3 Minute Monday

Hi friend,

It’s World Mental Health Day this Sunday.

In the past, I’ve struggled.

I’ve spent days in bed crushed under the sheer weight of existence.

I’ve drowned in thoughts.

I’ve been angry and resentful at my own shortcomings.

I’ve felt guilt and shame for being sad when others have it so much worse than me.

The last 6 years have been spent trying to discover what it means to live a good life.

Here are some of the most important realisations I’ve come upon…

You are not your thoughts.

The voice that speaks in your head is not you.

You are the one who hears it speak.

Don’t identify with what your mind says any more than you identify with what someone on the street says.

This is one of the most liberating truths to know.

Action is the antidote to anxiety.

You’re not afraid of the future when you’re moving yourself toward it.

Do something. Anything.

You’ll feel better.

Loneliness is a kind of tax you have to pay to atone for a certain complexity of mind.

The more unique you are, the fewer people are like you, the fewer people will “get” you.

This is fine.

The increase in depth of insight is worth the entry price.

Your weirdness is your competitive advantage.

No one can beat you at being you.

Embrace your traumas, life experiences, scars, funny accent, whatever it is.

This is what sets you apart.

The weirder you are; the more unique you are; the more competitive & interesting you are.

Joy has to be found today, not tomorrow.

If you can’t be happy with a coffee, you won’t be happy with a yacht.

Choose to find joy in today, it’s there waiting for you.

Never lie.

Whether by omission or commission, lying degrades your virtue.

Your internal sense of self worth is keeping check, even if you aren’t.

Telling the truth is a superpower, it works for everything.

Start being radically honest today and your life will change.

Keep promises to yourself.

Your faith in your own word is vital.

If you can’t trust yourself, you’re making a chaotic world even more difficult to navigate.

Build your self-trust up with small promises.

Over time you will be able to take on bigger challenges.

Most problems are easily fixed.

90% of issues can be solved by a good sleep, a glass of water, a gym session, a walk outdoors or a chat with a friend.

Your framing is everything.

Feeling like you just finished a workout in the gym is amazing.

If you had the exact same feeling spontaneously whilst sat in traffic, you’d be terrified.

Learn to control how you frame situations.

Life itself is but what you deem it.

Don’t practice what you do not want to become.

Every action you take is a vote for the kind of person you’re going to be in the future.

If you do a thing today, it’s more likely you’ll do it tomorrow.

This includes negative self-talk and a lack of compassion for yourself.

Treat your habits with requisite care.

Gratitude is the foundation of happiness.

When you’re struggling, focus your attention and energy outward, not inward.

You’re alive. Breathing. Feeling.

The likelihood of this happening is basically zero.

Take a moment to be thankful for the wind on your skin and the breath in your lungs.

Sooner or later you won’t feel it any more.

You are the sky, everything else is just the weather.

Your anger, frustration, anxiety & everything else is just a visitor in your mind.

Sometimes it gets cloudy so you can’t see the sun, but it’s always there if you just breathe and let go of what is holding the clouds in place.

​

MODERN WISDOM

I do a podcast which has had 20 million+ downloads. You should subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
​

This week’s upcoming episodes:

Monday.
Dan Jones – turns out that the guy who walks around great British castles is really cool so we argue over whether Jocko Willink is harder than Genghis Khan. Unreal episode. Don’t miss this.

Thursday.
General Stanley McChrystal – the USA’s Four Star General who handled Afghanistan for 10 years explains how to handle risk in business & life with military precision.

Saturday.
Charles Eisenstein – After the Patrick Moore episode exploded, I wanted to ask a specialist about why is the climate change debate is so messy. Really interesting.

​

THINGS I’VE LEARNED

1.
​Does the world love you for who you are, or for what you do?

We want the world to love us for who we are, not for what we do.

We’re proud of our possessions and status and what we’ve achieved, but we don’t want people to love them, we want them to love us.

Meanwhile, our self-love is contingent on permanent growth and achievement.

We want the world to love us for who we are.

Meanwhile, we love ourselves for what we do.

​

2.
​Give yourself a reason not to look at your phone.

When I was in LA a few years ago I spent all my time with friends.

Adventures, coffees, training sessions, conversations, road trips.

I barely looked at my phone.

As soon as I left for Hawaii I was on my own again.

And started spending tons of time on my phone.

Hacking your way to lower phone use is one solution to limit screen time.

Giving yourself a reason to not even want to get it out is another.

​

3.
​New Zealand politics is fun.

In 1949 a member of the New Zealand parliament was deemed to have used “unparliamentary language” for saying of another member that:

“His brains could revolve inside a peanut shell for a thousand years without touching the sides.”

​

LIFE HACK

The best Greens Drink just got better.

If you feel like you need more fruit & vegetables in your diet, this will help.

Athletic Greens have updated their greens superpowder.

75 vitamins, minerals and whole food sourced ingredients including a multi-vitamin, multi-mineral, pre & probiotic, greens superfood blend & more.

All in one scoop a day.

I find it massively improves my digestion and makes me a lot more resilient to getting ill.

There’s also a 60 day money back guarantee. Try it for 59 days and if you don’t like it – they’ll give you your money back.

Plus, get a year’s supply of free Vitamin D, 5 free travel packs, free pots, shakers and more.

​Shop now.​
​

Big love,
Chris x

Listen to me on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Say hi on Twitter or Instagram.

PS
I’m thinking of kickstarting the Modern Wisdom Patreon or Locals or something so there’s a community we can all get in on. We’ll see. Doing some research this week.