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Friday, August 24, 2007

In The Trenches And Spiritual Furnace Of Artistry -- The Creation Of A True Classic


It's Friday night and Jeffy and Roxana are downstairs prepping to run tonight's bootcamp in Rome.

I might join them, I might not. I haven't decided yet.

I'm sitting here reading up on Dr. Dre's upcoming DETOX album, which is slated to be a classic. I'm totally psyched about it.

Whether or not you're a fan of hip hop really isn't at issue here (I happen to listen to music about 10 hours a day while I work so I listen to *everything*). It's the creative process involved that fascinates me.

One of the things I love reading about Dr. Dre is his legendary studio sessions. This is a guy who is notorious for his insane work ethic, taking tracks and mixing them down to his personal vision of lethal perfection......... even shredding the albums on the spot in an industrial strength paper-shredder if they aren't up to his standards.

I have all sorts of personal favourites in all artforms. I love Terrence Malick's films (his most recent "The New World" ripped a black hole in the fabric of my mind I'm still trying to piece back together) and as far as books go I have too many favourites to name.

I've always really had a fascination with people for whom the whole money and fame thing is a NON-FACTOR....... and who have a single-minded focus to birth the movement that's trapped inside them into the world of tangible form.

I'm talking about the guys who transcend the "trends" of the day and put out an energy that draws the masses over to THEM. Or likewise, the guys who are just too ahead of their time to be understood (like Terrence Malick with his last film) and really don't care either way.

(Again, the external validation is not a factor...)

I mean, there's a joy in creating something that leaves a legacy. Something that people acknowledge as being a classic even after you're gone. It's nice.

Ultimately though, even the sun is burning out. I'm in Rome right now and as I walk through the ruins that people lived and died to protect, I realize that all this stuff is falling apart whether we like it or not.

Like a giant universe-wide liquidation sale...... "EVERYTHING - MUST - GO".


I've taken a lot of harsh creative lessons in the past years, and one of the biggest I've learned is that the so-called *result* can never superceded the enjoyment and enthusiasm that comes from the *process* of creation.

I know this might sound funny on the surface, but you need to really think about it...

If you've ever gotten what you chased after so hard in life, you probably noticed....... it really didn't make all that much of a difference to how you felt inside.

Or at least, it was very short lived.

It's like..... a house, no matter how fat, is still just a house...... A car, no matter how pimped out, is still just a car.

Even the cutest chick you ever hook up with, unless she's got a triple set of breasts like the girl in the movie "Total Recall", is still just another ordinary human being like yourself.

More than anything it's just the sense of self-efficacy that comes from knowing you're capable of experiencing a vision and bringing it into reality that's the core enjoyment in terms of the result.

I'm talking about the whole "actualization of your potential" without which a dark cloud of shame and regret -- and house of cards of rationalizations to deal with it -- hangs over your entire life.

Really though...... beyond your sense of being "at ease in the world" as a man, even the most awesome of results is usually no big woop.

I mean, sure, you've got to pay the bills. But is that really so hard??

As long as you've got the resources to do the things you want to do in life, it's really the journey and the process that's the real payoff in all this.

I know that in my case, creatively, if I start thinking about the result it will invariably trip up my entire process.

I've learned the hardway that you have a choice: Either do it for the love of the "DOING", or chase after the "RESULT" and fail to get it.

Any time I focus on the result I find that I'm instantly severed and disconnected from the flow that provides me with creative inspiration.

Sometimes my mind will start flooding with thoughts of the recognition I know I'll get for something that's really good...... and I lose my focus that way.

Other times I start micromanaging what people will think of what I'm doing...... and I lose my focus that way as well.

I have to laugh at myself at that point...... because the irony is I'm causing this dysfunction in MYSELF by moving AGAINST the current rather than WITH it.


Ultimately the only way for me to find the "pathway" to the creative depths of my mind is to engage in a process where the DOING is more important than the OUTCOME.

A classic, in my opinion, can only be realized when you engage in it purely for the enjoyment of witnessing your own vision brought to form.

As soon as other people's expectations get stirred into the mix you suddenly lose the surging, focused energy that's the key ingredient in all this.

CEOs, MBAs, and business executive types (aka -- "suits") often have difficulties relating to this because they have no concept of the process that's involved. They've never created a classic, so just extrapolate the type of work that they did in their COMM101 class and figure that if you "work a little harder" that you somehow produce one.

Oftentimes you'll see them trying to copy or replicate an existing fad, but ironically, they have absolutely no idea how the original trend came into existence in the first place.

In reality (ie: the "trenches" and "mental/spiritual furnace" of real artistry), classics are produced through a very profound and ultimately self-realizing process.

"YOU" cannot create a classic on your own -- at least, any more than a toaster can toast a piece of bread without electricity.

You can create a GOOD piece of work, sure. Even a very good one.

But to create a CLASSIC you have to become an INTERMEDIARY and connect to something a lot deeper in yourself, harness it, and allow it to flow out of you.

It's an entirely different process...

If you want to get props or money or credit for it...... you interrupt the flow and the classic goes away.

If you want to show that you're better than somebody else...... you interrupt the flow the classic goes away.

Instead, you've got to just say to yourself "I'm enjoying the DOING of this... The real enjoyment is in the offering of value and in the connection to a deeper part of myself that I get in the PRACTISE of honing of my skills..."

One could even say that the end result is ultimately meaningless to you... That the outcome is intended for the people who enjoy it down the line, and that it's none of your concern.

For you, the real enjoyment is in the *connection* you get to something greater than yourself, or perhaps to the core essence of "who you really are".

I mean, here's a great quote for you about actor Daniel Day Lewis straight from the trusty old Wikipedia: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Day_Lewis)

"Daniel Day-Lewis took a leave of absence from acting by putting himself into "semi-retirement" and returning to his old passion of woodworking. He moved to Florence, Italy where he became intrigued by the craft of shoemaking, eventually apprenticing as a cobbler for a time. His exact whereabouts and actions were not publicly known."

Most people would look at this and think he's gone crazy.

But what this guy knows (that most people don't) is that it's the DOING that's the real payoff.

It's like Tom Sizemore says in the movie HEAT -- "The action IS the juice..."

In moving to Florence and disconnecting from the here-today-gone-tommorow props of Hollywood, one would hope he was able to engage in the process of DOING and re-connect himself with that deeper element that made him great.

Simple work, something without the promise of a glitzy-glamorous "outcome", is of course a more direct way of re-connecting yourself with that type of enjoyment.


It's like getting a "free high" -- without the expense or headaches surrounding illicit drugs.

Incidentally, here's another quick quote about Lewis' work...:

"After a three-year absence from filming, Day-Lewis was convinced to return to acting by Martin Scorsese (with whom he had worked on The Age of Innocence) and Harvey Weinstein to play (opposite Leonardo Di Caprio) the villain gangleader, "Bill the Butcher" (who, ironically, has a pure hatred for Ireland and the Irish people), in Gangs of New York.

He began his lengthy, self-disciplined process by taking lessons as an apprentice butcher. Day-Lewis' dedication to the role even threatened his life at one point during filming when he was diagnosed with pneumonia. He refused to wear a warmer coat or to take treatment because it was not in keeping with the period. However, he was eventually persuaded to seek medical treatment.[8]

Also, between takes, he would often listen to Eminem tunes, to help get him into the self-righteous frame of mind of the character. His performance in Gangs of New York earned him his third Academy Award nomination and won him the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. At the time, he swore that this film would be his last."


I really love this because it says a lot about his process. I admire it.

In a world oftentimes so suffocated with slacking and whining, reading this is just such a breath of fresh air.

As a young guy just starting to understand the way that this whole deal works, I can read this and see it as a signpost leading me in the right direction.

I also love how he surrounds himself with classics (in this case, Eminem) to "harmonize" himself with the type of bottled-up energy he wanted to experience and emanate and convey.

I've always believed that there's a harmonious "ting" or "frequency" to the presence and authenticity of a true classic.

It's something that you tune yourself to.

One of my "big secrets" is that I'm always reading books by, hanging out with, and delving into the offerings of people who are dialed into the frequency-of-mind from which "classics" are born.

I really saturate and swim in this stuff, and it's because I know that the source of the thought-frequencies (which some people conceptualize as "vibrational energy") will lead me back to the place where I can connect with that part of myself with greater and greater ease.

Oftentimes I'm credited with being a work-horse, and that's because rather than straining for outcome I'm "in the moment" and enjoying the process of it.

Engaging in work should leave you *energized*. Moreso, it should be burning off the daily buildup of negativity and move you into a state of positivity and calm.


If it's draining you, it's because you've lost the beauty of the *doing* and you're straining for the petty, false sense of self-enhancement that comes from the potential result.

Obviously this isn't a shift in thinking that you make overnight. It's an epiphany that becomes more and more clear to you over time.

I still teach bootcamps despite that every time I teach them I'm losing revenue for the company (it's 21 hours with me away from my duties) because it's re-connects me with my most basic of roots.

Every program I've ever run has been a classic to me. Maybe not to other people, and maybe not even to the people who took it. But it was to me because I was fully engaged in my craft.

Even though it's not a large-scale beast like a book or DVD or a big Superconference...... and it will never be remembered by more than a few individuals, it's equally if not *more* meaningful.

It seems like more and more manual labour is being shunned as "small time" in the recent decades, and to me that's just a further manifestation of the social conditioning that's polluting people's minds these days.

In fact, I've often thought this "falling out of love" with the simple artistry of day-to-day processes...... and desperate, needy new obsession with hitting empty endgoal after endgoal (and subsequent chasing after new ones in the belief that happiness is around the next corner) has been one of the major dysfunctions in our society on more levels than we'll ever know.

As far as success with women goes...... most guys I see are exhausted by it.

It's either 1) They're newbies so focused on the result that the highs-and-lows of the night drain them of vitality, or 2) Advanced guys so caught up in preserving their inflated sense-image they feel
like they're chasing after validation instead of having fun.

This hollow experience of life leads to those needy, hungry eyes...... which is just such a buzz-kill.

It's when you drop all this and enjoy socializing for the offering-of-value and playfulness of it that your results will suddenly shoot through the roof.

That doesn't mean that you don't "pull the trigger" when you meet a girl that you like. It just means that in conversation you're expressing your personality fully without scanning for a reaction, which makes you a challenge and a much, much more compelling dude.

This past weekend I had a young guy on program... He'd never been with a woman before and asked me "How do I start being genuinely interested in people if I don't care what they're talking about??"

Right then and there I pin-pointed what would get him his biggest gain.

His mind was still programmed by the culture of "everything must lead to an outcome of self-enhancement" (underlying assumption: YOU are not enough AS YOU ARE -- which by nature is very low self-esteem) and so we made the entire focus of the first night about the "enjoyment of the doing" instead.

It was really amazing. In spite of being a young asian guy with an accent and speaking to a bunch of oftentimes snobby Italians at a hot club, the guy still had the night of his life.

Jeffy and I were joking constantly that he was like a Malaysian movie star. He was incredible...... and of course, he deserves a lot of credit for his awesome effort as well.

It was really a beautiful thing. I pray to God that he can internalize it because it will fundamentally change his life.

I also have to say, before wrapping this up, that the process of creating the upcoming "Jeffy Show" was an amazing experience as well.

Over the course of it's development and multiple rehearsals I watched Jeffy hone it into a true classic.

We went into it with the mindset that we were going to get his real personality out there. It would be offensive to some people, obviously... but a REAL expression of a REAL person's life experience.


To put yourself out there like that, all the while making it a potent project that people could use to take their lives to the next level...... it was a big challenge that Jeffy met head on.

And in the PROCESS of artistry that was involved, Jeff was also brought to MOVE PAST many of the old lifestyle choices that he'd hung onto.

In many ways, I think that that's one of the most valuable aspects of the creative process. The movement of bottled up energy from your inner to outer world, and thus gaining a deeper level of inner space and perspective.

This process continues on into your adult life, and rather than becoming stagnant and bottled up, you continue to evolve.

Anyway, that's about all I have to say on this topic for today. Hopefully you guys have gained a new perspective, and I'll be back with more next week!!


Tyler

52 comments:

Anonymous said...

You really are on some other level shit.

Anonymous said...

Just finished reading it. I always love these dude. You seem to have a really good grip on your life and your outlook is so unique. Love it.

Atl_Mack said...

Very Solid Post my friend...

Anonymous said...

Hey whats up man..

I enjoy your blog big time.

I remember you talked something about a "video Blog" with you -will there be any of that soon?

Best,

Neil/

Anonymous said...

Thought-provoking as always, awesome stuff mate.

-dh

Anonymous said...

This sounds a lot like Csikszentmihalyi's concept of "flow", where one becomes totally engaged with a challenging activity and sort of "merges awareness" with it. He argues that "flow" is a moment of optimal human experience, and that true happiness can be found by cultivating it. You should pick up the book if you haven't already read it.

Anonymous said...

Great article, once again TD. I'm not much of an internet blog reader, but I must say that yours is, indeed, crack cocaine (lol). Keep it up.

It reminded me of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's popular book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" (and Tolle's "The Power of Now), where he presents and interprets data on individuals who attain high levels of happiness and how this correlates directly to what they do and how they do it. It really seems to harken back to the Aristotelian notion of exercising -- better, unleashing and unbridling -- your uniquely human higher faculties of intellect and creativity and, above all, prizing it as a valuable end in and of itself, and not merely a means to some other end, a la Tyler's previous entry on the instant gratification mind-set that plagues so many in Western society.

Here's a quick Amazon.com blurb on it, in case any blog readers enjoyed Eckhart Tolle's books and would be interested in another book related to the same themes (i.e. living in the moment, being in "state," etc.):

"You have heard about how a musician loses herself in her music, how a painter becomes one with the process of painting. In work, sport, conversation or hobby, you have experienced, yourself, the suspension of time, the freedom of complete absorption in activity. This is "flow," an experience that is at once demanding and rewarding--an experience that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates is one of the most enjoyable and valuable experiences a person can have. The exhaustive case studies, controlled experiments and innumerable references to historical figures, philosophers and scientists through the ages prove Csikszentmihalyi's point that flow is a singularly productive and desirable state. But the implications for its application to society are what make the book revolutionary."

Even Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert's recent book "Stumbling on Happiness" made me recall the evidence to support the fact that people are seldom as happy as they anticipated they'd be once they achieved their goals; they invariably look for "the next thing" to accomplish -- which I think is a healthy, natural human drive, but can be a vice when it hinders from truly enjoying the journey. As an alternative, in addition to setting lofty and ambitious goals that are in alignment with what you want, why not also value, immerse yourself in, and enjoy the experience of the process, as well? Take the best of both worlds.

What Tyler is saying here can even bear directly on the path of personal transformation that many who have caught the wonderful RSD "bug" are embarking on as part and parcel of developing their social intelligence/skills with women. Relish and bask in the process, y'all. Live, love and enjoy life.

Nietzsche,

Anonymous said...

Tyler,

your post was of the chain, I truly have to give it up to the whole RSD SQUAD. I think you guys are light years ahead.... wait there is no competion. This is true spit about self evolving and thinking outside the Box. People are just caught up in the game, which you gives us a diffrent perspective like their is more to life than game!!!
P.S. Keep up the good work!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Tyler.

I found very interesting all you've said, especially the part you said that if your job is draining you, it's because you've lost the beauty of the doing. I agree, in part.

The way you've framed it, it sounds like it's *your* fault you lost the beauty of the doing, when in reality I believe that you've simply come to realize that the activity is not something you truly enjoy.

That's probably because you were coming from a context pretty different from mine when you said this.

Me for example. I've a bachelor's degree in advertising and graphic design. And I have passion for the activity and used to have passion for the work in advertising agencies. Only after a few years did I realize that the life in advertising borders slavery (aka 100h workweeks with average pay and little long term perspective).

So I love the job and, as much as I find it fun to work in agencies most of the time, I know that it would be insustainable long-term, you'd have little to no time for yourself, etc. And after that realization I lost the beauty of the doing.

I don't believe it's "my fault". Almost on the contrary, I know I'm responsible for that epiphany and I'm very grateful to myself for having found that out while still young.

I think that my goal now is not to re-encounter the joy of agency work, but to find that joy in another area of work (like freelance, etc) that would allow me a healthier lifestyle.

Peace.
Lucas

Anonymous said...

Ahhh I love your articles Tyler... They inspire, which is the sign of a great teacher.
I know you probly don't reply to these comments, but I'm curious.. If you could give ONE piece of advice to a young guy, what would it be? Not nesasarily about PU, just life in general...

Klaas,

Jedi said...

Hey man
wicked thread.

It's all about the journey/smelling the roses isn't it?!

I've read similar stories about Day Lewis - esp when he was making "My Left Foot" - he was never out of character, even during takes. It became really frustrating for the crew because he was really slow getting things done, as you could imagine, being a guy with Cerebral Palsy 24/7.

The guy is a freak.

Top read man,

J

Anonymous said...

Holy ... shit.

I'm addicted to the way you think. I recently quit my job to go create something great on my own. It's been great, but I've had my downs.

You are SO completely right about needing to focus on the journey and not the destination. It's so cliche, but it's SO powerful.

Anyway, this is going to sound cheesy because I haven't ever met you except through books and videos, but I owe you big time.

I'll pay it back by living to my potential and nothing less.

Thanks again Tyler.

Anonymous said...

What a great post.. we all forget this sometimes.

It's like that old saying, "Live for the Journey and not the Destination."

I've been re-reading "The Power of Now" literally yesterday, so that point of enjoying the DOING rather then seeking an outcome really rang true.

Most of the time as you said, the people who truly create "classics" are not the ones who labored to create a "classic", but it sort of happened in most cases.

A lot of them were actually suprised by the fame or notoriety they received and just did whatever they did because "that's what they love doing".

Not sure what the Blueprint will be about.. but from this post it makes me feel that there's lots of unfinished books that you want to complete.

Keep it up bro and props.

Anonymous said...

Awesome. I really enjoyed this reading this article. Thanks for the work you put into it Tyler. I think it's a certified classic. Peace brother.

Anonymous said...

Love the hair Tyler.

Reminds me of when Hulk Hogan became Hollywood Hogan and formed NWO with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.

Brilliant man, you should die the beard black and keep the handlebars blonde.

That would be awesome. I wish I had more hair.

Love you man, thanks for the inspiration.

Anonymous said...

Respect, man.

Anonymous said...

What about the name Jeffy?

Anonymous said...

During reading this article i couldn't wait to comment on what you had to say in this article because I absolutely F***king agree with you 100%.

It's a really great thing that I hhave read this as I can breath out a sigh of relief that some people can identity with some of the experiences that I have had.

There are times in my life where I have focused purely on enjoying myself and being in the moment of "DOING", and i find that being in these sorts of states that not only do my results improve but also even if i didn't achieve what i set out to do it doesn't bother me because it can't deny that i had a really great time. Conversely when i look at people around me and i see how a majority of peoplet are constantly angry and obnoxious because certain things didn't go there way, i ask myself is that the way that i should be acting? When i ask myself that question it is such a big mind fuck because even in spite of me enjoying myself regardless of achieving the goal there is a tendency to move towards believing in what the people around me are saying.

It's crazy and drives me nuts sometimes but im so glad that you pointed this out because now I know that its not me who is acting crazy with unrealistic expectations that you can enjoy yourself regardless of reaching your outcome but really its those people who are always angry and blaming that are the ones that are at fault and should not be followed.

Anyways i wrote a fairbit for my standard but what im trying to say is i luv you man. You should write more of this stuffmore often.

Peaceout and again great article Tyler.

Felipe said...

that was great Tyler, your blog is truly becoming a classic too as i can identify myself reading what u post to tune into "that frequency".

Anonymous said...

Owen, your blog posts are always fantastic reading. I'm very glad you chose Daniel Day-Lewis as an analogy. I'd read about his elusiveness before shooting had began on Scorsece's film and it had always struck me as rather odd. Having now been entrenched in this community, and the self-help community in general for a fair amount of time, I can completely understand his actions and furthermore appreciate your message. As a bonus it also lets us understand more about you - especially as to why you're very process-centric.

Regards.

Ranger101

Anonymous said...

This article really put a lot of areas of my life in perspective. For that I thank you.. Truly enjoyed it..

Mwangi said...

Genius pure genius as always. You know you should definitely write an "Eckhart Tolle-esque" type book, you're methods of expressing yourself are phenomenal

Anonymous said...

This was AMAZING, Owen...a classic. It's so good to reinforce how creative each of us should continue to be, and not let that creativity slip based on outcome dependence.

I got to reading the New Earth based on your recommendations, and the passage that most resonated with me was this one:

"Some of those people who, through creative action, enrich the lives of many others simply do what they enjoy doing most without wanting to
achieve or become anything through that activity. They may be musicians, artists, writers, scientists, teachers, or builders, or they may bring into
manifestation new social or business structures (enlightened businesses)...In addition to enjoyment, an intensity is now added to what they do and with it comes a creativity that goes beyond anything an ordinary human could accomplish."

This is what we should all be striving for, and in no matter what profession, everybody should bring out their innate creativity and let it shine. Thanks for this reminder!

Mike said...

Great, dude!

I'm so glad you got to visit all those places I told you to visit - and that they had such a profound impact on you.

One of the things I found fascinating was walking though the Forum and seeing the ruins - two thousand year old columns just laying in the street. It gave a sense of realness of time. Enough evidence to see that it did in fact exist, but happened so long ago that so much was lost since.

I don't know if you've had a chance to do so yet, or if you are still in Rome, but if you are, be sure to visit the Vatican. Whatever religion you are, I'm sure you'll find it fascinating (I'm Jewish). It helped me to understand and respect a religion other than my own. And you'll see so many Classics there - from Michelangelo and so many others - this is how they pay homage - through these grand works of art. It's fascinating to see just how many statues and priceless works of art they have, even walking by hallways of statues they haven't even gone through yet.

Of course, all this leads up to the Sistine Chapel, but what a maze of priceless history that leads up to it.

And then, St. Peters. Probably the most holy church in the world. Inside are stairways that lead to the crypt, where you can find the tombs of every pope who has served. Just amazing.

I was going to say that you MUST check out Venice, but it looks like you already have! Was that not one of the most unique places you've ever been?

As for the message of your post, again I can't agree more. I always enjoy reading your posts, the insight and philosophy - I'm so on the same page with you, and from time to time I've made a lot of the same realizations.

In this case, it's about enjoying the path you're on, rather than rushing to the destination. Really BEING there. And that's life. Or what life is supposed to be. Enjoying the journey.

It looks like you're really enjoying the journey wherever you go, and whatever you do. And that's awesome!

Looking forward to much more.

-Mike Goldberg
Honolulu, HI

Anonymous said...

i always love reading your blog, fantastic!!

Anonymous said...

Daniel Day Lewis's performance in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" is the finest example of a confident player caught on film. I'm about to read the book which is supposedly far more philosophical then the movie. So much so that people say it's a philosophical exegisis on love, sex and life masking itself in the form a novel.

Anonymous said...

UNREAL post!

Anonymous said...

tyler for president

Anonymous said...

Thank You

That's All I Have To Say


;)

Anonymous said...

Tyler, u have no idea how much u help me with every article that you write. i keep understaing more and more things about myself when i read your articles. absolutly amazing, i truly admire your work. this blog is a true classic :) keep it up.

Anonymous said...

I love the fact that you are taking the philosophical and psychological sides of life deeper and deeper. These blogs are really the reason I respect RSD. I can tell that you are genuine Tyler. I sometimes think wow, I want to be like that guy. However it is only through trudging your own path that we all find sanctity and abundance. Keep up the great work. I would also like to make a sugggestion: can you email the RSD email list when a new blog is out. On the other hand do you normally post early in the week. mark_ebersole2000@yahoo.com I will not intrude on your privacy if you email me.

KODAK

Anonymous said...

tyler, you're absolutely amazing and mind-blwoing! if i just can go half the way you've gone, i would have achieved more in life than i ever expected and than i ever thought be possible.
your thoughts and your clarity may be my shining light on the way to fulfilness.
thanks for coming up with those mind shattering posts every week. it's already become an addiction!!

keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Hey man! I really digged this, I found it very profound.

especially this part:

"you've got to just say to yourself "I'm enjoying the DOING of this... The real enjoyment is in the offering of value and in the connection to a deeper part of myself that I get in the PRACTISE of honing of my skills..."

Keep it up, it is of great value!

:¬)

-Machismo

PS It is great to see you knocking off that excess weight, you can see the difference.
I find the cutting process way tougher than the bulking.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recommendation to watch “A New World.” I just watched it, and it’s great. It’s one of the most powerful examples I’ve seen of how our society is screwed up, and how the Indians had it right. Could you please comment on how it has “ripped a black hole in the fabric of your mind?” On Transformations you disagreed with the guy who said, “you can’t define who you are, you can only say ‘I am.’” But isn’t that the message of “A New World” that struck you so powerfully?

Anonymous said...

I felt really good when reading this entry.

--
-gruenfeld

Robert said...

Flippin awesome, you are doing the thinking for all of us. Thank you.

/R

Anonymous said...

I liked the part about being in the moment while you work and doing it for it's own sake...just reading this made me reconnect with that feeling.

It's like when you are connected and in that "mode" the time flies by and you bearly feel the hours pass by...like 3 or 4 hours seem like 3 or 4 minutes and you are just gliding. It's really a great feeling knowing you are accomplishing so much and really reveling in the process. It's euphoric and you could work for a day or two non-stop if you wanted to.

Great feeling. Everything flows into your head and the ideas don't stop.

Unknown said...

Hi Tyler,

Your quote:

"In a world oftentimes so suffocated with slacking and whining, reading this is just such a breath of fresh air."

made me shiver. That's how I felt when I read this. To be frank, I must say that it feels fucking good to know that I'm not the only one (in this massive world) who thinks the way you do. It might be typical for you to have one out of your many "page visitor hits" predictably identify with what you have to say but, for me this is rare.

I read different content every single day on this extremely-large wealth-of-knowledge-database we call the internet (and have for years) but, not until now have I found someone who appears to have the exact same thoughts as me.. as if you in my freaking head. I have never posted anything like this on anyone's page.

With that said, I have to add that I ironically find it kind of painful to read other people's ass kissing testimonials. *shrug*

But again, for me, this is rare. I just feel I have to communicate all of this. I don't personally know you Tyler, TD, Owen Cook, or whoever you are but thank you. Respect++

God speed on being further down that never ending path of universal understanding.

Be happy, as it's the meaning of life.

And, if helping people along the way makes you happy, more power to you.

Sincerely,
Trent N.

Matty said...

Tyler you really just brightened up my day and put me back on track.

Anonymous said...

I'd love to see your image "pimped-out" a little. I know your on holidays having a great time. It's just that you have had that Aussie Yobo look for a while now and its time for a change :)

Anonymous said...

TD, please, whatever happens please never ever stop doing Bootcamps completly. It would be a shame. But I just can't imagine you becoming snob, so I'm not really worried.

It's just that we all love you so much. As much as fucking humanly possible for a guy without being gay. That goes for J to the laix & the rest of your creew too, of course.

*grouphugeveryone*, OK, shit, I gotta take it easy with the worshipping, but you get the point.

P.S. Thanks for revolutionizing Game, and soon [Blueprint anyone?] prolly self help too. What can I say your my hero,... and your ass is so comfy ;)

BS aside, Thanks man!

Stay strong, as always!

Anonymous said...

This post itself was a true classic.
keep it up man...i'll def. try and get to meet u if i get to fly to the states this summer..maybe by taking one of ur seminars or workshops...lots of stuff i can learn from ur mindset...

Anonymous said...

Tyler, this is going to sound really weird but I had to say it. A part of this post actually brought tears to my eyes because it hit home so well. I am working on a piece of my own art, a very personal and exciting project that I'm pouring my soul into, and I really love how you stress the enjoyment of the doing. Thank you so much for these great posts.
All the best with everything...
D

Dream said...

Inspirational Tyler.

-Dream

Jerry said...

I like this.

Anonymous said...

Tyler,

I am not really a pua, but I am a guy who is interested in some of the concepts that you and others speak on. I have been reading your blog over this summer and it's causing me to think and evolve in life. One thing I'll say though, while the process and just enjoying life is what it's about, for some people reaching the goal is their flow, their personalities are hardwired that accomplishment and achievement are what satisfy them more than the flow itself. Anyways, I really liked your blog and keep it up.

Bigtime said...

Awesome, awesome blog... I'm really looking forward to your post-community work, books etc. (assuming you continue to write, which you should). As always, thanking you...

Anonymous said...

Bloody brilliant.

Ivan said...

Great post!

Thanks!

TabooTruth said...

Your blog is always fantastic and has some great ideas. About living in the moment. What is someone is involved in political and human rights work? I doubt for them it is the act of reporting that brings them satisfaction but rather the end result of making a difference.

I'm not sure if all of your advice applies to everyone, especially people involved with the public sector. I think you should also travel to the Islamic world and see their hatred of openness, and then compare it to the United States.

Regardless, though, keep it up. Your writing has helped me think of things in a different perspective and I'm sure does so for many others.

TheNewMethod said...

You and Sean Messenger are heading in the right direction. The Bluepring will be the last pickup product I will buy.

Anonymous said...

Wow.
I can´t say how amazed I´m always after reading your articles!
Your rambling about what makes an artist is something I 100% agree with. All the guys who make "art" while trying only to get money out of it and to get famous are all make shitty, music, write shitty books or shoot shitty pictures. Fucked up thing is some of them got success with it...
50 Cent, Tom Clancy, Michael Bay just to name a few. :-)

Letting the pure self out is something I also struggle with. But you are absolutely right. I also think unconsciously: What might be cool to say..
I realised it lately that I do that and your article is another kick in my butt to change that asap!!!!!