Dear friend,
If you knew your iPhone battery was only at 5% left — what would you do and not do with your remaining charge?
I. Life is a smartphone battery
The analogy is that your iPhone battery is your life.
When our iPhone batteries are at 5% — we go into panic mode. We turn off the wifi; we go into airplane mode.
We don’t dick around on social media, or check our email.
Rather, we conserve our charge and battery, to make sure that we need it for an emergency — like calling your partner, kids, friend, or having enough battery to call an Uber to go home.
II. What would you not do with your life charge?
What if you woke up today, and you knew that your life was only at 5% left? What would you do and not do in life?
For me, if I knew my life was only at 5% left— I would not desire superfluous material things. I would settle with the tools, clothes, and material things I already own — and not desire anything else.
I would not try to ‘optimize’ my life— to have the best. Rather, to be happy with what I already have (contentment) — and rather using all my energy, power, and will in empowering others.
III. Never stop empowering others.
My philosophy: settle with the tools you have (your car, home, clothes, camera, phone, laptop, tablet), and rather— never settle with your creative work.
That means, treat everyday like you were at 5%. Turn off your wifi. Go into airplane mode. Focus on creation. Don’t get distracted by anything that isn’t important to you.
IV. It is good to feel panic.
This is a better analogy than ‘living everyday like it were your last.’ Because I have no idea what that means.
But I know the panic I feel when my phone is only at 5% battery. And I feel that panic is what drives me. The panic that my life is short, that no matter what technology advancements we have, I will die. And it is my duty to die as a human being.
But while I still have that precious 5% charge left— let me give my juice to others.
And in life, there is no charging cable or external battery pack.
Be strong and focused,
Eric
Learn more: Your Life is a Smartphone Battery >
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Stoicism
Become invincible against fate:
- How not to give a FUCK about your REPUTATION
- WHAT IS A HUMAN?
- HAPPINESS.
- The Regret Minimization Framework in Photography and Life
- How to Be a HERO
- Conquer Your Fears by Making Fear Your Slave
- Rule Circumstances; Don’t Let Your Circumstances Rule You
- How to Love Yourself
- How to Turn Shit into Gold
- Your Parents Fuck You Up
- Immortality
- What Kills You Makes You Stronger
- How to Be Patient
- How to Conquer Anger
- How to Bounce Back in Life
- How to Overcome Resistance
- Nothing Unlimited is Good; Nothing Good is Unlimited
- You Have No Limits
- Can 1’s and 0’s Hurt You?
- The Envious Moment is Flying Now
- Tomorrow We’ll Sail the Wide Seas Again
- How to Forgive Others
- Focus on Your Actions, Not the Results
- Everything Will Be Alright
- How to Be a Stoic Street Photographer
- How to Be a Spartan Photographer
- How to Overcome Your Fears in Life
- How to Stop Worrying in Life
- How to Use Photography as Self-Therapy
- How to Free Your Soul From Disturbance
- 3 Stoic Techniques that Can Help You Gain Tranquility
- Can People Weaker than You Hurt You?
- Does a Doctor Get Angry at a Crazy Patient?
- Own Nothing
Learn From the Masters of Stoicism
Learn from the master stoics: