On essentials

The S checklist

Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?- Lao Tzu

Sleep - lack of sleep will kill you faster than lack of food… Sleep not only acts as a cleanser for your mind it also kick starts a process that scrubs away harmful oxidants that build up in the gut which accelerate senescence.

Sustenance - what you consume is paramount to a Mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body). Sustenance is not only fuel it is the variable needed to level up your overall life. The choice of what to eat and when to eat it impacts the way you feel, the way you think, and the way you age. Protein, antioxidants, stimulants, fats, carbohydrates, alcohol, vitamins, and minerals are all components of ones diet and need to be considered accordingly. An imbalance in any of the key areas pertaining to sustenance can cause detrimental effects to your health. Be mindful to create a balanced diet and eating schedule to optimize your health.

Safety - it is vital to feel physically safe in ones life to maintain open pathways to think and build. If your autonomic nervous system is always oscillating between fight or flight nothing can be built because your body is allocating resource to simply survive. Safety is needed to allow one to dream, plan for the future, and save. Think about what you can due to reduce constant stress and create a feeling of safety for you and your loved ones.

Shelter - a place to call home, to keep you warm or cool, and a place to create. Shelter does not need to be large or luxurious, simply a place to provide what is necessary to promote health, wealth and happiness. A place to alleviate stress, a place that is not overly expensive, and a place to feel safe and to have sex. Shelter is a foundational element to any happy life, think long and hard about the tradeoffs of not having stable shelter. Nowadays stable shelter should be thought of in the context of not having shelter that brings you stress due to costs or commute time.

Strength - a key aspect of anyones life. Strength is the physical manifestation of ones health. The ability to display vitality and youth. One should have strength, flexibility, and stamina.

Sex - an essential ritual for procreation and the cornerstone of a healthy relationship. Sex is not something that should be taboo or not addressed directly due to fear of embarassment. Rather, address issues directly with your partner to ensure overall satisfaction. Focus on your health and sex will naturally flow. A man with vigor and virility is powerful and attractive.

Savings - the accumulation of wealth is not the main objective of life, but does allow one to have ample opportunities. Ones progeny also immensely benefits from assets being bestowed upon them at key points in their life. Lowering your time preference is key to long term wealth creation. Do not think about what you want now, but rather what you and your loved ones will need in the future.

Senescence - or aging can be mitigated if you are a aware of the levers that either increase or decrease the rate in which senescence acts upon the body. Fasting and caloric restriction have been shown to slow aging. Adequate sleep allows the body to refresh the mind and the gut. Exercise allows the body to undergo short term stress for long term strength. Fulfilling relationships, healthy food, nootropics and more are all other areas to focus on to increase ones edge against accelerated senescence.

Self Actualization - the goal for many to reach the point of maximal self reflection and examination. The understanding of who you are, what you stand for, and what you will leave behind. This is an ongoing process as one is constantly changing.

Survival - through progeny, work, and influence. What you do during your life will live on ad infinitum if you choose to build and create during your lifetime. You can have children that will live on past you and carry on many of the things you imparted upon them. You can work by writing, giving speeches, and creating objects that will live on long after you are gone. Influence is something you can imbue during every interaction, you never know what kind of impact you will have on someone or something that will carry on past your time on earth.