So the interesting idea of today, –> perhaps the secret of having an invincible mind is having an invincible body?
why traveling is so difficult
So back in LA after about 2 1/2 months abroad, the last three weeks in which I had no access to a gym or weightlifting. Now that I have my garage gym back, I definitely feel like 1 billion times happier.
I think the tricky thing is, we tend to think that, somehow there is a disconnect between the body and mind. I think the deep truth is, the mind is a fiction, the body is real.
physiological truth
I think the reason why insanely hot sauna’s baths, being in the water, swimming, being in the ocean… Or ice cold showers or ice, plunge or ice baths are so effective is… It certainly gives some sort of positive shock or distraction to your system, which is good for your emotional calibration and recalibration.
In fact, probably maybe 80% of the benefit of doing hot yoga is actually the fact that the room is insanely hot, in which… You literally cannot even think about all of your life, problems or issues, because… The heat gets you out of your mind?
access to weightlifting
For me, true happiness, enjoy is kind of simple… At least once, being able to lift weights, at least once a day? Even more fun when I am doing it with friends or buddies, etc.
If you think about the ancient Spartans, it seems like perhaps 95% of their socialization happen, during their military training, exercise exercises, I could imagine them topless in the sun or the shade, chatting in between target practice, weapons, training, etc. Recently, I’ve actually been training some local buddies of mine, and some new faces, I feel like I’m starting my own fight club, we call it “the lab.”
But anyways, I think one big thing that I overlooked in terms of happiness or optimal human thriving is actually some sort of social manly club Joy?
For example, should be told, funny enough some of the happiest moments of my life were probably in high school… When I had my tightly knit group of friends I would see every single day, multiple times a day, and we had that strong bond. College and university was great also in terms of social life, however… Funny enough high school feels a little bit more tribal, whereas University feels more cosmopolitan? Like in high school 90% of my friends were men, most of my close friends were men, and then once I went to college it was maybe like 50-50? Or because I studied sociology, maybe like 80% my friends were actually women?
the insight of fight club
My sister was telling me that apparently, the biggest issue in America is this male loneliness epidemic? My friend Chris also told me that, also apparently the amount of unhappy unmarried men are also at an all-time high?
why Social
This is actually the big thing that I have been thinking about and pondering recently, yes, what is the purpose of this all?
I think the biological physiological parts… It seems when we are social, there are certain positive bonding hormones which are emitted. Maybe with men it is testosterone, dopamine, and also… Some sort of hidden male bonding hormone? Some sort of masculine oxytocin? 
I think social skills are certainly the future, once you have the AI’s being able to solve all the difficult mathematical and scientific stuff and engineering stuff, certainly all the suicidal issues and human related issues will remain, if not become more exacerbated. This is why… Also with my son, I really try to prioritize social skills communication etc. Even our summer abroad, I’m so grateful that Seneca is learning about Khmer Cambodian culture, Hong Kong culture, Cantonese, Mandarin… As well as Japan and Japanese.
why does this matter
One interesting observation that I have made is if you think about all media, they always involve human beings. Even the cartoons are just animated versions of human social relationships.
So in some ways, when people watch media… What they really want is some sort of social connection.  this is why when you watch some sort of anime or long standing TV show series… These people actually in fact do become your friends. However the response is not reciprocal. 
is the purpose of life to be Social?
The tricky thing, once again… It seems that our supreme Joy is being social, being part of a society, having Social bonds, communities clubs etc., yet, is the goal to be Social?
My thought is, without some sort of social life, you will be quite unhappy and perhaps miserable. Even the interesting insight is, when we just are surrounded by people we actually feel more at ease, even though we may not necessarily interact with them.
However being Social for the sake of being Social, once again is kind of fun and playful, but not the end goal?
a higher purpose
“for a man who has a WHY in life can always figure out a HOW to life”- Nietzsche
I think what we are all searching for is some sort of higher purpose to life. Even Elon Musk, his grand life mission is to make humans interplanetary go to Mars etc. Capital is jet fuel, simply as a means to get there.
Another big thought that I have is, your life purpose doesn’t need to be connected to your economic output purpose. For example, it’s probably better to be some sort of investment banker and do 100% volunteering work on the side rather than being some sort of underpaid and overstressed and overworked social worker?
Cindy says in Vietnamese culture there is the left-hand job and the right hand job. The left-hand job is I think what pays the bills, the right hand job is your passion?
So now what
If we think about memento mori, the fact that, you might die today, and or, To output at least once a day, your life passion?
I think for myself, perhaps the greatest contribution I could make to humanity is perhaps philosophical, that involves these essays, or attempts of gaining deeper insights about life etc.
Therefore as a practice, my simple tactic is first thing in the morning, after I have my morning coffee, are you intentionally try to start the day without any sort of external media or information to enter my short-term consciousness, to use this valuable mind space time to think, recollect, and also write and voice dictate these essays? To also Vlog, and to propagate these ideas? Perhaps in terms of a good day, at least one hike, at least one propagation of thoughts, weightlifting, then my life should be good?
discovering your deeper life purpose
Honestly I think we all know what it is, but we always try to justify it, in terms of the economic output? However, once again… I think it is a good idea to separate the two.
The purpose or way of life is growth
Overcoming setbacks, and once again, growing and growing is perhaps the way of life and nature.
For example, imagine a tree, a huge sequoia or pine tree or even a weed, you chop it in half, 70%, 90%, or even to the bottom of the stump, and what happens? It always grows back! Whether we try to force it or not?
The stamp or the tree or the shrub or the weed, will start to regrow, have new tender shoots, and start to regrow again?
Also something I have discovered in life is, maybe a lesson from weightlifting is it is not about hitting a certain number, or after getting injured, regaining your old personal records, but rather, using the injury and pain as information to pioneer a new technique and approach, which doesn’t cause pain, but rather, increases your strength and power, simply by innovating the technique, leverage and form?
For example, I’ve certainly messed up my back my lower back, my spine several times, from dead lifting off the floor. First from conventional, then I injured myself, then, this was the stimulus to having to switch to sumo, then, another very major injury from sumo dead lift off the floor, and then after much experimentation, discovering the rack pull, then some minor injuries from using mixed grip, which caught me to using simple dead lifting straps, and then once I snapped those twice, to the figure 8 dead lifting straps?
Therefore as a principle, the big idea is, whenever you get injured, whether a small or minor, or extremely big injuries, which take months, if not years of recovery… Rather than feeling regret, instead, gaining insight wisdom and the opportunity for innovation,