I think we’ve all been online long enough to have seen, “No one thinks about you, they’re all too busy thinking about themselves.” Or something to that effect. Or “Never be a minion, always be an owner.” — Cornelius Vanderbilt. The 50th Law has to be the best self-help book I’ve read (not finished yet) and it cuts to the heart of the matter. The self—You have to do it yourself, no one is coming to save you…

Frankly the only thing on my mind this morning wasn’t a something at all, but a someone. A young woman I met many years ago. I would see her regularly. In that, we were both in the same place at the same time. I had feelings for her, but they seemed to diminish with time, and I stopped being in that place and she moved away.

The abundance of food nowadays is just too much, we don’t NEED to eat 4 times a day (Based on breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack). Some of you might disagree with that, which is cool, leave a comment below with your thoughts on that. But the fact remains…

“You and I are not born as Tubula Rosa-Blank Slates. We are not free to become anyone we want to be. Rather, our task is to become who we already are.” - Steven Pressfield. So the above quote hit me today. He was referring to a line from his book The Legend of Bagger Vance and a golf swing. Saying that the swing is in there, like the statue of David, you just need to chip away the rough parts.

So, I usually read a quote and use that as my basis for these Journal posts. But today I haven’t come across anything. I could talk about my sexual proclivities, but I wouldn’t want to bore you all. So instead I’m just going to grab a book and read the first thing that I see, then see where that takes us.

“People are always impressed by the superficial appearance of things.” - Niccolò Machiavelli. I read this this morning in The Daily Laws by Robert Greene and couldn’t help but think about TikTok and how it’s taken over people's minds of late. Last night, as I was making my last cuppa tea I saw a half-full cup on the dining room table.

Up early, 04:30. Felt good to be awake and reading before most people have roused. It’s quiet, except for the odd car driving on a road 100 yards away. The wind is gentle the ground is wet the birds are singing. What better time to be awake. I feel of late that I let my emotions out for a walk too often. I have become complacent. They are starting to run amok. like an unruly pet. Time I think to reign them in. I must meditate on this. That door must now be closed.

Now think about the state of the influencer, whether that be Instagram, TikTok or one of the many live streaming platforms (Twitch, Kick). We are seeing of late a lot of news about these people and their inability to understand how humans work.

You must learn to better understand their thoughts and understanding of how their world works. Or at the least how their world works according to them, whether it makes sense to you or not.

I extended my walk today. What would normally be a 1.89-mile walk turned into a 2.37-mile walk—30 minutes turned into 40 minutes. For about 90% of this walk, I breathed through my nose. Making sure that on the harder, uphill, parts I was breathing slow and steady. Not once did I pant or suffer from lack of oxygen.

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be, be one.” Make two lists. If you’re a man, you’ll be used to this kind of exercise, if you’re a woman, ask a man. If you’re something else (I mean this is 2024 and we have about a bazillion genders), ask a man.

I start my day reading, to wake up and fill my head with the wisdom of the dead. To come across words written hundreds if not thousands of years ago but still have reliance today.

I’ve been inspired to start cold showers again and Wim Hof breathing. Sure I’ve been doing it every once in a while, but now I want to make it part of my daily/weekly routine. It’s 13:37. The books are read. Been out for two walks, one weighted. And my workout is complete. So far today I’ve burnt 1,153 calories. Walked 11,041 steps, in 5.5 miles.

The Greatest Skill? “Bridge the Gap” - Bruce Lee. “Ready, Fire, Aim” - ? In both of these quotes, though different, they mean the same thing. To go from idea to action in the shortest possible time. This is, or should be, an invaluable skill.

They’ve been on my mind the last few days. - Courage - Temperance - Justice - Wisdom - Sure I read philosophy every day but reading it isn’t enough. You have to be it. To live it. To practice what you preach.