How to Master Your Economic Fitness

Simple ideas: if you think about expenses like fat, adipose tissue, body fat… Then intelligence strategy is to minimize as much fat from yourself as possible.

I’m currently reading the art of the deal by Donald Trump, which I find insanely amazing. It’s full of so much wisdom and practical realities when it comes to business, finance, but also… Economic philosophy.

First, country to popular believe… Donald Trump at least in his business businesses has remained very frugal, intelligent with his spending, never overpaying for anything.

Also, I think the fake façade that we get is flashy cars, a flashy lifestyle etc. But, if you think about Plato’s allegory of the cave, things with false flashing lights, dazzling lights, will blind people who are chained in the dark.

Saving $1 million versus spending $1 million

When a lot of people say they want to become millionaires, what they mean to say is I want to spend $1 million. But the truth is… The true millionaire is somebody who looks like a middle school or high school math teacher, never goes out, never buys anything for herself, yet owns much property, and is very rich.

For example, thinking like an investor:

Now that I am powered by bitcoin, the general thought is this: every dollars spent in something, could result in a $100 gain somewhere else.

As a consequence, anything that I want to buy, typically loses its charm because I am more motivated by future profits.

Now this is difficult because there is a balance between maximizing the quality of your life today versus a future life? The way I have been able to navigate this is simple:

Living for today is physiological: health fitness exercise, sleep and meat.

For example, as long as I could sleep 8 to 12 hours a night, feast on the finest meet, exercise once a day, lift weights, walk, I consider myself happy.

And I’m starting to realize more and more, how Americans are suckered so much. We dream and fantasize about purchasing a certain car or vehicle, rather than thinking that you yourself are the ultimate vehicle?

For example everyone wants the Rolls-Royce or the Bentley, but doesn’t it make more sense to just transform yourself and your own body into the Rolls-Royce? Or the Bentley? 

Invest in fabrics

So when you look inside a Rolls-Royce, certainly the interior is grand. Lots of great materials in terms of leather, etc. Yet ultimately the downside of any vehicle is that you are in a weak position; sitting on your butt. Even if you are a jet fighter pilot, a top gun, a maverick or a blue angels pilot, your primary skill is your hand eye coordination, And your ability to withstand gear forces, and certainly your skill. Yet even for a fighter jet pilot, you’re sitting on your butt.

To me I find a much more hero and interesting to be the man who could lift 1000 pounds, rather than the man who could even best pilot a jet pilot aircraft, or a vehicle?

when your health is poor what should you do?

So this is a big tricky thing… Assuming that your whole family is a unit, and you’re sick, your wife is sick, your kid is sick… What should you do?

Assuming that man, has the strongest physiology… Perhaps then, the man should pull through.

As a man your physiology will be stronger than woman, child etc.

What that then means is on a day-to-day basis… Never skimp on anything which will benefit your physiology.

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be insanely prodigious about what you consume and put in your body

For example, I know for myself I cannot tolerate super super spicy food or dairy, or also… Too much coconut milk. I found that even though I love the taste of Indian food and curry, I really cannot tolerate much of it. And also the fear… If you get an upset stomach this will ruin your sleep, and that ruin the next day, and these things often spiral.

And as a consequence, there’s nobody else to blame but yourself. Your own lack of self wisdom about your body.

never Trust people who are drinking alcohol or who are alcoholics

Save every dollar and dime!

Taxes, avoid taxes like the plague?

Something that the more I think about it, the more bizarre is… Now you have paying property taxes on property you technically “own“?

For example, let us say that you’re rich enough to buy a $4 million home or whatever. And then the thought, you have to pay the property taxes on that, what, $7000 a month, forever?

It doesn’t matter how rich you are. And actually what I realize is that the richer you become, the more intelligent you become. Every dollar counts.

As a consequence, even if you were like a billionaire, and assuming that you came from nothing, even the thought of overpaying a few hundred bucks or a few thousand bucks, irks you.

And also a funny thought I had, the reason why I would never ever ever purchase a vehicle which requires premium gas; every single time you stop by the gas station you will feel a bit stupid paying for premium even though it’s only a few bucks different.

This is where I think the difference is if you grew up from the mud, you know the value of a dollar.

Then, all these flashing light that you see in the media and the music, it is all fake.

what would a rapper do?

It seems that currently, the best musicians by far are the rappers. Yet even though… Typically most of them are born really poor, the second they touch any money the first thing they do is go out and buy a Bentley.

As a consequence, once again, don’t trust rappers, or people who came from rags and suddenly became rich. Probably more interesting to study people who stay rich, like Jay-Z.

Power up when shit hits the fan

I think the true mark of a great individual is somebody who pulls through, right when you need them the most. Better to have somebody who is like annoying 99.9% of the time, and those .1% situations in which the situation is very clutch, to rely on them.

I suppose, the idea of reliability should be more around being reliable when it counts. Being clutch.

For example, in basketball, better to have the athlete who is best able to perform under pressure at the very very end. Somebody who doesn’t choke under pressure.

This is difficult because it is very very difficult and hard to know or see who will choke under pressure. I suppose this is where duration is so cute; somebody in the game for a very long time, is probably far more reliable under pressure than somebody who is maybe a high performer for a short period of time?

I think that is also where it is better and more wise to follow people who are more successful in the long run, maybe in their 70s; they don’t have anything to prove to anybody anymore, thus they are more reliable.

play the Long game

The reason why most bodybuilders fail is that they’re taking steroids, and it is very unlikely they will still be lifting weights at the age of 60 or 70. Just look at Ronnie Coleman, he’s essentially a cripple now.

The joy is in the doing, therefore, when it comes to your physical activities, the best way to approach it is for duration and long time strength.

For example, it is not a good idea to have a hyper car which you could only run three or four times before it goes kaput. Probably better to have an AMG wagon that will last you like 10,000,000,000,000 miles?

Difficult to sell duration

Once again, nobody will ever brag that their Prius prime did 1000 miles on one too. It is just not sexy. We will always prefer the fast and the furious drag race. Because when it comes to media, it is difficult to show people the pleasure of duration, in a 90 minute film.

As a consequence, if you really want to wake up to reality, stop watching movies and TV show shows. They distort reality in a bad way.

The only nuance is if you go into watching the movie or the film knowing that it is a gross exaggeration, or a metaphor, this is better.