The Subtle Art - Bullet Blog

The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck (pardon my french yet again) by Mark Manson was another favorite book. Once you get past the first chapter that has more cuss words than the original Blair Witch Project movie, it dives into some great personal growth information. Here are the important bullet points from this book:

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• The key to life is to give less of a crap about everything in the world and learning to care more about only the things that truly matter - "only what is true, immediate and important"

• "If you are able to not give a crap about the pain your goals require, then you become unstoppable"

• It's ok for things to suck some of the time

• "There is no value in suffering when it is done without purpose"

• Happiness is found in solving problems, not avoiding them

• "What you are willing to struggle for is a greater determinant of how our lives turn out"

• Don't fall in love with the result, fall in love with the process. Everyone will love a positive result, but the happiness will end when the result is reached. Love the process is happiness will never end.

• "People who are terrified of what others think about them are actually terrified of all the negative things they think about themselves being reflected back at them."

• We cannot control what happens to us. But we always control how we interpret what happens to us and how we respond

• "The man who believes he knows everything, learns nothing."

• "For any change to happen in your life, you must accept that you were wrong about something you were doing before."

My Two Cents:

A really great book with some incredible advice to live by. As the title refers to, learning where to place your given f***'s is the lesson to be learned. Keep the mind on what is at hand, care about the important things in life and learn to drop the stuff that seems important now, but actually isn't.

From an athletic perspective, I teach on the importance of a positive Mindset and the mental control to keep attention on what matters. Swimming is an internal sport, it's just you and the water. No manipulation of an object like a ball, no extension of your arm like a baseball bat, and no head-to-head rivalry like a soccer forward and defender. So stop focusing on what is happening over in lane 2, don't worry about what the kid in the heat before you raced, and definitely stop being intimidated by the dude next to you slapping his chest raw like a baboon. Learn to put your focus on what truly matters and I guarantee you will perform better.

Lastly, from a moral point of view, away from athletics, I love the idea of "We cannot control what happens to us. But we always control how we interpret what happens to us and how we respond." Resiliency is learning to take what is given and make the best of it. Don't get mad, don't seek revenge, don't be embarrassed. Take the situation at face value, identify the best way to respond, and continue forward. You are ALWAYS in control of your actions and reactions, never forget that!

Again, a great book although a little vulgar at parts (especially in the beginning). Recommended for most, definitely not for the youngin's though. Let me know if you've given this a read!