An Excellent Wknd [26.04]
Some thoughts on rejecting the lies holding you back
Hello, hi, 👋
Happy Saturday, my friends. Here’s hoping you’re staying warm this weekend. (And if anybody’s bored and wants to come help me shovel out of the 2 feet of snow we’re apparently getting tomorrow, there’s some hot chocolate in it for ya.)
Let’s get into it.
THE TWO LIES WE'VE BEEN SOLD
Our friend Brian Johnson teaches that we’ve been seduced into believing two fundamental lies about life. The first: chase fame, wealth, and power. The second: it should be easy.
When you combine those two lies, you end up not succeeding at pursuing something that was never worth pursuing in the first place. And then you wonder what’s wrong with you.
Here’s the truth Brian learned through 25 years of studying ancient wisdom and modern science: a good life IS hard. Rule number one of what he calls a heroic life is that it’s supposed to be hard. That’s not a bug in the system. That’s the entire point.
Think about it. You’d never go watch a hero’s journey movie where the hero sits on a beach drinking piña coladas for two hours. As our friend Jamison Price might say, you want to see them battle dragons. You want to see them face impossible odds and come out stronger on the other side.
The gym is the perfect metaphor. You WANT to lift heavy weights, not styrofoam. You know that’s how you get stronger. Yet in our lives, when we face challenges — our mental weights — we avoid them. We think something’s wrong with us. We shame ourselves for struggling.
But what if those challenges aren’t the problem? What if they’re exactly what we signed up for?
The path forward starts with rejecting both lies. Stop chasing the wrong things. Stop expecting it to be easy. Instead, get clear on what actually matters: becoming the best version of yourself, deepening your relationships, and making a contribution to your community.
Then, when the hard things come — and they will come — you’ll recognize them for what they are. Not evidence that you’re failing, but proof that you’re on the right path. You’re not avoiding the work. You’re doing it.
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On Monday, Ben, Cole, and Jamison bring you a training-focused conversation that covers seven things that are hard to do in the gym but absolutely critical to your progress. They’re talking about warming up properly, lifting less to lift better, training your weaknesses, and why rest days matter more than you think.
Then Thursday, Scott Hogan joins us to talk about his book Built from Broken, a science-based guide to healing painful joints, preventing injuries, and rebuilding your body - perfect if you’ve ever wondered why your training keeps breaking you down instead of building you up.
Until then, keep on chasing.
🤙🏼 Patrick
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