3 Keys In Year 33
Why 3?
Today I turn 33, and 33 lessons are just too many. You’ll read it, nod your head a few times, and then go back to story-time roulette.
So you get 3.
The format of thinking in 3’s is also very useful for organizing your thoughts.
You’ll see how I show you 3 concepts broken down into 3 parts each. You’ll notice this format really improves YOUR ability to understand, integrate, and remember what I’ve written.
This will help you with your writing and thinking. This effective idea architecture is your little bonus!
And how did I come to choose these 3?
These are 3 keys you don’t typically see.
3 things I thought would help you most NOW.
3 things that can change your “eh” to a “wow.”
A life-saver, on how to savor life and be your own savior.
The first lesson: Slow down
Hurry up! Speed up! What’s up! I’ve been up all night! I’ve had it up to here with you!
Does it sometimes feel like the world’s turned upside down?
We have 24/7 connectivity with pocket supercomputers. Were the monkeys ready to wield this tremendous tool?
What do YOU think?!
Just because information moves at the speed of light, doesn’t mean you must accommodate accordingly.
I’m thinking of writing a book called The Power of No, I could be the Eckhart Tolle of drawing boundaries and protecting your consciousness.
It’s serious business, especially because you are being asked for your attention CONSTANTLY.
Your awareness is assaulted by relentless notifications, dings, and vibrations.
But you can also just turn it off! You can say, “no thanks!”
Just because a message can be sent instantly, doesn’t mean you must respond instantly.
I remember when the phone was plugged into the wall at home, and it couldn’t leave the confines of the home. You left home and you were gone. You were everywhere and nowhere. Unreachable and untethered.
Just an animal walking around this beautiful earth. Ah well, nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
Heigl said “freedom is knowing the truth of necessity” and I say that’s definitely an aspect of freedom.
If you don’t recognize the true necessities, you are enslaved by false necessities commanding your time.
The 1st key to slowing down: Spend some of your life unavailable. Create the space for your “no rush” time.
“Nature does not hurry, and yet all is accomplished.”
-Lao Tzu
No notifications.
No pings, no dings, no “urgent” things.
The 2nd key to slowing down: Stop and smell the roses.
There are miracles happening inside you, and all around you, every moment.
Take a moment to let that sink in.
Sights, sounds, smells. You are bringing your attention to the here and now.
The greatest birthday present of all is the actual present.
The 3rd key to slowing down: Slow move. Slow food.
Your body is capable of incredible movements. Dancing, fighting, fornicating…or lifting giant rocks over your head.
These things are all worth doing with explosive speed, AND slowly. Very slowly.
Remember the phrase: “Speed hides need.”
There are countless stories of bodies broken by ballistic bumbling. Don’t rush to lift big weights, or move the load at maximum speed.
On the other hand, many people have healed their mind and body with a few minutes of slow movement.
It may resemble Tai Chi or yoga, but one thing is for sure, slow movement will check your strength, balance, and ego at the door.
Eat slowly. Savor the flavor. Focus on the food in your mouth, instead of on the next bite.
Don’t rush past this sacred experience that continues to give you the gift of life.
Go slow and you’ll grow.
The 2nd lesson: Smile
Gratitude. Acceptance. Peace. Joy. Love. Fun. Play.
The 1st key to smiling: Connect with others.
A smile is a reassuring signal to yourself, and anyone who sees it.
There is something so powerful about smiling. A smile noticed as you walk past a “stranger” gives a measurable boost to their perception of reality.
A smile as you dance and move with others opens your heart, and your joints.
The 2nd key to smiling: Laugh at yourself.
For me, this particular thought is very strong around my birthday.
I smile, laughing at my prior ignorance, “Oh what a fool I… was! That poor, ignorant 32 year old! I can hardly believe it! Good thing I’m nothing like that guy now! ”
But the way you frame this idea, speaks volumes.
Do you attach a negative label and shame yourself for your “mistakes?” Or do you smile and respect the power of learning through hindsight?
Here’s a big revelation:
Everyone always does exactly what they think will bring them the result they want, all the time, given what they think and feel in that moment.
In fact, this means that a “mistake” cannot be made. You can only make choices.
A mistake is defined only when you review and reflect on a prior choice.
That choice was not a mistake, it was just a choice you made.
In hindsight, you notice what might have been a better action…NOW that choice looks like a “mistake.”
It’s good to reflect. If you reflect and review what you did, you’ll notice opportunities for improvement for next time. This is good!
Laugh at yourself, laugh at your mistakes, and KEEP TRYING!
The 3rd Key to smiling: Don’t fear mistakes, you can’t make one anyway!
A great deal of self-loathing, shame, regret, and inaction are caused by “mistakes” and “fear of making a mistake.”
Many people get old and die without ever realizing how badly they have handicapped themselves with needless fear and shame.
Laugh at yourself. Your “self” is just a story your ego wants to keep telling. Don’t protect your fragile ego—mock it. Poke fun at it, and enjoy the absurdity of your unique peculiarities.
Smiling is gratitude beyond thoughts and words.
Smile when you move, smile at other people, smile and laugh at yourself.
Take it from me, I have spent a hefty majority of my life trying to be a “tough” or “cool” guy.
Don’t take yourself too seriously, and you’ll be much better off.
This is your own personal heaven or hell complete with all the ups and downs you desire! Enjoy it!
The 3rd Lesson: Silence
Silence is golden.
The world of words is often loud and dissonant. Your ears are valuable commodities with many people looking to capture your attention.
Right now it is mostly quiet. I can hear the small fountain in my house finding rhythm with the tapping of my fingers on the keyboard.
It’s very peaceful.
The 1st Key: Realize that silence is the space to create.
Music is sound sprinkled between a blank canvas of silence. But, silence is not just about the absence of vibrations in the air, it is also about you.
Hey you! Hello in there! Can you quiet your monkey mind? Can you find your still center point? Can you be the calm center in the eye of the storm?
The 2nd Key: To silence the mind is a superpower that actually liberates your mind.
This can be challenging when the mind is constantly looking for treasure (desire) and looking out for traps (fear).
I refer to this as racing around the probabilitree. The probability tree of what you think will happen next if you do x, y, or z.
Your mind is a prediction machine trying to secure your future, “Hmmmm….if I do x, then y will happen, then z, and then I’ll be happy!”
BUT, there is no guarantee that it will work out the way you planned. And some folks spend most of their lives in quiet desperation, immobilized while their minds race around the infinite probabilitree.
The solution? Silence can save you.
It will be uncomfortable at first, especially if you are addicted to the noise.
The 3rd Key: It is your choice, after all.
Vampires can only enter your home if invited in–the same is true for energy vampires in your life. They are only permitted if you invite them in! Reclaim your peaceful silence, and only fill it with the creation and people of your choosing. It’s a powerful space for creation and appreciation.
Slow, Smile, Silence. The keys to my personal paradise that I’m sharing with you.
With these keys you can unlock pure flow, anytime.
Now you’re at the critical period where you finish reading something new and it’s time to choose:
“What next?”
You can move on to another bit. Continue the story-time roulette and look for something else. (I guess 80% will do this)
You could pause and reflect on what you’ve just read (maybe write down your key takeaways from this rather wordy article). Or you could reflect on your entire life up to now.
That’s always the real key: what you can do, right now.
Give yourself the slowness, smiles and silence you deserve.
Over the past 4 years I put together something very special that incorporates these ideas. A careful synthesis of everything I now understand about movement. A modular daily practice to heal and supercharge your mind and body.
Perhaps you have already experienced the simple magic of Primal Athleticism?
Folks from all over the world are sending me messages about how this simple daily practice has actually changed their lives. (I also receive many similar messages regarding the “even-more-simple” mobility system: #5minuteflow.)
I’m certain that Primal Athleticism can change the life of anyone who takes the time to learn and practice it.
33 years on the planet now.
It’s funny. The # of years I’ve been alive, like the # of pounds I can lift, doesn’t seem important to me at all.
In fact, I think the most interesting thing is that we are born again every day.
Go to sleep, wake up, new day. New person.
Maybe you start an exercise or nutrition plan, or maybe you start reading a life-changing book.
Being a human is such a trip because you can change so much, so quickly. Ah the power of neuroplasticity!
Today is a new day for you, too.
I sincerely hope you think about what I’ve shared with you, and put these 3 keys into your practice. They are mostly overlooked secrets to great peace and power.
But you can gain even more by adding layers of detail to your mind and movement practice.
The truth is, I have the perfect plan to help you navigate your journey with greater effect, and less effort.
So on my birthday, my next gift to you, is $33 to spark your journey to Primal Athleticism.
By following this simple framework, you’ll be rewarded with a powerful body, a clear mind, and the space to express yourself authentically everyday.
I know of no similar plan on the planet.
Take this opportunity to start a new journey to mental and physical peace and power.
Use the code: 3keys
I encourage you to share this message with others, as one clear message truly can be a life-changing experience.
Happy Birthday To Us,
-Max
PS: Next month of M3 Academy will start 10/13 so sign up before then to get in before it goes out!