My Final Post

All Things Come To An End…

Time has flown since I’ve first started blogging in September 2013. It has been (and still is) a great medium by which I’m able to share my thoughts and ideas with you guys. But with all things I’m feeling that I should move on to other things!

I’ve updated and moved my blog to a custom domain! Currently I’m blogging @ www.basicgrowth.com! Blogging on a custom website has allowed for greater customization, flexibility, interaction and just so-much more!

I blog about

“The Creation of Yourself”

 

We do this by implementing empowering qualities and removing the impure traits from our character. Basically I teach how to control your thoughts and actions to create for yourself a better life. a.k.a. rewiring your brain for success!

To often we try to control our circumstances and fight against our current situation but always to no avail. Our thoughts and actions are the only thing we can (and should) control!

I believe that everyone has the capacity to achieve anything they want and eventually become the person they want to be.

 

---

 

Thanks For Everything

I’m really grateful for everyone that has supported me over the past months! 101 followers is quite a lot! If you’re interested in keeping our connection alive (which I would find awesome!)

I suggest you bookmark my blog, add it to your reader, like me on facebook or send me a message if you have anymore questions!

Take great care,

Love,

Simon

The Secret To Happiness (How To Find Happiness)

Intro

Read On My Website

Hey you! One of the most important questions I ask myself regularly is how we can possibly find happiness? What does it even mean these days? I’ve been thinking about this topic from quite a while now and have come up with an answer for myself in this post!

I’ve been thinking about guest posting this on another site because I genuinely believe it has the potential to help a great deal of people lead a better life. But I decided I wouldn’t because this is actually a really personal topic and holds a lot of meaning for myself. Anyways enjoy!

There’s been said a lot on the topic of happiness lately. Books and products promoting the end-all-be-all fix for instant happiness, self-help gurus claiming they can “cure” your depression with their ground-breaking new methods (if you pay their price off-course) and a load more questionable content that will supposedly “fix all your problems.”

Me personally, I’m not a big fan of  backhanded sales-techniques, overhyping and endless product spam. I like my life simple and structured and that’s exactly the purpose of this blog; To get more clarity and build a better life (for myself and anyone else interested). Pretty much just cutting trough the BS.

Anyway, I’ve been reading some books and articles on happiness lately and have been thinking about what makes us feel truly happy. What makes us feel all these gradations of happiness? From general contentment to exhilarating excitement?

I’ve found this a topic worthy to explore and therefore here is my take on how to find happiness;

Introducing Happiness

Happiness is a rather vague concept. Something illusive everyone is trying to find these days. Everybody wants to be happy and fulfilled. In my eyes this is pretty much the reason why everyone is alive in the first place.

Everybody has felt “happy” before in their life. It is actually amazing how little clues we take when we’re actually in a happy state. It is only until  we feel unhappy that we start asking ourselves what we’re missing?

If you are anything like me, – and I presume you are, otherwise you wouldn’t have clicked on this article – you are trying to find some deeper meaning to your existence and more fulfillment in your day to day life. You know there is more to life than what our environment is telling you. And you are right!

I truly hope I’m not coming of as some sort of fraud trying to sell you the latest trend in being happy 😉 I’m genuinely trying to spread my take of what it takes to be truly happy.

Misconceptions

First off, let me get some things out of the way. I believe all information is already “out there”. Everything you ever wanted to know is already crystal clear in your subconsciousness. You just haven’t come in contact with it yet. So deep inside you, you already know what really makes you happy but you just haven’t realized it yet. Allow me to show you what you have forgotten.

Let’s start off by clearing some superficial misconceptions about happiness. I trust you have realized already that there is nothing external that creates deep and lasting happiness. Happiness is something that can never be found on the outside but always originates from the inside.

Therefore money is not the cause of happiness, possessions are not the cause of happiness, fame is not the cause of happiness, … . Anyway you get my point. So what is?

Keys To Happiness

I always like to use pretty metaphors and quotes as they allow me to explain an abstract concept in a very simplistic manner so everyone can understand it (retard-proof). Today I was wondering about the purpose of life while I was staring outside my dorm window. Beneath my window there is this really tall and strong tree and I started to wonder why that tree does what it does. What is the purpose of its existence?

Why does it grow leaves and does it bare fruits? Why does he keep growing from the nutrients it gets and share it with others? Nature is so beautiful simplistic and elemental.

You don’t have to tell a tree what to do in order to live a fulfilling life. You don’t have to tell an animal what to do to be happy. When’s the last time you saw a depressed dog? Those little bastards are always excited and happy! They already know deep inside them what they need to do.

As I recognized that we are a part of nature, I realized that we can learn a lot from our environment. In my eyes there are three fundamental keys to deep, lasting happiness and personal fulfillment.

They are;

• Roots
• Growth
• Fruits

Pretty abstract words, but allow me to explain ❤

Roots

Trees have really strong roots to anchor themselves into the ground. Without roots they wouldn’t be able to stand tall and face their harsh environment. This applies to humans by knowing who you are. (or at least who you want to be)

If you know who you are you’ll have a solid base to build your life on. You grow your roots by defining who you want to be as a person and living accordingly. I’ve written two quite comprehensive articles on creating a quote-on-quote “pure” identity (The Secret To Core Confidence  &  How To Build Character (Guide To Core Confidence)).

Conscious living (living according to universal laws) is what will define how strong you stand in life. Don’t base your identity on external factors but root yourself in the values you want to stand for. A tree cannot thrive in loose sand and neither can humans without a solid foundation.

Being rooted in your individuality is the first step you need to take in order for you to be truly happy about yourself. To many people fail by not setting certain standards of acceptable behavior for themselves.

“Nothing is more ruinous to a soul than the absence of authentic  identity “ – unknown

Growth

Next up is actually having a direction and purpose in your life. Without it we just dwell around in this world and we tend to feel useless and get depressed. Find out what makes you tick! What really makes you smile? Insist on it and learn as much about it.

For a tree to grow into the magnificent being it can be, it has a blueprint by which it shapes itself. We need (not should, not want, not better to.. but NEED) to have a plan in front of our eyes by which we live our life. We need to have a sense of direction in order to feel truly happy. A sense of importance. Knowing that we’re making an impact.

The antonym for happiness isn’t sadness. It is boredom (4HWW). And therefore excitement is what will spike your interest and keep you feeling energized and fulfilled.

Fulfillment is essentially the result of growth.

The best (and only) way to feel excited and fulfilled is by growing in any of your Areas Of Life. Every person needs an inclination in which they can advance. Doesn’t matter what area it is.

Whether it is in the energy, physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, wealth or legacy area of life. Anything that can provoke excitement is the way to g(r)o(w)! When we improve our physical appearance, grow closer with friends or loved ones, read about topics that interests us or when you get a stronger connection with our maker it all provides happiness because we are growing as a person.

These new experiences we create allow us to grow into a better version of ourselves. Note that excitement is often (always?) found outside our comfort zone. Whenever we overcome our self-defined limitations we start to feel alive again. Challenge yourself to live outside your comfort zone and happiness will be yours. Another related article on this is; How To Feel Alive TODAY! (The Power Of Comfort Challenges)

“The purpose of life is growth. What doesn’t grow, is dying.” – unknown

What if you’re constantly growing, wouldn’t that get boring after a while? Note that you can’t be happy all the time. There’s duality in all emotions (TBH, in pretty much everything). You cannot know what happiness really feels like if you’ve never experienced sadness. We need the contrast to recognize when we’re growing.

Blocks

The only thing that block us from being happy even if we are growing, are our expectations. When we don’t live up to the expectations we set for ourselves we tend to become really frustrated and sometimes even depressed.

We create for ourselves an ultimate vision we need to achieve in order for us to be happy. We always forget that happiness isn’t about the results we get. Much like a tree doesn’t care about becoming big and strong, He just changes and improves to suit its surroundings but he is still as happy as when he started as a little twig, (Yeah, I know the feelings of a tree, trust me)

Happiness is about enjoying the process of growth, Happiness is about enjoying who you become by growing instead of what you get from growing.

Now there are two ways to clear this blockages, We can either change our expectations (not lowering) by reflecting on what is true or we can reach them by focusing our energy more on growth.

Clearing Blocks

Failed expectations are mostly caused by false truths, We set out to reach the impossible in little to no time. We need happiness now! A tree doesn’t care about reaching its destination, he only focuses on growing. Change your false truths and you will change your reality.

Try to determine why you want to have that certain result in the first place! You shouldn’t expect everything to be perfect and live accordingly. Do your best to grow and always give 100%. Realize that growing takes time. Twigs don’t transform overnight into a huge tree, they grow a bit more ever single day. Persistence is key.

To often we’re overwhelmed by our end goals that we get discouraged and don’t even take action in the first place. It’s healthy to compare where you’re at to where you want to be. That’s necessary to create the drive you need to reach a goal. But you shouldn’t obsess over it. Every journey starts with a small step. It’s as cliché as it can get but the statement does ring true.

Stop beating yourself up about some minor shortcoming in the short-term. Try to focus on the things that you have achieved already! Compare your starting point to where you are now instead of your desired end result.

What’s the point in negative self-talk anyway? I hate to admit it, but I’m mostly the only person that’s holding me back from getting/achieving the things I want. But honestly? I’ve grown tired of all the bullshit I’m telling myself, aren’t you?

Try to grow without judging yourself (as hard as it may sound). Allow yourself to make mistakes as all failures are learning opportunities.

The key to clearing your blocks to happiness is basically to live with purpose (by focusing on your goals) and taking persistent action, but be free from outcome.

Happiness is the process of becoming, not the end result.

Fruits

Like a tree bares fruits, humans are also designed to share their talents, ideas and services with others. The third key to happiness is to share your results with the world. To feel like you truly matter it is important to share your knowledge and insights with the future generation. By cooperation and contribution we can bring our society to the next level.

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.”— Greek proverb

There is no greater task than service to others (Peaceful Warrior). This is related to humans being social creatures. Don’t you just love it when someone comes to you for advice and you can actually help him with his problem?

Helping others provides a great feeling of deep satisfaction that can’t be derived from anywhere else. Try service, sharing of ideas, art, possessions,… . It gives you the feeling that you matter. Find out something you really love and are naturally good at and try to find a way to help people with that! (or create a way!)

How can you provide more, love more, starting today? Try asking people for advice, talking to others. There’s so many ways to provide for others. The greatest is probably just communication. Understanding deeply and emphatically how others feel and what they are about.

Essence

So in short, happiness consists out of only three factors; identity, growth and contribution. Pretty obvious, isn’t it? A quick re-cap on how to find happiness;

• People who are confident in their solid identity are less affected by the “turbulence” around them. They live in a happy world they’ve created for themselves.
• People who love something/someone, live longer and are generally healthier and happier than people who don’t. The ones who exercise their passions and actively pursue excitement are the people who smile the most.
• Humans are social creatures and long for mental survival (not solely physical). They want to be liked, accepted, respected and they want attention from others. So go out, find something you truly love and share that with the world! Always give everything you have and don’t settle for anything less than what you’re capable of.

If all else fails… just smile. Demand yourself to be happy, maybe not because your circumstances allow it, but because you deserve to be.

Anyway, those were my thoughts on happiness for today. If you’re having any thoughts or questions on this topic, feel free to share those with me in the comment section below or send me a private message!

If you found this post relevant to your personal life, I want to invite you to share this post with anyone you care about on your favorite social media. I believe everyone deserves to be happy and shouldn’t need to buy a “get happy now” product in order to achieve that state. If these insights have helped you (as they did for me when I first learned them) they have the potential to inspire others!

Furthermore, if you’re interested in grabbing some free self-development tools you can find a heap of those in my toolbox or if you’re interested you can even sign-up to my free life coaching email course which will help you create a better identity, set goals (and actually achieve them) and give you some more interesting insights!
Anyways, thanks for reading! Take care!

Love,

Simon.

Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPh6rLjsCp8
http://elitedaily.com/life/motivation/stop-having-expectations/
http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/7313/how-to-be-happy-all-the-time/

Here’s A Simple Way For Changing Habits (And Keeping Them)

Building New Habits

One of the greatest ways to fill up your days is by giving yourself some powerfull routines that will add some major benefit in your life. Habits like reading, working out, eating healthy, waking up earlier, working on a project at a certain time and so-forth.

But why do so many people find it so difficult when it comes to changing their habits?

To many people aren’t willing to make that short-term sacrifice which will yield a long-term benefit. Human tendency is to focus on instant gratification and immediate rewards. If we’re able to get away from this and actually put some work/time into something more meaningful we can often get a much bigger reward out of that.

In this video a provide a simple way that any one can follow (starting today) for changing habits!

 

The most important key to building habits is consistency. (easier said than done offcourse ;))

So how do we go about changing habits (and actually sticking to them?)

What Habits Do You Want? 

First up is actually choosing what new habits you want to implement in your life

What kind of habits can add great values to your life at the moment? What is the main thing you need to work on in order to improve your life a little bit more? Do twenty push-ups each morning, drink 2 liters of water each day, eat a salad each day?

It’s best to start at a low level where you don’t feel any resistance. In the beginning the main thing you want to focus on is just establishing that routine. Focus on the process of doing the habit and not the end result.

For example; you want to get more physically active. And you want to do 40 minute walks everyday. A great start is to do a 5-minute walk each evening after work. You’ll probably think; “I can do that!”. And over time you just add more time , like five extra minutes every week and soon you’ll be doing those 40 minute walks (or even runs) which will make all the difference in the end.

“Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence” – Ovid

Why Do You Want This Habit? 

“Supersaiyan-Mode Activated”

If you want to do something consistently you’d better have a damn good reason for it! Motivation is key in achieving anything.

Tony Robbins describes motivation is determined by two factors; Our desire to attain pleasure and the need to avoid pain. So there’s really two things you can do for this;

• Link massive pleasure towards doing your habit and you’ll be pulled towards it! Write down all the benefits you get for achieving this habit.
  For example: When I work out regularly I’ll get a great body
• Link massive pain to not doing this habit and you’ll pushed away from your current state. Write down all the pain your current habit has caused you (and will cause in the future)
  For example: My bad physical condition has made it difficult for me to enjoy life (playing with my children, taking the stairs, going outside on a warm day,…)

So I encourage you to write down the positive outcomes this habit has for your life and the pains you’ll get from not doing them!

Without a motive, habits are worthless.

How Are You Going To Stick To Them? 

How are you going to keep yourself accountable. We got a clearly defined goal and a great motive but is that really enough? How are we going to push trough the moments where “the going gets tough?”

Like I described in the video; you’re going to need to keep yourself accountable! You can do this by downloading the Thirty Day Challenge Calendar from my toolbox and print it out. Hang it up somewhere visible (kitchen, fridge,…) to remind you that you need to do that certain task.

You can even link some consequences to not taking action. For example; Ask a friend or family member to keep yourself accountable and if you don’t complete what you’ve set out to do, you connect a consequence to that (giving that friend 15$ for example, or even 500$.) The more painful the consequence the more motivated you’ll be.  (If you can’t find any good consequences, ask your friends 😉 They’ll surely come up with something)

But also link rewards to completing these daily routines! Habits pay of very slowly (most) and therefore you won’t really get any immediate satisfaction from them. Create rewards whenever you’ve completed a daily routine, don’t wait for you to run 30 mins a day to give yourself a break! Reward good behavior with positive self-talk, a relaxing movie, eating out, taking a bath, buy yourself a present, anything really. Even if you’re just walking those 5 minutes every day you can still rewards yourself.

Essence

Allright what should you take away from this post and implement right now?

• Print out the 30 Day Challenge Calendar
• Write down one habit you want to imbed into your life for the next thirty days
• Write down your motivation on the back and hang it somewhere where you can see it everyday (fridge, desk, kitchen, …)
• Link your actions consequences and rewards!

If you find yourself struggling with consistency. Either lower the resistance or increase the consequences.

Don’t get frustrated on the results you’re not getting by constantly comparing your current state to your end goal. This immediately places you in a lower position which will cause you to lose the drive you need for sticking to your habits

Focus on where you’ve started to really feel driven to work on those habits. For example; I try to work out 4-5 days a week and have kept pictures of myself from when I first started until now. When I’m feeling demotivated or feel like I’m not making any progress, I just grab those pictures and really see how much progress I’ve made.

Anyway, that’s all for today! If you’re having some more questions or thoughts on changing habits feel free to share those with me in the comment section below. If you want to start designing your own life and start living you can grab my free life coaching email course

Take care!

Love

Simon

Check Out My Website!

What Everyone Ought To Know About Porn (Is Porn Bad?)

Is Porn Bad?

I’ve been reading quite a lot on the topic of sex and sexual energy lately and I’ve found that some ways by which we approach sexuality are not exactly what they should be. For example, women are sexually repressed and judged whenever they sleep around (even if they don’t have a relationship) and men are sexually frustrated caused by a lack of sexual satisfaction in their personal life.

Sex is still (even in this age) a controversial topic. While in fact it is one of our most basic desires. Judging, suppressing and hiding this important aspect of our lives under a load of superficial BS only makes the problem worse. Sexual interest is something that should be freely encouraged. The days where we only had sex for procreation are loooong gone. So drop the

Therefore we start to resort to quick, instant forms of gratification! Namely Porn. One of the most popular search terms in google these days;

 

What’s Wrong With Porn?

critical look on porn necessary?

Porn is pretty much made for men only. They accentuate everything that men these days think is “the ideal” of what women want. Massive penises, constant moaning and mostly focused on penetration. It’s basically an ego-trip for men to satisfy their basic instincts (in an unnatural way). It creates a super-high standard and certain level of expectancy from both sides. Which is ridiculous to say the least.

We are provided with this quote-on-quote “idealized” perspective of what sex is about.But plainly;

porn is just fake.

The only things that porn provides is;

a) Instant Sexual Gratification
b) Wrong image of what “real” sex is about

 

Why Is This Wrong?

Sexual satisfaction shouldn’t be achieved virtually but only in reality. Instant sexual satisfaction has become so easily accessible through the internet that modern society has become obsessed by it. We’ve stopped caring about the real thing and have become so desensitized about sex that it has led to unnatural extremes which are continuously going to get worse if we don’t deal more consciously with the way we approach our sexuality.

In some countries and with some men that has taken a heavy toll. They’ve become so addicted to instant gratification and masturbation that they just can’t get turned on by “normal” girls at all.

They’ve become convinced that porn and masturbation is better than the real thing. Women have become less attractive to them because of the desensitizing effect porn has had on them.

Boys/men these days get introduced to virtual sex before they experience real sex and IMO that is pretty disturbing. Therefore we should focus on educating children from a young age on the effects that porn can have on the image they have of sex.

They need to realize that porn, in essence is fake. If you have the time and are interested, I’ve included an interesting documentary about porn and its effects on our youth.;

Energy

Another reason why porn is not good for you is because excessive masturbation (read: overstimulation) leads to a loss of energy. Like I already mentioned in an earlier article about Sexual Energy is that this can lead to chronic fatigue and even depression. (At least from my experience)

I believe in the fact that when a man comes in a woman he basically gives her his “life energy”. How cliché this may sound, it is what I’ve experienced in the past. I’m not a fan of overly holistic and spiritual approaches to life but I believe there’s some truth to be found in those ideologies.

I pretty much feel exhausted and empty when I’ve had one to many orgasms from sex.

Essence

Anyway, what should you take away from this article? Accept the fact that most of the porn out there is fake and that it desensitizes us from the real thing. Keep yourself under control by practicing some sexual energy cultivation (ejaculating less frequently). You’ll feel much more energized and driven to work towards your goals.

That’s all I have to say for today on this topic! More coming soon since I’m reading a quite interesting book on this titled “Secrets Of Sexual Ecstasy“. You can download/read it for free at the link provided above
Take care!

Love,

Simon

Check out My Website

Sources
http://picjumbo.com/

The 13 Most Inspirational Movies EVER!

Intro

Over the last couple of years I’ve been watching a lot of inspirational movies that have
helped me improve myself and my life in general. During this period I’ve stumbled upon some gemstones that have aided me in living a more conscious life.

Being selective about the information I let into my life made a big impact on my thoughts and behavior. These days I’m only looking for movies that contain empowering messages!

These movies are the ones who (IMO) stood out above all the others I’ve ever seen. They are all a must watch for anyone looking to be inspired.

Happy watching!

The Green Mile

What’s it about?

The life of prison guard Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) gets turned upside-down when he meets  death row inmate John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan). John is accused of child murder and rape, yet is pure of heart and has some amazing talents. The movie tells a story of love and almost seems magical…

I found this movie to be very inspiring and thought-provoking. It made me believe more in basic kindness of all human beings and that love should be a part of our daily life. Love is its own unique miracle.

Essence?

“The good is in all of us”

 

The Shawshank Redemption

What’s it about?

This movie tells the story of two inmates; Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) who is accused of violent murder and Red (Morgan Freeman). They bond with each other during a number of years after which they eventually find what they’ve always been looking for…

I found this movie very powerful and made me think twice about the way I treat others and the beliefs I cherish the most. Hope is a gift that needs to be cultivated!

Essence?

“There’s great power in decency, belief and love.”

 

Forrest Gump

What’s it about?

A “special” boy named Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) grows up to be one of the most successful men in the world. He teaches the essentials of what life is really about…

By far one of my favorites on this entire list. This movie teaches everything you need to know about creating a lovable character for yourself. It tells us how a good man cannot possibly fail despite the setbacks he may encounter in his life.

Essence?

“Good things happen to the one who’s pure”

The Bucket List

What’s it about?

Two terminally ill man (Morgan Freeman & Jack Nicholson) from totally different walks of life grow together through their fight against their disease and a new-grown passion for living…

This movie makes you think twice about the way you’re living life. It makes you see how valuable your times is on this planet and that you shouldn’t waste it on things that are meaningless to you.

Many people don’t realize this until something extreme happens to them (car crash, disease, death of a relative,…). I encourage you to act now instead of putting your life on hold!

Essence?

“Life is short, live it now.”

Limitless

What’s it about?

Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is a struggling writer who isn’t in control of his own life. Financial problems, relationship issues and many more plague him every single day. His life turns around when he meets Vernon (Johnny Whitworth) who gives him a pill that lets him access 100% of his brain. This new given power literally transforms his life. But with great power comes great responsibility…

I loved this movie because it made me wonder what we are capable of if we actually try to pursue the things we want in life. The pill is just a metaphor for belief in my opinion. We often claim that our limitations are caused by a lack of resources but I like to believe otherwise. It’s our resourcefulness that limits our ultimate potential. This movie fires you up to take action!

Essence?

“We have more potential than we think”

 

The Pursuit Of Happiness

What’s it about?

A struggling salesman Chris Gardner (Will Smith) tries to provide a sustainable life for his wife and son but finds only resistance and setbacks on his path. Trough hard work and belief will he finally able to turn things around for the better?

One of the most inspiring movies of all time. It contains some essential lessons everyone needs to know before they start chasing any goal. It teaches the value of hard work, persistence and belief.

Essence?

“Don’t you ever give up, take what you want in life.”

Bruce Almighty

What’s it about?

Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) is a notorious complainer who blames his bad luck on outside circumstances. He blames god for not giving him the life he wants. God (Morgan Freeman) intervenes and grants his powers to Bruce, to teach him the best way to start changing his life and that of others. But can he manage such power?

Beautiful movie about being accountable and responsible for your own life. It teaches the value of pro-activity, responsibility and love.

Essence?

“The best way to change the world is to start with yourself.”

 

La Vita È Bella (Life Is Beautiful)

What’s it about?

The life of Guido (Roberto Benigni) and his family is like a fairy-tale until the world-war breaks out. They are Jewish and therefore sent to a Nazi death camp. The movie unfolds the story about how Guido tries to protect his son from the harsh reality by using his gift of humor and imagination to transform a horrible situation into a game.

Our reality is based on how we perceive it. We mostly focus on the negative aspects because society has conditioned us this way. If we’re able to change our focus in life, we’re able to transform our reality.

Essence?

“You create your own reality”

 

Peaceful warrior

What’s it about?

Dan’s life is perfect. He’s popular, athletic and loved by many women.  But when disaster strikes his life changes dramatically. It’s not until he meets a stranger called Socrates (Nick Nolte) that Danny realizes what he needs to do…

This movie contains some of the greatest insights I’ve ever had on belief, happiness, love and many more. It’s based on the book “The Way Of The Peaceful Warrior” by Dan Millman. A great story that ties together dozens of little wisdom-nuggets!

Essence?

“What it means to be living & more…”

 

Yes Man

What’s it about?

Carl has a boring and unfulfilled life until he becomes a es-man. This is a challenge which requires him to say yes to everything for an entire year. This choice drastically turns his life around and make him realize how much he was missing out!

This movie reminds me of how short life is and that we don’t have  that many opportunities to really make something great out of it. It definitely made me rethink of how I spend my time. Another great tip I got from this is that getting out of your comfort zone is always a great idea!

Essence?

“Opportunity doesn’t knock twice.”

 

V For Vendetta

What’s it about?

A future British tyranny faces resistance by V (Hugo Weaving), a freedom fighter who has vowed to free everyone from the oppression they face.

The story has a beautiful message to it. So many times we let our circumstances be decided by other people instead of actually taking what we want. Inaction and settling for mediocrity will never bring us happiness nor fulfillment

Essence?

“Freedom is worth fighting for.”

 

Gladiator

What’s it about?

Maximus (Rusell Crowe) is a Roman general who is betrayed by Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). He tries to find redemption and revenge for his murdered family and himself by climbing the ranks as a gladiator in the arena.

This is a very emotional movie which really stands out from anything else I’ve ever seen. The power and determination to leave his mark on this world and to get what he wants in life is inspiring by all standards.

This motivated me to do better in my own life and to actually claim the things I want.

Essence?

“Live for something or die for nothing.”

 

Fight Club

What’s it about?

An everyman (Edward Norton) leads a boring, unsatisfying life until he meets Tyler Durden. Tyler is the complete opposite of the protagonist and encourages him to establish a fighting club with him. Word spread fast and soon they have a big following. Then some strange things start to happen…

One of the most interesting movies I’ve seen the last couple of years. It’s really thought-provoking but also downright confusing the first time you watch it. You’ll have to see it a couple of times before you can really make some sense out of it. Nevertheless one of the best of all times.!

Essence?

“Make your life meaningful.”

 

Honorable mention

The Terminal
John Q
The Dark Knight
Braveheart

Essence

Movies can be a great source of distraction but also a great source of valuable information. The key to take away from this is to be selective to what kind of information you let into your life. These movies are definitely going to add great value to your life or otherwise provoke some awesome thoughts. Re-cap of all the movies;

• The Green Mile
• The Shawshank Redemption
• Forrest
• The Bucket List
• Limitless
• Pursuit Of Happiness
• Bruce Almighty
• La Vita È Bella
• Peaceful Warrior
• Yes Man
• V For Vendetta
• Gladiator
• Fight Club

Allright, be sure to check them all out! They are definitely worth watching! If you’re having any questions or thoughts on this topic, feel free to share those with me!
Take Care!

Love

Simon

 

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