A tragic trap that has manifested itself into a modern epidemic.

A rich and powerful man scatters thousands of seeds in his plot of land. Some of the seeds never end up growing, merely rotting away into the endless earth. Some of the seeds end up thriving, becoming fully independent, and growing into large and established oak trees, with their roots claiming the earth for miles around them. These seeds had favorable conditions, perhaps they reached more sunlight or water. However, the vast majority of the seeds soughed by the rich man ended up as measly little trees, having to depend on the irrigation system to sustain their pointless existence. The trees belonging to the majority are miserable, desperate if you will. They don’t reach the blissful heights that some of their counterparts do.

This analogy represents the structure of the modern world. We’re all Humans, with the same capabilities. Yet most of us endure a meaningless existence, accepting the mediocrity of our life without question.

Those in power (the farmer with the seeds) control you. But then there remains a the select few who thrive and rise from the masses. This is how society is set up.

Do You Live A Life Of Quiet Desperation? 🔗

One of my all-time favorite quotes, in general, happens to come from one of my favorite philosophers — Henry David Thoreau.

I seek refuge in these words as a reminder of the life state I can never allow myself to fall into. But man, this quote right here, holds a heavy meaning behind it. This is because it’s so accurate.

There are many many people out there who dream about the idea of running away from everything. To leave behind their whole lives and all the financial burdens just to be free. They cant wait to run away.

• Misplaced values
• Unfulfilling work
• Emotionless voids
• Attaching to material possessions
• Little free time to explore things that are meaningful to you

Any of this sound familiar?

I’m sure it does because a lot of you are merely enslaved by systems that benefit those above you. The hard truth is that you are a tiny cog in a machine that never stops turning. It just chews up and swallows the cogs, spitting them out when they become of no use.

Henry David Thoreau is an inspiration for the modern man. A personal role model of mine. He recognized this enslavement early on in modern society.

And what did he do?

He broke free from it and took his own path. He rejected society, refused to pay taxes to a governmental organization he didn’t believe in, and moved into the wilderness, becoming fully self-sufficient. Like his 1854 book, Walden recounts.

Like I said before, take refuge in his words. Because they are our current truth, regardless of if you feel free or not.

Forging The Path of Freedom 🔗

A YouGov poll found that only 50 percent of people in the UK believe their job makes a meaningful contribution to the world. A Shocking 37 percent are sure it doesn’t.

What significance do the word’s meaning and purpose have to you? For me, they are some of the most important words in the English language, and I don’t say this lightly.

Another one of my all-time favorite quotes. There is a theme with my favorite quotes, they all reveal solemn and hard truths to swallow that is crucial to our feelings of happiness.

Can you begin to imagine what decades of working a useless job that you believe provides zero value can do to someone? This is literal torture. It is a life of quiet desperation.

Purpose and direction in life can get you through close to anything in life. It’s like a sense of omnipotence that sustains this hunger and drive to make it out the other side.

Joe Rogan talked about this quote in one of his podcasts, relating to it and stating he was once one of those men trapped in a life he didn’t want to be in, stating he couldn’t wait to run away. Read this and take it in.

Plan Your Fucking Escape 🔗

This is where discomfort and urgency come in. Those who are unhappy and feel unfulfilled in their lives don’t know the meaning of those two words.

All they do is live in comfort at a safe pace, believing their life goes on forever. Time runs out sonny boy, and nothing worth remembering ever happens in a state of comfort.

I can’t communicate the importance of urgency here. As Joe says, your life depends on it. You only get one. After coming back from a 6-week backpacking trip having spent thousands of dollars and not working or writing for close to six months, I became a lazy procrastinating fuck.

I hated anything that yielded discomfort. The only “productive” thing I’d do in my days was murder my ass in the gym because that’s been a non-negotiable for me for years!

It clicked one day. I have to get up and do stuff right now. The longer I ponder on the thought of taking action, the less likely it becomes.

The men who live in quiet desperation, begging themselves to get out, don’t do this. They catch themselves being lazy and not taking risks, but rather than jumping up like their life is on the line, they let the thought fade out.

Final Words — The Deathbed Test 🔗

I’ll end on an actionable note that always jolts me up and gives me the motivation I need. It’s as simple as this.

Imagine yourself on your deathbed.

• Are you satisfied?
• Have you done all the things that you dreamt of?
• Is your life how you imagined it to be?

I bet that upon this reflection, you’ll find that you haven’t even scratched the surface of what you would die being content with in terms of life experiences. It’s still like that for me. I’m nowhere near fulfilling my dreams, and dying now would cut it short.

But I’m rapidly trying. Trying as hard as I can, as fast as I can, as if my life depends on it. Because it does.