Parenting Thoughts: On Being a Father

Pater — father. Life’s ultimate joy, especially if you have a son!

The heir to the throne?

It seems that all men desire to have at least one son. Whenever you see a family of two girls, three girls, or even four girls, you could definitely see that the family tried to have a son, but didn’t and stopped.

Your son is a mini you

If you are a man, a father, and you have a son, let us realize and recognize that your son is just a mini you. Don’t you desire your son to become so insanely epic, 1 billion times better than you?

To compare your kid to any other kid is mediocritizing

Why is competition and comparison so bad? It mediocritizes. It is a form of standardization, standardization is bad. Do you want to make your kids standard, or a new level?

Having kids is insanely underrated

Modern day society, and new millennial norms are degenerate. I find it frightening with modern day millennial norms to think that nowadays everyone just wants a dog, a cat, and no kids. To just travel the world, go to Japan, and eat good food.

I am pro kids, anti-pets. Anti-dogs, anti-cats.

Is pain virtuous?

No. To be in pain, and to suffer, and to somehow inflict more pain, hardship and misery upon yourself is foolish at best.

PHILOSOPHY IS MY ARCHIMEDES LEVER

Even before I got into photography, when I was in high school, I was always curious about deeper things in life, like the meaning of life, how to thrive in life, etc.

Also, how to empower and motivate oneself, how to inspire oneself, how to live the best life, etc.

What does it mean to want “respect“ from others?

Respect — respicio. To back, again, look at.

Specio — observe.

*Spek— to look at. To see, to observe, to look.

Theory 1 on respect; we want to be looked at, observed, acknowledged?

Then, when we want respect or to be “respected“ from others, we just want everyone to acknowledge us? But what if we don’t want to acknowledge them?

Theory 2 on respect; it is predicated on notions of mutual reciprocity. But what if you don’t want their reciprocity, or you see them as under you?

MY PARADISE

My paradise; good sleep, good coffee in the morning, going outside, basking in the beautiful warm sun.

Reviewing my photos on my iPad Pro, selecting and flagging my favorite ones, deriving deep delight from the photos I’ve made.

Also, going to the gym, attempting and hyping myself up for new one rep max attempts.

Also, time with Seneca and Cindy, great meat feasts, deep annd early sleep.

Also, time to think, philosophize, create.

Don’t Stay at the Base

Don’t be basic.

No basic thinking, no basic living, no basic concerns.

Don’t stay at home, don’t stay inside the house, don’t stay at the base.

HOW TO GET INSANELY EPIC LEGS

Every day is leg day:

1. Atlas lift

I also call it the squat hold; essentially, just putting insanely heavy weight on the squat rack, and the only goal is to just lift it up a little bit, hold it for a few seconds, and just put it down. Even lifting it up for half a second is sufficient.

Currently as I write this, my personal record is 750 pounds; seven 45 pound plates on each side, a 35 pound plate, and a 2 1/2 pound on each side.

2. Rack pull

The second essential lift is the rack pull. Essentially load up a very very heavy weight, on the power rack, and it just depends to a size that feels comfortable to your height. Essentially imagine a shortened deadlift, only the very top.

When you do a rack pull, no belt, no straps, no knee wraps, etc. Just use liquid weightlifting chalk, and for your heavier sets, a mixed grip.

Also a pro tip is when you are doing the rack pull, push and also pull up much with your legs!

3. Very heavy dumbbell Farmers walk

The goal is very simple; only using weightlifting chalk, no hand or wrist wraps, seek to lift up the heaviest dumbbells that your gym offers, and just walk it out a little bit. For my gym that is 150 pound dumbbells.

KEEP THEM GUESSING.

When people ask you what you are or what you do, always give them the funnier, more unexpected answer.

For example, when people are confused with my short range of motion lifts, like my atlas lift or my rack pull, if people are curious what I am, I will tell them I’m just a bodybuilder.

Why? Reality and results don’t lie; doing 750 pounds, on the atlas lift has given me insane gains, especially in my midsection, shoulders and back, thighs, legs and calves!

Toughen up.

The upside of going barefoot, or letting your kids run around barefoot is that a toughens up their feet.