APN47 - Hit the Rock

You're listening to Optimize with Bryan Johnson More Wisdom in Less Time this is a mini chapter from Brian's book A Philosopher's Notes. You can find it on Amazon.

Hit the Rock While we're learning how to fill a water pot, how about a little mojo on how to hit a rock? Ever heard of the story about the Stonecutter? Goes like this. A stonecutter hits a rock with his sledgehammer. The stone splits. The casual observer happens to walk by right at that moment and thinks, wow, that guy is super strong. I can't believe he broke that huge rock with a single blow. The reality, obviously, is that the stonecutter didn't break it in a single blow. He'd been hammering away at that rock for a long, long time. A lot of diligent effort went into that rock before it finally split. That's kinda analogous to how people often respond to someone who's achieved a high level of success and think, wow, they sure must be lucky. Obviously, the stonecutter isn't strong enough to break a rock in one blow, and no one is lucky enough to reach any level of sustainable success without an equally diligent and consistent effort. As Thomas Jefferson reminds us, the harder he worked, the luckier he got. And Emerson tells us that good luck is just another name for tenacity of purpose. So let's hit the rock again and again and again. Eventually it'll break. Oh, and by the way, once you're done with that rock, get ready to start swinging at the next one.

We hope you enjoyed this mini chapter from Brian's book A Philosopher's Notes. Want More Wisdom in Less Time delivered in your inbox. Sign up for Brian's free daily newsletter, the Optimizer, and get the full ebook and audiobook at brianjohnson Me APN.