Player Versus Player: Life is Work & Pain
In America, we love labels and aspiration. That is why “The Great Gatsby” is a quintessential American story. A man from nowhere becoming “richer than God”, driven by his talent and ambition. But we don’t see all the hard work and suffering and pain that got him there.
This is where the lessons from the brilliant & controversial Andrew & Tristan Tate come in. I’ve written about the former kickboxing champions & self made multimillionaire brothers before (here:https://hardfork.substack.com/p/living-on-multiple-grids-towards).
They do a great series of video blogs that really teach you to think in a “Rich” way. They show you the mindset required to win in life. And to win big. And by not following the “brokie” mindset. Andrew in one of his most observant comments says: “If you are broke in the modern Western world filled with oodles of money, you are either lazy, arrogant or stupid.”
You have to take personal responsibility for everything. If something sucks in your life, it’s up to you to fix it. And the Tates provide some good rules for this.
Rule 1: Become overwhelmed & time squeezed with work, don’t think, DO. Then optimize after. Shoot first, then adjust. Too many times people who say they only want to work smart are just procrastinating. Or using it as an excuse for laziness and not doing what they need to do. Nike nailed it: “Just Do it.” There is always work to do.
Rule 2: Become familiar with pain and fear as early as possible. “If something is scary to you, that is probably what you need to do.”
Rule 3: Network is Key. You need to have a network of accomplished individuals. People who are not just outstanding but reliable. They also lift you up and help you raise your game. I’ve said it before: “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”
Rule 4: You can only have a “Big life” if you have big problems & big stress and are able to deal with them. “You can tell the size of a man by the size of their problems.” Stress tolerance is key, not just trying to settle and get by.
Tristan Tate goes on to say: “Happiness is alot like the castles in fairy tales we used to read as children. They are all guarded by dragons. You don’t get the castle without getting through dragons.”
Theodore Roosevelt says it even better: “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.”
If you do this, as the great Tommy Shelby of Peaky Blinders said: “You will have no limitations.”
You have to believe that you can live a perfect life: the “High Life.” Destroy all the coping mechanisms in your mind. These are things I’m still learning as I slowly escape the mental matrix of society.