In this limited world, which are some big things you wish to change fix or resolve?
1. Traffic?
One of the big things I am very interested in is fixing this issue of traffic. Honestly speaking, during rush-hour the traffic is intolerable.
I’ve only lived here in LA for about two weeks, it seems that the big optimization we are trying to make is trying to save time. Fortunately we live within walking distance to the Culver City downtown area, which is great because we could kill two birds with one stone — A) we’re not stuck in traffic and B) we can enjoy the sun and the walk.
Even the big issue; the closest LA fitness to me is a 5 minute drive, but even on the drive back, it seems that the bumper to bumper traffic during rush-hour takes me almost 10 minutes! Insanely annoying!
Therefore some things I’m trying to figure out is how to save time in terms of fitness. The first simple thing is to just walk a lot, walking maybe the most beneficial thing you could do for your health and wellness.
The second thing is sun exposure. The more sun time you have, the better. If you’re worried about getting skin cancer or whatever, just put on a hat lots of sunblock and cover up.
Third, I really been enjoying going to the park and working out, both for the social life, the fresh air, and also for general well-being. I recommend the Kenneth Hahn park in LA — just drive all the way on top of the hill! There is a good calisthenics workout area.
Fourth, matters of health and physiology. A very practical thought I have is to just sell out the big bucks, pay for the 100% grass-fed beef, I think the benefits for you will be instrumental. This includes sleeping better, sleeping deeper, feeling more energized, and also certainly muscle Physiology related concepts.
2. Innovation?
Also a big thing I’m trying to innovate and pioneer is in regards to innovation. For me maybe this is my personal passion and my Archimedes lever — I am addicted to innovation, trying to make things better, more efficient and effective etc., and trying to come up with interesting novel ways to improve our lives. Why is this? Because I feel like I have some sort of duty as I have been seeking a lot of answers my whole life, and I think only recently I’ve found some answers.
3. Photo and art
At the end of the day, my number one greatest passion is photography.
Therefore, my passion for photography; promoting photography, helping encourage photographers.
4. How to make an insanely great impact?
How does one make an insanely great impact on the planet? I think it is simple; just ascertain that which you are insanely concerned about, what you care insanely about, and then use all your resources and power to seek to resolve that!
Money?
The Peter Thiel idea:
Perhaps “profit” is a pedestrian concept.
Then instead, what we seek instead is not “making money“, but building something insanely great, and then the profits will follow later.
Also another thought from Peter Thiel from his zero to one book:
Perhaps the best way to think of money or approach money is not to concern yourself with profits.
For example, Amazon for a very very very long time focused on growth instead of profits and now it looks like Amazon is running through the world. On the contrary, companies like Apple have also been very intelligent in pricing the products very high, and also being one of the most profitable companies on the planet.
But I suppose my question is this; why are we so concerned and obsessed with profits? What is it a sense of? A sense of growth, a good sense?
Income vs profits
Income, profits, expenses, net gain, savings.
There are a lot of ways to think and consider this. First and foremost, it is possible to actually make a more humble income, but create a massive savings.
Security?
I sense of security as a mindset. It don’t matter if you got $100 million in the bank, as long as you are concerned about security money or something else, you will never feel secure.
The reason why I think this is such a critical thing to consider is that people often think that more money means more security. But is this true? No.
And also, security towards what ends?
The first thought is we often seek security perhaps for our families and our future children. For example, it seems that physiologically, if a woman wants to give birth, or beget children, she needs to be in some sort of psychologically and physiologically robust health, in order to beget children. Often the reason why stillbirths occur, especially in the context of war, famine, disease, or other stressful situations is that a woman and her body knows that if the environment is not fitting to give birth to children, she will not.
Also, at theory; if an anxious mother gives birth during a tumultuous time, naturally her kids will also have higher levels of anxiety. Why? Survival mechanism. For example if a woman gives birth in refugee camp, certainly she has high anxiety. And as a consequence, her children also having high anxiety may keep the child alive! A child who is too chill and relaxed in a perilous situation might not make it.
Why make changes?
First, it is my thought that what man desires to do is exert his willpower and force upon the planet. Ultimately, I think this is our desired endgame.
For example, you could either do it in embodied reality, on the Internet, whatever.
Second, I think it is an issue of happiness and joy for a man or a person or even a child to see how he or she can affect change or manipulate the world. For example the joy of art, physics, mechanics, buttons etc.; if I press this and do this, then the reaction will be XYZ. Our great delight in action and reaction.
Now what?
A very very simple way to change the world:
Make a website/blog, and just keep posting your thoughts, opinions and philosophies.
Also, just record and vlog your thoughts and just post it to YouTube or make a podcast.
I think the big secret is to make it open and public, and easily indexable by Google.
For example, it seems the best way to get “discovered“ is organically via Google search. If not that, word-of-mouth. Or having people forward your emails to another friend.
To build a website, either IONOS.com or bluehost.com or Amazon Web Services Lightsail. I recently built two new websites; ERICkimphilosophy.com as well as erickimfitness.com
Why am I so passionate about websites?
I think it is a timing thing. I was born in 1988, and I recall in elementary school making my own firstgeocities.com website. Then later I learned how to blog, inspired by Maddox, when I was around 11 years old. I still remember the hilarity of his post on “why you should beat your children“, and me and my friends all laughing and saying how it was true.
Then later, xanga.com, and starting to blog. Then building my own website. And then the trend to continued.
The reason why I love websites so much is that it is an infinite canvas for your thoughts, your ambitions, your passions etc.
No limits, no upper ceiling!
Also an insanely great joy and recent discovery; IONOS.com recently upgraded her file limit to practically infinity!
To infinity and beyond!
Some more ambitious thoughts:
Elon Goals
The breath and future vision of Elon Musk is quite phenomenal. For example, driving in LA today, I saw the OG Tesla roadster, convertible electric car, which was essentially a retrofitted Lotus. Even when I was an undergrad at UCLA, I remember seeing one of the original Tesla dealerships.
Dream bigger?
A very simple thought I have is that it is best to set an audaciously great goal, and either miss it, or meet it halfway, rather than setting the bar too low.
What do you want out of your life?
Not happiness, not even necessarily “joy“. I think all of these are too overly simplistic commoditized notions.
For example, as man, what is it that we see to do achieve or create? I think this should be the critical goal, not happiness joy making money etc.
Everything is a work in progress
A generalized thought I have towards life is that there is no such thing as finality — everything is a continuum, and all about changes evolution and difference.
For example, today after I hit the hot sauna at the gym, and I witnessed my body in the mirror, muscles bulging, and glistening like a god, I thought to myself:
Wow, my physique is perfect.
Now what?
The future for photography
I think moving forward, I want to continue to help innovate and pave great insights into photography. It has to deal with motivation, inspiration, and also the pragmatics of composition, equipment, aesthetics etc.
The best camera set up
No no no, not the newest iPhone Pro Titan, or not a Leica, not a Fujifilm, maybe not even a Ricoh. Currently I think the new GOAT is the LUMIX G9 paired with the 14mm F2.5 lens, or I’m sure you could just get the new LUMIX G9 mark II.
Why?
- First of all, it isn’t as big as you would think it is. I think one of the big benefits of a micro four third system is however relatively compact and light it is.
- Second, it will last. My annoyance with the Ricoh GR cameras is that they don’t last. They eventually break, for me within a year or two. Super annoying.
- Third, the tilting calculating LCD screen is actually surprisingly useful! I’ve been using a lot to photograph Seneca, with very low angles, and the result is that the photos look much more cinematic!
- Fourth, the straight out of Camera JPEG actually look really great! Both for the dynamic black-and-white, gritty monochrome look, as well as color!
Now what?
- Upload your best photos to arsbeta.com; the only place to get real feedback on your photos on the entire planet.
- Why? — I think actually more effective than ChatGPT is the Why app? Why? ChatGPT gives you answers, whereas the why app encourages you to think, consider, and ask why?
How to advance your photography art and thinking
Turbocharge your mind, and also your creativity at an upcoming ERIC KIM workshop:
- CONQUER STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILLY, OCTOBER 14th, 2023
- DISCOVER YOUR CREATIVE MISSION IN LIFE: DOWNTOWN LA, November 4th, 2023
- INTRODUCTION TO STOICISM WORKSHOP: Downtown LA, DECEMBER 2nd, 2023
2024
- CONQUER CONFIDENCE ONLINE WORKSHOP: Jan 27, 2024
- April 21st, 2024: ZEN PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP (info TBA)
- Social Skills workshop TBA
Workshops Page.
What to read?
Maybe it’s a good idea to read the new Elon Musk biography by Walter Isaacson!
And of course, free books by KIM >
Now what?
Some simple ways to stimulate your thinking and your physiology include just hitting up the hot sauna at your local commercial gym, or going to the park, doing some basic calisthenics and chin ups, taking in the sun.
Also, eat well. Get some Wagyu ground beef at the local Costco, or just buy some 100% grass fed ground beef. I think it’s the best bang for the buck food.
For coffee, ERIC KIM OMAKASE COFFEE is the only thing I drink now!
More thoughts to come!
- EK BLOG
- EK PHILOSOPHY
- EK FITNESS
Forward the turbo!
If this part even one interesting idea with you, feel free to forward to a friend!
ERIC KIM TURBO NEWS >
