep searching and let serendipity run its course.
16) Sell or be sold
Is your life really your life? I mean are you living the life you really want to live?
If not, you’ve been sold.
Your job, your lifestyle, your ideologies, everything came from somewhere. It was either your idea or someone else’s that you adopted. You either live a life you intentionally design or you are a part of someone else plan to improve their own life.
Will you take the initiative and go on offense to have the life of your dreams?
Or will you be sold into working to build someone else’s dream?
You better start selling. Sell your philosophy, sell a product or service, and sell others to join your effort.
It’s a dog eat dog world, and you can either sell or be sold.
17) Get really really good at something
The top 5% in every field write their own checks. You will never have to worry about money or how you will take care of your family when you hit this level. With a little ingenuity and initiative you can make all the money you could ever spend and have some left over.
Pick A thing and be the best at it. Ideally something you love, and certainly something you believe in. Stick to it like glue. Pick something you’re willing to do for life. Really think about it.
My thing is fitness. With God’s help, I will be spreading the message of health and fitness for a century. I will write and teach and train people how to get strong, healthy and fit for the rest of my life.
It takes years to become an expert and a lifetime to become a master. So start now and hone your skill. In a year you will be proficient, in 2 years you will profit from it, in 3 years you will be dangerous. In 5+years? Anything could happen. The world is your oyster.
18) Tip well
Giving is one of the most gratifying things you can do.
Give graciously. Don’t be a reluctant giver. It ruins the fun. When you give, make sure you know exactly where the money is going. When you tip you know exactly who the money is going to.
Here’s a tip: Next time you’re out to eat and you are deciding whether to tip 20% or 25%, tip the higher amount.
This is a simple way to level up your lifestyle.
Always listen to your conscious when it suggests you do something kind. If you get the idea to send a friend a text or call your parents, or send a card thank you card in the mail. Do it.
19) Get shredded at least once in your life
This should be on every man’s bucket list.
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” – Socrates
Get shredded at least once in your life. You need to feel what it’s like at least once. Once you experience the satisfaction of having a beautiful body, you’ll never go back. Once you see your lady friend’s eyes pop out when she see’s you shirtless you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s an awesome feeling.
Plus the discipline and good habits required to get shredded with pay dividends for the rest of your life. For you Boomers out there, you’re never too old to get in better shape. Your life depends on it.
I can help you get in great shape and live a happier healthier life.
20) Neglect kills dreams
Neglect killed more people than COVID-19 ever will. Neglect your health long enough and you’re dead.
Neglect your work long enough and your broke.
Neglect your children and they will return the favor in your twilight years.
Do not neglect. Neglect only leads to regret.
21) You are responsible for how your life turns out
Not your mom, not your dad, not your teacher, not your boss, or wife, or children, or friends.
You.
Everything is up to you. Act accordingly.
You are given one life. It’s your job to make the most of it. Don’t waste it being a mope. And worse, don’t waste it being a dope. Not taking responsibility for your life is giving your power away. Giving away your power will make you an unhappy person. Take responsibility for your life and work like a mad man to accomplish what you’re here to do.
22) Make your own luck (but don’t rely on luck)
They call her Lady Luck and that’s no coincidence. You attract luck the same way you attract women: By becoming an attractive person.
You become an attractive personal by being a valuable person of strong character.
You become a valuable person of strong character by building something that improves your life and the lives of others.
I recommend you build two things and begin IMMEDIATELY:
a) Build your body
b) Build your business.
The harder you work at building a better life for you and other, the luckier you become.
23) Trust your instincts
There are thousands of years of wisdom woven into your DNA. Learn to trust yourself. You have the facility to live the live you want to live, no matter how ambitious. Your intellect, instinct and intuition are your best weapons for conquering life.
Don’t trust anything blindly. Claims made by experts, authority, and science can and should be questioned.
You have to live with the consequences of your decisions so make sure you draw your own conclusions.
Think for yourself, ask questions, seek answers and listen to your gut.
Your intuition is your internal navigation system. You must be in tune with the sensors and understand what they are telling you.
Your intuition needs to be cultivated. Go to a quiet place. Turn off your phone and listen to the whispers that come from inside. Your inner voice was always there but was impossible to hear over the loudness of life. Don’t miss out on your Destiny because you were too distracted to notice, or too busy living life on somebody else’s terms to care. Take some time to slow down and listen closely.
24) Nobody really cares
Other than you parents, family and close friends nobody really cares about you.
For example, you could die tomorrow and your employer would post an open position the following week.
Don’t be sad, this is a relief. No longer should anyone’s judgement hold you back.
The people that matter don’t mind, and the people that mind don’t matter.
So have no fear and set out to take what’s yours. You are here to accomplish something. It’s up to you to find out what it is and make it happen.
25) Have fun
Life is short, and you only got one ticket to ride so you better enjoy it.
Life is meant to be lived to the fullest. To be appreciated. To leave the world a better place than you found it is the ultimate.
Be productive and work your ass off, yes. But remember, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”… and Jack became an axe murder.
Don’t come unhinged like Jack. Take care of business but don’t forget to enjoy yourself. Have fun once in a while or you’ll become neurotic.
Be responsible with your finances but remember money spent on fun is never wasted.
W. C. Fields said it well: “I spent half my fortune on gambling, booze and wind women, and the other half I wasted.”
Fields lived a life that most men dream about while they zone out during their office roundtable. Now, I’m not saying go bonkers with women and whisky, I’m saying to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
If I get stuck in a rut, I make it a point to mix it up. I’ll work from somewhere new, or I’ll walk through a part of town I’ve never been to before. Or, better yet, I schedule a new experience like deep sea fishing or hang gliding.
26) There are no rules
There are only laws. Rules are man made. Man made rules are broken, bent, erased and rewritten all the time.
The game of life doesn’t have a rule book. There are God’s laws, nature’s laws. Adhere to those. The rules created by man are made up and can be challenged.
27) Shake hands like a man
Work on your handshake. It’s such an easy thing to do, but some people overlook it. Too bad. A good handshake makes a world of difference. You can’t win the game of life alone. You need people. And people need to feel good about you before they help you. You only get one chance to make a first impression so you better make a damn good one.
Here’s how you shake hands:
Arm extended, hand slightly tensed, firmly clasp their hand. Make eye contact the whole time and smile.
Ta da. You’ve just established yourself as a someone who handles shit. Not some limp grip whip. Practice your handshake until it’s automatic.
28) Conduct yourself honorably
Conduct yourself honorably but don’t expect everyone to share your same code of conduct.
Most people are good. The vast majority, in fact. Most people follow the Golden Rule and give back the vibe you give them.
Still, make it a point to trust but verify. Better safe than sorry, because you have to live with the outcome. You don’t want to be bent over a barrel. it’s not a good look plus it could put your reputation and family’s wellbeing at risk.
Do your homework and never jump in bed with a business partner you haven’t checked out.
29) There are no wrong notes
Sometime people will get frustrated at the smallest screw up. Even something as simple as mispronouncing a word when they speak. They go “Dang it!” and bring attention to it, further messing up their flow.
This is a result of bad programming. Or if someone messes up they back petal. This is distracting for the listener and demoralizing for the speaker. If you say something off beat, don’t pull back. This creates a feeling of negativity. Own it and go with the flow.
When you make a mistake, keep going. These mistakes are easily forgivable by whoever witnesses them. And you will show confidence if you don’t call yourself out, back track and waste time. People’s attention spans are short and you want to keep the connection.
“The only difference between the wrong note and the right note is the next note.” – Miles Davis
Make mistakes benefit you. This is a small thing that makes a big difference in the way people perceive you.
30) Everything is connected
Imagine a chain reaction of trillions of events happening throughout time and space. It’s been that way since the beginning of time to this present moment. This makes it impossible to know how everything comes to be. But it’s all connected in an intricate game of cause and effect.
Everything is connected, physically, intellectually, and spiritually speaking. You are a small part of the big picture. Everything you say, think or do becomes a part of the picture too.
When you harm others you harm yourself. Because you harm the whole.
There’s and infinite invisible force waltzing around you. The only way to live in harmony with it all is to do no harm.
And if you want to help mankind, be kind.
31) Perception is reality
Perception is reality. Perception of reality, not objective reality, rules.
In other words, what people think about a thing is all that matters. People say it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. That’s partly true. But what’s more important is how people know you.
A moron can look like a genius and a genius can look like a moron. It’s all about peoples’ perception of you. This is a deep topic but I highly recommend you learn about the psychology of persuasion.
Billions of dollars are spent on marketing and media to make people think a certain way about a certain thing.
Keep this in mind and you will have x-ray vision and always make a good impression.
32) Honor God / the Universe
Honor the heavens by showing gratitude. We live in the greatest time ever to be alive. And we had no say whatsoever about when or where we are born. So, give thanks for all that is good.
There is no such thing as self made. We for sure couldn’t do anything without the natural world, and we didn’t make that.
There is a higher power us humans do not fully comprehend. There are an infinite amount of interactions happening instantaneously and continuously. We don’t know how they started or how they work exactly. We can’t keep track of it all. But the whole thing just works.
We never know how much of our efforts are self produced or provided through good fortune. Honor shows humility and respect. I think it’s wise to remember that the Creator deserves the credit for this big sandbox called the universe we play in.
Be grateful, give thanks, and give credit where credit is deserved.
That’s all for now. I hope that you join me in having the greatest year of all time.
What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below. It’s my birthday wish so you gotta leave something.
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