What truly motivates people? I cannot speak for women, but let me speak for men:
For men, I believe true motivators include the lust and desire to conquer, augment, to build, and also to destroy. I think men desire more power, both physiologically and metaphorically.
We are incentivized by greater challenges. The privilege of even more of a monster of a challenge!
Talentum, talanton — weight, towards weighing gold.
Idea:
There is no such thing as “talented†people — the notion of “talent†is to simply weigh someone, and show their worth or value.
Talent Management 2030 Design — towards lethality, effectiveness:
Think space. Think cyber.
The more photos you produce and make, the happier you will become:
To be a productive photographer simply means that you produce many photos. In modern day life, when we think about productivity, we tend to just think of people who are really good at sending emails and being responsive. This is not real productivity. Real productivity is actually creating and producing things, not to simply respond and be responsive to others.
I have an interesting theory; I believe there is actually a deep link between muscle and photography. That, the more I build muscle, the more muscular I become, and the stronger I become, I also become a happier and more productive photographer.
The best way to become more motivated in your photography is to delete your Instagram. Also, just upload all your photos to your own website blog.
Metrics are bad. Metrics mediocritizes. That means, the more you add metrics to something, the more mediocre you become.
Why do we feel this pressure to always add metrics to everything? My theory is because the modern-day man has no self-esteem, and feels that in order to justify himself, or feel mighty and strong, he must tie his self-esteem and his self ego to a number, or metrics.
However, how is this bad? Numbers are a slave mentality.
“Progress†is a modern notion, and also a bad notion.
When you think about “progress“, typically it is tied to numbers. That when you see the number go up, it is a good thing. And when you see the numbers go down, it is a bad thing.
However, numbers are a funny thing because sometimes when a number goes up it is good, and sometimes when the number goes down it is good. And sometimes when the number goes up it is bad, and sometimes when the number goes down it is bad. It is highly context dependent.
For example, increasing your fat and adipose tissue and seeing the number go up is bad. To see your body fat percentage, and your adipose fat tissue going down is a good thing.
The basic thought we have as photographers is that the more likes, comments, and the more followers we get, the better. But should this really be the goal? Maybe not. For example, assuming that we are the new Spartans, maybe it is better to see the numbers go down. Rather than having 1 million Persian slaves, better to have the elite spartan 300.
Also a funny thing, when you see certain numbers go up, for example, enrollment numbers at a University of California university, it is typically seen as a bad thing. Better to be a Harvard or a Brown University, in which, the enrollment is actually very very low. To become more prestigious is actually to have fewer people.
Or, let us consider a party. If you’re having a rich and famous Hollywood party, what is better, to have a single Kim Kardashian attend your party, or 1 million nobodies?
Or with fashion, is it better to on 1000 articles of H&M clothing, or a handful of Balenciaga clothes?
What is the best way to see and experience the world? The purity of a child’s eyes. Child’s mind, child’s eyes.
Spend more time with kids.
For example, spending more time with my niece and nephew Benjamin and Amelia. Amelia is now seven years old, and she still has fresh eyes. Even more pure is Benjamin, who is only four years old.
Even something I have discovered is that once kids enter school, they lose some purity of their mind. They fall more victim to trying to fit in, and their own true individual preferences become overshadowed by peer pressure, and trying to fit in.
I really think that the traditional K-12 education, even the modern-day university system is bad for individuality and creativity. Even for myself, the last decade, I’ve been trying my best to unlearn, and desocialize myself from past biases.
I believe a really big advance for our own creativity is to kill our past masters in photography. This means, disregard what our masters have said in the past, and we must start afresh. Start anew.
What does master even mean? Master means maestro, teacher. At a certain point, we must become the teacher, we must become the master.
How to become your own master in photography:
Realize and recognize that now, you are your own independent thinker, photographer, and you become the teacher.
How can you teach photography? Simple — on your own blog, your own email newsletter, your own YouTube channel, your own podcast, etc.
For example if we think about the Matrix, Morpheus was initially the teacher of Neo. But there’s a certain point in which Neo becomes the new master.
Carte blanche means blank slate. A fresh new piece of paper. A new fresh beginning, wiping the slate clean.
Disregard all of the past bias in photography, and start new.
ERIC
HAPTIC TOOLS to conquer it all:
Upload them to arsbeta.com
Have a Chat with WHY APP?
More ideas
“Better to make a bad photo that no photo.â€
EK
EK PHOTO TURBO NEWSLETTER MOTIVATION
On thinking infinite and beyond:
Also infinite directions and opportunities. The upside of free enterprise, freedom of self employment, sole proprietorship, the freedom to be self employed, self owned, self directed.
How to go god mode:
Just broke the 700 pound barrier for my atlas lift, squat push lift hold.
New total: 705 pounds.
One rep max attempts at the gym!
Literally and metaphorically. When it is cold, and you’re cold, just go to the gym and lift heavy!
The best decisions are gut decisions.
Biden just pumped $800 billion dollars, around 1 trillion dollars into the Defense.gov US Military.
Funny enough, this is a bad sign for fiat currency. Why? The more that the US government prints fake money to pump up the US military, assigned that somewhere, this system makes no sense.
The US military department of defense concept and strategy (PDF).
All you need is 300.
people want to buy beautiful clothes in order to become beautiful, but in fact, the only beauty is the body, your own human body.
Instead of spending all that money on fashion, beautiful clothes, beautiful accessories, beautiful cars, beautiful bags, beautiful wallets, beautiful watches, etc., instead use that money time and effort at the gym, at yoga, weightlifting, and meat.
In order to build a demigod body, some simple thoughts and strategies:
There are certain things which are in our control, and certain things which are not in our control. One thing which is not in our control is how rich or famous we will become. However, one thing we do have the power of is how to craft and build our bodies.
The body is democratic. All human beings, assuming that you have a normal bodily physiology, is more or less the same. I don’t believe in “genetics“, this is essentially the new racism 2.0.
I truly believe that any human being, regardless of male or female can build a demigod body. Women should strive to become demigoddesses, and men should strive to become demigods.
For men — Achilles is the goal. Or Hercules.
For women — Athena, or Pallas Athene.
No protein powder, no creatine, no pre-workout powder, no steroids, no testosterone, no synthol, etc.
All you need is beef. Don’t eat chicken. Chicken is not meat, and not beef.
Don’t eat fruits or vegetables. Fruit is just candy with a good conscience, and vegetables are just pretentious starch. I have never witnessed a vegan or vegetarian who looked like a demigod.
Rack pull, atlas lift, one rep max style:
Your own body as a work of art!
In Praise of Building Your Body
Treat your body as sculpture.
The first thing:
I don’t see my body as belonging to me. I look at my body like it belongs to someone else.
When I look at the Lamborghini of someone else, I admire it. When I see the muscles and physiques of anyone else, I admire it. Then I had the epiphany:
Why not transform my own body into a Lambo, and admire my own body instead?
The great logic:
To sculpt your own body is insanely fun. Why? You can see the change over time!
Once again, the goal is simple:
Never stop adding muscle mass, and never stop reducing body fat, or keeping it low (around 10%).
The more muscle you have, the more energy you got. The more power you got to make art-work, and live with gratitude, joy, and hyper-vigor.
Strengthen on, and flex on!
ERIC
Lululemon clearance (we made too much) stuff —
Paypal checkout through the Lululemon.com website is insanely frictionless!
Shows off your muscles better. Also the added benefit of feeling your muscles bulging, expanding under your shirt. A good motivator to keep lifting, working out, and getting even more swole?
Can’t stop, won’t stop.
Also, don’t optimize yourself for the machine, or any other algorithm!
They call it weight-lifting, not weight-pressing.
Theory —
Lifting exercises are good (rack pull, atlas lift), pressing motions are bad? (bench press, dumbbell press, floor press?)
Farmers walk. Rack pulls. Weighted chin-ups. Insanely heavy dumbbell deadlift.
700 pound atlas lift:
7 plates and beyond, 700 pounds and beyond is lit:
Become more social, become happier, stronger, and more!
It is my personal thought in today’s world, to be social is a virtue. If you think about it, all success stems from the social.
For example, much success is to be had when you network, meet investors, build business connections, etc.
Also, assuming that you want to become a personality, start a YouTube channel or blog, etc., being more social is better than being less social.
I think a lot of people are held back by the fear of making other people feel uncomfortable. However let us note, if somebody is uncomfortable by your behavior, that is their problem, not yours. I think it is better to attempt to be insanely friendly, and make somebody feel uncomfortable, rather than not to attempt it at all.
A very very simple thought is if you want to become more social, one of the best places to go to is the gym. Or you could go to yoga, just sign up for a CorePower membership.
When you’re at the gym, don’t work out with headphones or AirPods on. This will give you the opportunity to talk to more people, and also let other people have the opportunity to talk to you.
Much of our social life is held back by the fact that our social sensors, a.k.a. our eyes in our ears are blocked. Our eyes are blocked by our phones, and our ears are blocked by our headphones or AirPods. If you want to be more social, just keep your phone in your backpack, and also don’t bring headphones to the gym, and also don’t work out with headphones on.
Something funny that I have discovered is as I have become more loud, hypelifting at the gym, yelling loud, I attract a lot of attention. And as a result, a lot of people actually come up to me and just start chatting with me. Thus ironically enough, to open up more avenues of social life, get louder.
Also, when you see somebody that you like, somebody you want to talk to, or somebody who is just wearing a cool outfit or accessories, compliment them. Just approach them and compliment them on their clothes, shoes, accessories, look, etc. This can open up an opportunity for you to have a conversation with them.
And the reason why I am so social is that I am like a big kid. I like to joke, have fun, be an entertainer and joker. I think a lot of people want to “look cool“, but in fact, that is just a signal of insecurity and lack of self-confidence.
A lot of street photography is confidence in the context of strangers on the streets. There is a silly bias in street photography that you’re not allowed to talk to people. I say it doesn’t matter whether you shoot it with permission or without, it just depends on the situation, what type of photo you want to make, and your mood.
In fact, I believe it actually takes more courage to approach a stranger and ask for permission to make a portrait of them, than to shoot a candid photo of them.
A very very simple way to approach a stranger and ask to make a portrait of them is to approach them, and say, excuse me sir, or excuse me miss, I love your look. Do you mind if I make a portrait of you?
A simple way to build your confidence is approach a bunch of strangers and try to intentionally get rejected 10 times. The STREET NOTES approach // digital.
A simple thought is let your natural enthusiasm drive you. That means only interact and talk to people and socialize with people that you’re interested in. For example, if you get the sense that somebody has good vibes, just approach them and start talking to them. Tell them that you like their good vibes. I think it is a good idea to wear your heart on your sleeve.
If you frequent the gym a lot, or go to yoga, or some other regular fitness activity like CrossFit, etc., get to know peoples names. Ideally their full first and last name. I also find that in order to remember someone’s name, I ask them whether they know somebody famous with the same first name. This just adds a little bit more friction to help you force to remember their name.
Let us remember that there is no sweeter sound than the sound of our own name.
Even my friend Timothy Flanagan tells me, after being a teacher for over 30 years, kids get easily offended if you don’t remember their name, yet they do not realize that a new teacher needs to remember at least 100 names.
Even when I teach workshops, I have actually found that the number one critical thing to build a relationship with your student is to strive with all your strength to remember their name. Ideally their first and last.
It is hard to be social if you just stay at home all day. Yet a lot of people want to stay home in order to “save money“. I say, maybe it is a good idea to eat out, go to restaurants, go to the local all you can eat Korean barbecue place in order to socialize with people you can socialize with — waitresses waiters and anybody else you encounter.
To be social as a practice. I say practice being social every day, all day. Better to make small talk, than to make no talk.
Surprisingly enough, one of the best ways to quickly build a rapport with somebody is to ask deep questions. Ask them about their life passions, life goals, etc. 99.9% of the time people will tell you honestly. Go big.
Better to attempt to be social, and get strange stares, to be laughed at or ignored than not to attempt it at all!
ERIC
What can you become this new year?
Become more prolific this year!
More in HAPTIC SHOP
Shed the old leaves. Become a new, better you!
ERIC
Feeling more confident? Feel free to forward this to a friend needing a quick pump!
“That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.†– Nietzsche
When atlas squat hold lifting 700 pounds with my sleeves rolled up sleeveless, the bar was so heavy that it digged into my shoulders and rubbed off some skin. Lesson — tshirt is good because it covers your shoulders a bit, better for squats!
Second lesson —
Don’t buy or use cutoff or sleeveless shirts when lifting insanely heavy weights at the gym — whether squats or rack pulls and beyond.
Why do all the male Lululemon models look so weak and anaemic?
Lesson —
Only use male models who lift weights!
KING KIM in the house
Put your flesh at risk, at danger — at the front lines to take damage. You’re the defender, the avenger.
iPad Pro — no stupid keyboard, pencil, etc.
Adrenaline in me like I got injected (Big Sean)
Nothing can conquer me!
700 and beyond:
Especially for interior car photos and home interiors!
Why? It promotes the most “wellnessâ€.
Also a heuristic and rule of thumb —
Whenever someone tells you to eat this thing because it is “good†for you or “healthyâ€, it isn’t.
Vegetables are just starch. Fruit is candy with a good conscience. The only non meat items to eat are dark bitter leafy greens and fermented kimchi.
Either give them 100% pure love and care and soul, or 100% ignoring their existence.
Once I have tackled a certain monster of a challenge, I seek even a greater challenge. Even more monster of a challenge.
Even wearing an insanely bright neon yellow, neon green, neon pink/magenta shirt– you will affect external visual reality and others!
Good background noise:
