{"id":44217,"date":"2017-03-21T18:01:47","date_gmt":"2017-03-22T01:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=44217"},"modified":"2017-03-21T18:01:47","modified_gmt":"2017-03-22T01:01:47","slug":"how-to-turn-shit-into-gold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/21\/how-to-turn-shit-into-gold\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Turn Shit into Gold"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"eric<\/p>\n

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

Be like King Midas\u00e2\u20ac\u201d turn the shit of life into gold.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Let me tell you my life story<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

Life hits us with shit all the time. What if we could live a life where we can take all the shitty situations in life, and turn them into positive situations?<\/p>\n

I cannot generalize to your life, so I will give you some real life examples from my life.<\/p>\n

2. (Some) shit that has happened to me<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

I grew up with my dad essentially being a lazy bum at home, not working, and forcing my mom to hold down menial labor jobs, hustling 12 hour days, 6-7 days a week, just to pay the bills. That has taught me the virtue of hard work. Because I never want to be lazy like my dad.<\/p>\n

I grew up having my dad being mentally and physically abusive to my mom. I learned to never put a finger on Cindy, any woman, and to never say anything hateful to anybody.<\/p>\n

I tore my rotator cuff in college bench-pressing more than I could handle, and I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t lift my arms for 6 months. I learned the limits of my body, and not to push myself past my limits. To also respect my body, and appreciate the faculty of my body.<\/p>\n

I tore the ligaments in my ankles (twice) in college playing basketball. I had to use crutches for 3 months. I built a lot of empathy to disabled individuals. I also learned how helpful strangers were\u00e2\u20ac\u201d holding the doors open for me, getting me food in the dorms, etc.<\/p>\n

Growing up having my dad gamble away the rent money, worrying if my mom would be able to pay the rent at the end of the month, and worried about becoming homeless. Now I have an allergy to gambling money, and I have learned to build up a savings, to never go broke.<\/p>\n

Whenever I get into an argument with Cindy, and I get fucking pissed off, I learn to build patience, compassion, and understanding. And to become a better person. Cindy is my best positive critic in my life.<\/p>\n

When I first started to get a lot of negative hate online, it helped me build a tougher skin.<\/p>\n

3. Have the King Midas Touch<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

I think we can all have the King Midas touch. You know the story, of King Midas, whenever he touched anything, it turned into gold?<\/p>\n

To have the king Midas touch: To take any negative situation, and think of the positive it can give you in life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In life, we cannot prevent shit from hitting us. We cannot prevent people from attacking us. Even if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s best boxer, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to get punched in the face.<\/p>\n

But you have the choice how to interpret<\/em> life\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s events. You can re-interpret<\/em> negative events in your life, and extract the positive. To take out the stinger of the bee, and to just extract the honey<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

4. How to train your mind<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

Of course you need to be rational. A lot of your enemies are not saying spiteful hate to you to be nice, or to make you a stronger person. A lot of vipers out there have poison in their fangs, and want to kill you.<\/p>\n

But if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a massive beast, would you be offended by the barking of dogs?<\/p>\n

If you are a Spartan soldier from 300, would you let a scrawny kid who picks his nose, and says hateful things on YouTube comments harm you?<\/p>\n

If you are Muhammad Ali, would the punches of a rookie harm you?<\/p>\n

Visualize yourself as having \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcadamantine\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 armor. Adamantine is the same material in X-Men Wolverine\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s claws. He re-generates immediately, even though he feels the pain of hot steel going through his flesh.<\/p>\n

Or imagine yourself wearing diamond-plated armor. The only material that can cut diamonds are other diamonds. Only materials stronger than you can cut you. If you have diamond-plated armor, can you let puny wooden arrows harm you? They will hit you, but will bounce off your brilliant armor; harmless. You will just laugh.<\/p>\n

5. I might laugh at this one day<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

I think rather than lamenting, complaining, or feeling depressed in life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is better to laugh.<\/p>\n

To laugh at our own pain. Kind of how Brad Pitt is laughing while getting beaten up in the movie \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcFight Club\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.<\/p>\n

Whenever shitty things happen to me in life, I try to think to myself:<\/p>\n

\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Maybe one day, I will look at this memory fondly. Or maybe even laugh at it one day.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I remember when I was punked and bullied as a kid growing up. Shit was really painful. I was overweight as a kid, and I was always teased. I remember when I was in middle school, some of my drug-dealing schoolmates would call me faggot and bully me around. Shit was scary as a kid.<\/p>\n

Now I look back, and I laugh.<\/p>\n

6. Everything happens for a reason<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

Lastly, I think being spiritual helps.<\/p>\n

Regardless of what your religion, spiritual beliefs, whatever\u00e2\u20ac\u201d just think to yourself:<\/p>\n

\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Everything happens for a reason.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You can interpret this in any way.<\/p>\n

You can think that God brings challenges to your life, like a good boxing trainer. If you want to become Muhammad Ali, you need to fight opponents stronger than you, to become stronger.<\/p>\n

If you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe in God, or \u00e2\u20ac\u02dca\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 God \u00e2\u20ac\u201d but are spiritual, just think that:<\/p>\n

\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When you follow your heart\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s treasure, the universe conspires in your favor<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (to quote the book \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcThe Alchemist\u00e2\u20ac\u2122)\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you are atheist, and don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe in the human soul, anything spiritual, whatever, just think:<\/p>\n

\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Be strong my heart, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve endured worse than this.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (to quote Homer, the Odyssey)\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Be strong,
\nEric<\/p>\n

\n

Learn How to Become Invincible in Life ><\/a><\/p>\n

\"out<\/p>\n

Become invincible against fate:<\/p>\n