Book Byte #79 "Be Useful" by Arnold Schwarzenegger

Seven Tools for Life

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📣 Curious Quote from the Author

“You need to be able to see what you want to achieve before you do it, not as you do it. That’s the difference.”

“The beauty of pain, not only is it temporary...is it tells you when you begin to give enough of yourself in pursuit of your dreams. If the work hasn't hurt or cost you anything, or at least made you uncomfortable, then I'm sorry to be the one to tell you but you're not working hard enough, or sacrificing all that you could to be all you can be.”

“I owe a lot to my upbringing. I was made for it and made by it. I wouldn’t be who I am today without each one of those experiences. The Stoics have a term for this: amor fati. Love of fate. “Do not seek for things to happen the way you want them to,” the great Stoic philosopher and former slave Epictetus said. “Rather, wish that what happens happen the way it happens. Then you will be happy.”

“First of all, rest is for babies and relaxation is for retired people.”

“But that is not the purpose of good advice. It’s not to tell you what to build, it’s to show you how to build and why it matters.”

“The only difference between them and us, between me and you, between any two people, is the clarity of the picture we have for our future, the strength of our plan to get there, and whether or not we have accepted that the choice to make that vision a reality is ours and ours alone.”

“Use it or lose it is the rule with ripe fruit, political goodwill, media attention, coupons, economic opportunity, space to pass on the highway, all sorts of things. But most importantly, it’s true of the knowledge you soak up over your lifetime. If you don’t regularly flex your mind like a muscle and put your knowledge to work, it will eventually lose its power.”

“Going for a walk, going to the gym, reading, riding your bike, taking a Jacuzzi, I don’t care what you do. If you are stuck, if you are struggling to figure out a clear vision for the life you want, then all I care about is that you make little goals for yourself to start building momentum and that you create time and space every day to think, to daydream, to look around, to be present in the world, to let inspiration and ideas in. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, at least give it a chance to find you.”

“In German, we have a saying: Wenn schon, denn schon. Roughly translated, it means “If you’re going to do something, DO IT. Go all out.”

“The Stoics have a term for this: amor fati. Love of fate. “Do not seek for things to happen the way you want them to,” the great Stoic philosopher and former slave Epictetus said. “Rather, wish that what happens happen the way it happens. Then you will be happy.”

“My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity.”

“Muhammad Ali famously said that he didn’t start counting his sit-ups until they hurt. “They’re the only ones that count,” he said. “That’s what makes you a champion.” Bob Dylan said there’s pain behind every beautiful creation. You probably already know that this is true. I’m sure you’ve heard some of those popular sayings that get at this message. Get out of your comfort zone. Embrace the suck. Lean into the pain. Do something every day that scares you. These are just different ways of trying to tell you that if you want to grow, or you want to be great, it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to hurt a little bit. Or a lot.”

📚 Cognition of the Book’s Big Idea:

Use seven fundamental tools to live a meaningful life:

1. Identify your goals

2. Think large

3. Work Hard

4. Communicate well

5. Remain adaptive

6. Continue to learn

7. Create community and be charitable.

Accept these ideas and go on a transforming journey of fulfillment and impact.

🛠️Fixing the Tech Industry

Everybody loves Arnold. We grew up watching his movies. It’s interesting to see over the years what he accomplished: Action Movie Star, Comedy Star, and Politicians.

We often think of luck when we think of successful people. We could never equate to their level of popularity because we’re not that lucky. But Arnold grew up as a poor immigrant, who worked to become the most decorated bodybuilder on the planet.

While fitness a lot of the time isn’t a priority in our industry, we can take lessons from bodybuilding. It would help if you put in the reps first before you can look like those to which you so desire to look. This can be anything from Bodybuilding to Acquiring Skills and Getting a Promotion.

Like anything, put in the reps, and don’t quit when you fail, because you will continue to fail until you don’t

🤝Collaborate with others with this Social Media Prompt:

What is something you know you should be doing every day but aren’t? How much of your life will change if you just put in those reps?