Dreams Start With Patience #64

Reading time: 5 minutes

You and I aren't any different.

The vast majority of us are hardwired the same.

In this world, everyone has a major problem we share (especially if you're younger)

The classic overconsumption-core/distraction model of capitalism.

The other day, I met a couple in the bar.

Heidi and Matt—a stereotypical, goofy duo with great personalities.

It's early afternoon, and I learned that the two of them are embracing the nomad lifestyle in their late 20s.

"What do you guys do for a living?" I ask.

"I'm a Johnny Cash impersonator and she works in marketing for the PGA," the gentleman in front of me answers.

On any given day of the week, someone interesting can walk through any door, I've learned.

It's a Wednesday afternoon, and there's not a damn soul around in this bar.

The people who show up on weekdays, completely out of sync with the rest of society, are some of the most interesting individuals you'll meet.

Those with freedom from rigid, traditional schedules are usually high-energy risk takers.

And that's exactly what happens when people break their overconsumption habits and limiting beliefs.

Health is the highway to high-energy

When you optimize your life for better health, the road you're traveling becomes much easier to bear.

Sitting is considered the new smoking, and heavy screen time is associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety.

But it's awfully simple to just get a magic pill to band-aid your problems.

Leaving behind a life of high energy might be the worst thing you can do to your potential self.

This couple in the bar were incredible—entertaining, charming, and even intelligent.

Even with all the positives in their lives, they were just genuinely kind with good vibes.

After about an hour of talking with them and serving them drinks, the cracks began to show.

Heidi began to tell me about her struggles with social media, cell-phone usage, and the fear of being perceived.

Even the greatest people you can imagine have their neurotransmitters hijacked by tech companies.

"I just want to read more—it's way too boring now, even though I used to love reading when I was a kid."

Instantly, I felt compelled to share my recent experience with a hard-mode dopamine detox protocol.

It's hard to see people suffering; it's what makes you an empathetic person.

The struggle with overconsumption is everywhere, so here's what I told her about creating a new habit (in this case, reading).

Reading is the gateway to changing thought.

When you change your medium of consumption, your mind changes with it:

I've spent countless hours reading books that have changed my perspective, my fears, and even my dreams.

In 2022 I read a book called Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson.

This book changed my life because of one sentence:

"Read what you love until you love to read."

I stopped forcing myself to read and began to read because it was enjoyable.

And eventually I just started to read everything I could get my hands on.

If reading is a snooze fest for you in your adult life (like it is for Heidi), you're not following your curiosity.

I started with fiction about dragons and wizards; now it's psychology and philosophy.

But it doesn't matter—reading isn't a comparative sport.

If you read for 2 hours a day, you are a 1% reader worldwide

This habit retrains your mind for higher levels of thinking.

You can process more data and create frameworks for enhanced decision making.

It's a less-stimulating activity, so your brain thanks you.

It changes the way you focus, which in turn changes how you think.

Dunning-Kruger effect: a cognitive bias where people with limited competence in a specific area overestimate their abilities, often due to a lack of self-awareness and the skills needed to recognize their own incompetence.

Reading is how you overcome the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Because eventually, you start to realize you don't know what you don't know.

And once again, the mind is incredible at generating ideas but terrible at saving them.

We overconsume, love to be stimulated, and get distracted from pursuing our dreams.

New habits are uncomfortable, but never finding your way is even worse.

The dreams you had meant everything to a younger version of you.

But life gets in the way.

It's far easier to accept the fact you were distracted than the fact you gave up.

You've been told "no" too many times, and you allow the weight of the world to prevent any progress you make.

The only way out of this trap is to find a purpose.

In the future, everything will continue to be automated by robots and AI.

But you can't give up—even with AI advancements and a rapidly changing world order.

Things are hard, but you chose the difficulty level.

In your 20s you think the world is run by people far more intelligent than you.

At some point, though, you realize that it's endurance that truly matters.

This life is a marathon in any endeavor you pursue:

• Wealth creation

• Health mastery and longevity

• Relationships and emotional intelligence

In these domains—and especially within skill development—it's all a marathon.

Intelligent people are everywhere, but they're limited by their intelligence.

Once again, high energy equals a tolerance for failure.

With a tolerance for failure comes more risky behavior.

From the beginning of our lives, we are taught to avoid risk (a trait that's useful for survival).

It's a survival mechanism to avoid highly risky behavior.

Your intelligence is limiting you:

The entire premise of what we're programmed to do from an early age comes from the assumption that we live in a normal world with normal expectations meeting normal realities.

Rationalism goes out the window, and the ability to navigate uncertainty becomes dominant when taking control of your life in your 20s.

The intelligence within you is constantly begging for better conditions rather than accepting the present moment as it is.

You end up playing it safe because fear controls you—it's only rational, right?

Everything great in life comes from taking risks.

Your:

• Spouse

• Children/family

• Career and chasing your dream

It's all risky—even traveling the world poses a risk.

But if you are struggling with overconsumption, it's better to take a risk than to continue filling the void inside you that desperately craves adventure and challenge.

Born to conquer lands and slay monsters, yet forced to work a 9-to-5.

Step into the unknown, divide the lines

Reading is the greatest tool given to us.

Overconsumption can bring us together rather than alienate us.

Throw countless things onto the wall, notice what sticks, and run headfirst into it.

The overconsumption core in your 20s is out—take control of your neurotransmitters, take back control of your life.