2016 Lessons Learned

[MetalGear]

Some things I learned over the past year:

1. Let go of friends and relatives that hold you back
   1. Avoid family and friends with discouraging remarks
   2. Being close to people doesn’t mean hanging out with them every weekend
2. Be vigilant, culture sometimes venerates being poor
   1. Avoid the energy and enthusiasm vampires, overlaps with point 1
   2. "I will pray for 20 hours and work for 4", procrastination
   3. "I am waiting for a sign...", indecisiveness
3. Develop a discrete process and timeline for your goals
4. Program as much of a routine as possible
   1. Master your calendar, learn to say no or later, create a meal plan
   2. Avoid paralysis of analysis by just going for it
5. Time wasters
   1. Politics: just no, a complete mental and emotional drain (media does this on purpose)
   2. Facebook: mostly useless
6. The Fastlane Forum is the closest thing to the fountain of life on this earth
   1. Good job MJ (no he is not paying me, but he could if he wants J)
7. Hell yes or hell no?
   1. If not hell yes, then hell no.
8. I want to live a full life.
   1. I don’t want to wait until I’m physically falling apart to have money to enjoy.
9. Health - make it a priority, workout 3x a week
10. 2017 Theme
    1. Equanimity
    2. Decisiveness
    3. Less clutter

MG

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[amp0193]

Religion sometimes venerate being poor, avoid these groups at all costs

Christianity advocates serving the poor, and admonishes the "love" of money. You can serve the poor a lot better if you make more money. Both by being able to buy more stuff for the poor, and having unlimited free-time to give to service. I don't think there's any inherent conflict with religion and the fastlane.

However, there are definitely people who use religion as a convenient scapegoat for why they can't achieve anything, and why that's somehow ok. These people are toxic.

Saying things like:
I prayed and nothing happened.
Must not have been god's plan
Money is the root of all evil.

 

[MetalGear]

However, there are definitely people who use religion as a convenient scapegoat for why they can't achieve anything, and why that's somehow ok. These people are toxic.

Saying things like:
I prayed and nothing happened.
Must not have been god's plan
Money is the root of all evil.

This exactly, I was referring to "this group" as in the ascetics. As you know there are people in general that romanticize being poor.

The biggest group that I have personally come across is from my own experience in church, hence the "sometimes". I still fight this mentality from time to time.

The biggest one for me is "blessed are the poor" when it is really "blessed are the poor in spirit"...

Will clarify

 

[ZF Lee]

Christianity advocates serving the poor, and admonishes the "love" of money. You can serve the poor a lot better if you make more money. Both by being able to buy more stuff for the poor, and having unlimited free-time to give to service. I don't think there's any inherent conflict with religion and the fastlane.

However, there are definitely people who use religion as a convenient scapegoat for why they can't achieve anything, and why that's somehow ok. These people are toxic.

Saying things like:
I prayed and nothing happened.
Must not have been god's plan
Money is the root of all evil.

I'm a Christian too, and religion aside, the most Slowlane infested area besides FB and Reddit is probably (some) churches. Bunch of Sidewalkers kneeling everywhere begging for their sorry asses to be saved when they wasted their week at some dead job not providing value to anyone. Just getting by not to get fired. They put more hopes on divine intervention than the responsibility of their own actions just because the priest says, 'your actions won't take you to heaven'.

If my actions can't save me, how about choices? Choices lead to actions, after all.

For me, our sense of spirituality is heavily affected by the level of control we are willing take in our lives.

If we come into a sanctuary ready to give value, our spiritual health is ups.
But if we come in hoping for God to save our sorry asses for free, with no other motive than plain bandwagon-hopping, we'll be F*cked.
Any relationship, let alone spirituality or the Fastlane, thrives on value giving.

'I prayed and nothing happened?'
Of course nothing happened! You didn't act on it, you sucker!

'Must not have been God's plan.'
You live on this earth. God's plan is that you give value or help someone. Do it, and it's God's plan all right!

'The root of evil is money.'
Stop blaming some pieces of paper in your pocket for your sins. Don't use your cash to do shit like Sidewalking spending or bribing cops!

You know, you are right that the Fastlane and religion are compatible. However, I wish more Godly people would come here....

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MidwestLandlord]

However, I wish more Godly people would come here....

You're assuming there aren't. Quite the assumption...

It's against forum rules, so I keep my political and religious views to myself. (political and religious debates are both out of place here, and damaging to MJ's brand)

I mostly keep them to myself in real life too, because it only leads to time wasting drama and arguments that I have no interest in being involved in.

 

[G-Man]

Lesson learned in 2016: I need to just do more doing.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Sorry, but my "lessons learned" in 2016 are a bit more reflective...

A human's urge to be right (no matter what facts exist or are missing) exceeds blood, friendship, and relationships. It's so great, mothers will forsake sons, partners will screw partners, and friends will abandon friends. If any of you lost friends over politics or an MLM opportunity you refused, you know what I'm talking about.

Book releases, 125% revenue growth, 51% ROI on investments -- none if it matters if you don't feel well or have the energy to enjoy your achievements. Health is truly wealth.

However, I wish more Godly people would come here....

They might be here but you just don't know it. They're simply following the rules.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MetalGear]

My sincere apologies for mentioning it, it was meant to help people not to stir debate.
Health is indeed important and something we take for granted as we grind and push.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and creating this community MJ.
I am wishing you the best!

MG

 

[ZF Lee]

You're assuming there aren't. Quite the assumption...

It's against forum rules, so I keep my political and religious views to myself. (political and religious debates are both out of place here, and damaging to MJ's brand)

I mostly keep them to myself in real life too, because it only leads to time wasting drama and arguments that I have no interest in being involved in.

True.
In fact the arguments over the application of theology are often more violent than Fastlane 'school sucks' or 'Slowlane sucks' debates.