Rich Man’s Gym Book Review:

Living With A SEAL by Jesse Itzler

Living With A SEAL by Jesse Itzler. This was a book that I saw (stumbled past actually) but didn’t read then forgot about. It was one of those, “man I got to read that book.” But then something distracts you or takes your attention and ultimately, that was the universe telling me the time wasn’t right. A couple months later a friend recommends it. Sounded familiar but couldn’t quite place it. Knew I had a long flight around the corner so I grabbed it based on the recommendation. So glad I did that because now the time wasn’t just right, it was perfect. I learned a lot. Living With A SEAL taught me many things. What it has for you will be different, but here’s my fave five.

Control your mind. My reality is different from yours and yours will be different than someone else’s. What you decide will be hard, will be. What you decide will be easy, will be. We’ve heard the wisdom of Henry Ford to one aspect of another for generations and so it becomes so easy to take it for granted. Here’s a quote from the book, “When you think you’re done, you’re only at 40% of what your body is capable doing. That’s just the limit that we put on ourselves.” Limits are only things we set. Limits exist in our mind long before they become real. Perhaps we really don’t actually have any.
Control defined by SEAL. Another quote, “Man we start, and then, motherfucker, we finish.” Speaking of control, here’s the deal. Finish what you start. Period. In any aspect of your life, unfinished business is not good for you. Do you want to boost your self-esteem quickly? Go find all the stuff you have yet to finish. Then go finish it. So when it comes to exercise, when you start a workout, finish it. When you start a routine, finish it. When you start; finish. That’s being in control of your life and your mind.
Enjoy The Pain. The first time I heard this was from Pavel Tsatsouline. Didn’t quite understand it. I got the tongue in cheek sadomasochism part of it but there’s a deeper layer to this. Anything truly worth having must be earned. So when you look at yourself in the mirror, how hard have you worked? Have you suffered for what you have in life? Enjoy the pain. Pain is part of growth. Pain is part of life. The moment of your birth was filled with pain and fear. And joy and bliss. When you want a cookie or a Coke or whatever, say no and enjoy the pain. When you have nothing left in the tank, do one more rep and enjoy the pain. Bring that into your business life, personal life and recognize that all growth and progress requires discomfort and pain. Learn to enjoy it for what it creates and brings.
The Results Formula. Who doesn’t want results? Why train? You workout to achieve something, right? When you eat right, it’s for an intended purpose, isn’t it? You want results. And here’s the good news and bad news all in one. You’re getting results either way. Every action you take will produce a result. Sitting on the couch and taking down a two-liter bottle of coke and large deep dish pizza will produce a result. Fresh vegetable juice and three-mile run also produces a result. Both produce hormonal responses. Both fire off cascades of endorphins. So whatever result you’re looking for will require two things; repetition and consistency. Whatever you do repeatedly and consistently will be your result. Whatever you do.
Get Better. Get better at everything you do. And while you’re at it, give meaning to everything you do. Getting better with consistency means you’re never truly done. Work in progress from birth to death. When your head hits the pillow at night, ask yourself, “Self, did I get better today?” What did you do today to become better? Simple. Simple is good. Be simple. Get better.

Wrapping up, this book has shifted my thinking.

I love books that shake my set point. This book couldn’t have come along at a better time. I’m running now, more than ever. I’m also incorporating some of the workouts SEAL puts Jesse through into my own training, so expect to see a SEAL visit’s RichMan’s Gym post soon as well. The structure of SEAL’s training fits Rich Man’s Gym like a glove.

This book is a quick read that will have you laughing your ass off and at the same time suddenly fully aware of how much more you could be doing and as a result how much more you’re truly capable of. If you’re also part of the business world, there are some legit business acumens in this book as well.

I’m truly grateful to have read Living With A SEAL.

If you get a chance, after reading this book, look up SEAL. I want you to find out as much as you can about this man because you will find his story both inspiring and humbling. He is a man on a mission and a fine example of living life to the fullest and that your limits are only in your mind. Knowing what he’s done and how he’s trained, suffered and sacrificed for the greater good tells me that I can do anything I set my mind to. We know this already, but to see it in action adds fuel to our existing fires.

I’ll leave you with a quote from SEAL. “If you can see yourself doing something, you can do it. If you can’t see yourself doing something, usually you can’t achieve it.”