Aspire means to breathe. Also, aspiration is the secret to optimism.

Also, Focus on growth. Relentless growth. Growth at any cost.

For physical growth, when it comes to your muscles, tendons, bones, the news, a simple rule: attempt a one rep max lift, once a week, and spend the rest of the time eating beef ribs, steak, beef liver, brisket, burger patties etc.

Become the Lamborghini

Some thing I realized about Lamborghini: it is not the car itself, but what it symbolizes. Audaciousness, recklessness, ego, mania, and Apex masculinity. However, buying a car does not make you this. For example, if you’re an obese and weak man, buying a Lamborghini will not make you masculine.

For example, let us consider three of the most masculine men of modern times: Tyler Durden of fight club, who says he doesn’t even own a car, king Leonidas of the movie 300, and also John Wick. Their masculinity comes from what they do not have, and more of their physical courage, and physical strength.

Become more loud and reckless

Would you rather be the lion, or the meek herd animal?

Some simple things you could do is like doing a beast roar or a beast hype up grunt, and being loud at the gym, and don’t use headphones.

In public, walk around without your shirt on. Just don’t break any laws.

Also, show your face. Don’t wear sunglasses, which just hides your eyes, which actually makes you less courageous.

Wave hi and smile and say hello to strangers. To be standoffish, and antisocial is cowardly.

Move the world

“Tell me where to stand, and I shall move the world!” – Archimedes

The closest thing that I personally discovered, in our quest to move the world, and maximize our impact in the world is the notion of Archimedes‘s lever. The great innovation of the mechanical lever is this: one man can multiply his strength by 1000fold, given he knows where to put the fulcrum, and where to stand.

This is why I like studying physics and thinking about physics. First principles notions and physics, going back to Aristotle is very useful. Also, to become more aspirational, it is become more childlike, more entrepreneurial, and also more philosophical.

The philosopher and child are similar in these two regards: they always question the status quote, and they never accept anything as true unless they personally attempted it.

Full stack publishing

One of my personal innovations is this: use all forms of media to publish, and share your ideas and artwork.

For example, some people prefer to read, some people prefer to watch videos, some people prefer to listen to audio. I say do it all. This means publish your ideas as YouTube video vlogs, podcasts, blog posts, text and images, open source audio files and open-source video files via VideoPress.

Also, if you’re going to publish something on Facebook, or Medium, or some external hosting party, include both the raw text, and a link back to your website.

Own it

“UNTIL you own yourself you can’t be free. Until you own yourself you can’t be me.” – JAY Z

We don’t want any limits or ceilings. No glass ceilings. How do we prevent this? You own the platform. A simple heristic on whether you own something or not:

Is the service being hosted for “free“? Or do you pay a monthly fee for it?

For example, I have zero qualms about paying my website hosting fee. It is not that much, maybe $200 a month. But to me, that is probably the most important money I pay, as my website and blog is the supreme source of my power and influence.

Own your own domain: literally and figuratively.

Overcompensation is good

We always make fun of guys who buy a big truck, in order to “overcompensate” for their lack of, something…

However, overcompensation is a physiological fact, which is good.

For example, how do we physiologically get stronger? How is it that when I was in college, I could barely deadlift two plates, and now I could deadlift over 465 pounds?

Nassim Taleb‘s theory when it comes to physiological growth is an anti-fragile notion of overcompensation. That when we attempt a very very heavy lift, our personal maximum, then after the attempt, our body overcompensates by becoming stronger, preparing itself to become “overstrong” in order to lift an even heavier weight the next week or two.

Perhaps this is also how we get stronger psychologically. When we are exposed to trauma as a child, our mind overcompensates in itself, becoming less sensitive, and more strong.

Also, with skin. When we are exposed to a lot of sun, our body overcompensates by producing more melanin, making our skin darker. This is why I never use sunblock.

Also, with coffee or caffeine consumption. Maybe it is good to overcompensate.

Also with sleep, not just the standard eight hours. Strive towards overcompensating with the 12 hours a night like a growing child. Back when I lived in Providence and would go to the gym every single day, I would naturally sleep 12 hours a night, and eat a shitload of meat every single day (at least 4 pounds) for my body to overcompensate and become stronger.

Think decade+

You can pace yourself. Think at the decade+ level.

For example, my insanely audacious desire to deadlift 700 pounds before I die. If I think to myself that I could just do this in a decade, this goal seems very attainable.

Set the bar insanely high

I think it is better to set the bar insanely high for yourself, and have something to aspire to, and fail a little bit short of it, than to set the bar too low, and achieve it. Why? This is the only life you got. Don’t you want to just use your life as an opportunity for you to discover what your personal maximum is?

ERIC