Adam Mundorf : Philosophical and Financial : Thoughts and Musings

My Aversion to Mindless Dopamine Activities By Adam Mundorf Adam, you're no fun.  This is often said when people find out that I don't go out much, use social media, smoke weed, drink alcohol and avoid promiscuity in all forms.  I have an aversion to the above dopamine dominant activities.  I find great inner peace in living life raw and being in the present.  When you begin limiting or preferably eliminating the above activities, the simple things in life begin granting limitless joy.   What does social media/weed/alcohol/promiscuity offer that I cannot find within myself?   Social media isn't real life and only distracts people from true self expression.  Focusing on likes/public opinion stunts spiritual growth.  Putting up a filtered photo shows an unhappiness with the truth of who you really are and constant contact with others shows one's fear of solitude.  Some of the most self  absorbed yet insecure people are products o...

Why I Don't Look Like I Lift Diet : Strength Training Longevity By Adam Mundorf Why I Don't Look Like I Lift When I go to the park, certifications or local gyms, I often get the same comment : "He doesn't look like he could lift that."  "Why aren't you more muscular but can lift all that weight?" "Why are you a bit heavy(fat) but can still do impressive calisthenics?" Let's begin with the way I've strength trained and eaten for the last decade.  For one to incur muscle hypertrophy generally a caloric surplus and high density is required.  Caloric surplus means eating more than you expend and high density means lifting as much weight in as short a time frame as possible.  The two above things are required to drastically change your body.  I don't do the above things. Diet I fast for 18 to 20 hours every single day.  I am often exceeding 15,000 steps per day at my job which burns more calories than the average person without takin...

It Doesn't Get Easier By Adam Mundorf It Doesn't Get Easier It doesn't get easier.  Procrastination kills the future self.  You may have heard the phrase : "The best time to plant a tree was yesterday but the second best time is right now."  I hear and see many people procrastinate everything from saving money to retirement investing to physical fitness.  The clock keeps on ticking whether you're complicit in self improvement or not. Start Now Start now and don't wait another second.  Life has a habit of pulling people along.  I believe life can pretty much be divided into four main categories : Physical Fitness, Nutrition, Finances and Mental Health.  This is honestly a pretty good list, most of it is recommended by people far older and wiser than me.  Just remember that while we search for the perfect routine, it's the doing that always provides results.  When you don't know what you believe in, everything becomes an argument.  Believe...

The Deathly Hallows : Trifecta of Longevity You Can Have It All My Empire of Dirt By Adam Mundorf Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows "They consisted of the  Elder Wand , an immensely powerful wand that was considered unbeatable; the  Resurrection Stone , a stone which could summon the spirits of the dead, and the  Cloak of Invisibility , which, as its name suggests, rendered the user completely invisible.  According to legend, he who possessed these three artifacts would become the  Master of Death .  " My Interpretation For many people this may seem like just a story.  To me the meaning goes far deeper.  While the human body can't sustain forever, we can live an extraordinary active and healthy life deep into old age by following three key tenets.  My version of the three deathly hallows. Three Main Categories : The Physical Body Muscles, Joints and Tendons Nutrition The Mental, Moral, Relationships and Philosophical State Clarit...

Life Isn't Hard in America Low Life Criminals : Public Executions By Adam Mundorf Life Isn't Hard in America Where else in the world can you go from zero to hero over the course of a lifetime?  Why are there lines to get into this country but aren't lines to leave?  Are we perfect?  Absolutely not, but this is the best bet we have.  How many times have you worried about a bombing?  How many times have you worried about a famine?  How many times have you worried about running water?  How many times have you worried about being beheaded?  Never. You can't dictate where you start, but you certainly can decide where you finish.  People act like life is so unfathomably hard in this country.  I find that the majority of life's ailments especially in America are self-inflicted.  I can't begin to tell you how peaceful and fruitful my life has been not being a piece of shit.  I don't do drugs.  Not once have I even considered heroi...

FIRE The Quest for a Perfect Day Why I'm not Retired Anymore By Adam Mundorf FIRE Some of you reading this blog may be familiar with the concept of FIRE because you found me through the personal finance communities.  Fire in the online community means : Financially Independent Retired Early.  I reached my FIRE number in early 2018 after many years of straight up work plus saving and investing my hard earned money.  Experimented with early retirement and went on my quest for the perfect day.  It's important to realize that the man you see in everyday life, is not the man I am at home.  I'm deathly serious at home and am a person with purpose, I'll give you a peak into the life of a younger man with options. The Quest for a Perfect Day Imagine waking up with nothing to do and having your life set out in front of you.  That was me in 2018.  I had enough money in the bank (still do) and could go anywhere/do anything.  I experimented with many schedule...

  The Golden Rule By Adam Mundorf A good life could really be summed up there, couldn't it?  Treat others how you want to be treated.  As they said in Star Trek : "It's nice to be nice."  The way we treat others is about who we are, not who they are.  Oftentimes before being nice, someone will ask themselves : "What's in it for me?" What you get is the eternal satisfaction of doing the right thing.  It pays so much more than any other form of pleasure.  Virtue can't be bought, only earned through destruction of ego and putting yourself at the bottom of the social ladder.  How others treat you is far more reflective of them than it is of you and at the end of the day, it's your own soul at stake.  Never allow another person to extinguish your virtuous flame.

Intrinsic Strength Your Fate is Largely in Your Hands By Adam Mundorf “People have lost sight of the true purpose of exercise.  It’s not about the reps or weights; it’s about producing a deep level of fatigue without damaging the structure so that the body is compelled to adapt and increase its strength.  It’s about discipline.  With discipline comes integrity and virtue.  This is the source of beauty in the well-trained human body, and why you can’t acquire it from the outside; it’s an internal, mental quality shining through.” - My Mentor Steve Maxwell Intrinsic Strength Intrinsic strength to me means doing exercise because it makes you a more capable and virtuous human being. Not lifting a certain weight to impress or building big gee-whiz muscles to impress on the beach. It's about treating your body as a temple of gratitude. It's about building a body that doesn't need joint replacements and that allows you to be available for society deep into old age. Keep...