“If you don’t get to experience what it feels like to push yourself, to do more than you thought you were capable of, and to know that the pain you put yourself through will lead to growth that you alone are responsible for creating, then you will never appreciate what you have the way that same thing is appreciated by someone who earned it, who worked for it.”
Schwarzenegger, A. Penguin Press, 2023. p. 77.
You know what I love about Arnold? There’s no bullshit. No excuses. He makes me believe anything is possible. Why? Because he has literally done the impossible. There’s a comedy set by Bill Burr where he talks about Arnold as his hero and says here’s a guy who was able to get someone to pay his way to the United States, became a world-renowned bodybuilder, a famous movie star, married a Kennedy, and became governor all while speaking with an accent so thick he can barely be understood at times. Arnold Schwarzenegger visualized the American dream in his mind and then he made it a reality. He overcame any obstacle that came his way, believed in himself, never gave up, and always has a positive attitude. And along the way he has found ways to help others.
And Arnold Schwarzenegger makes me believe in myself. He makes me believe if he was able to do what he’s done despite every roadblock he’s faced then I can do anything and sometimes my only roadblock is myself! Imagine that? Arnold’s new book, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life is tough-love, no bullshit advice on how to live a useful and purposeful life, how to achieve your dreams and ignore what may be considered “obstacles”. Really, anything is only an obstacle if you let it be. If you have the grit and determination to overcome something then it’s just another step on the way in your journey, another thing that will make you stronger on the other side.
Tool #1: Have a clear vision. This is what gives us purpose and meaning, which incidentally is also linked to happiness, joy, or fulfillment for our short time here on Earth. From Arnold’s standpoint, it’s the starting point and the most important thing. As he says, “Because everything good, all great change, starts with a clear vision” (Schwarzenegger, p. 4).
Tool #2: Never think small. To sum it up, “If you only aim for the small goal, the big goal is automatically out of reach, in part because you are no longer motivated to truly go all in and focus on all the little things that make the difference between greatness and goodness” (Schwarzenegger, p. 53). Arnold talks about how hard it was to sell anyone in Hollywood on him being able to do a comedy role when everyone now saw him as only an action hero star. He didn’t give up and what did we get? Some of the funniest movies ever like Twins and Kindergarten Cop people, that’s what! And by the way if you have not seen these movies yet and need some comedy in your life you can’t miss with those two. One more tip from Arnold on not thinking small: you have to ignore those naysayers and believe in yourself.
Tool #3: Work your ass off. Bottom line here: work works. And also reps, reps, reps. If you know, you know. They can’t be lazy reps, they must be done with good form and over and over and over. In other words, you need to work hard at and practice whatever it is you want to get good at or achieve. There has to be maximum effort. Anyone who has ever done anything great can attest to this simple ideal: embrace the suck because the pain is temporary but the growth will change you forever.
Tool #4: Sell, sell, sell. When Arnold came to America bodybuilding was not well-known yet in the culture. He saw that someone needed to be the face of that industry, to get out there and bring awareness and that is what he did with the help of Joe Weider. “When you’re different, when you’re unique, and nobody has ever dealt with someone like you before, they are going to drastically underestimate what you’re capable of. Do not let your ego win. Don’t correct them. If you can stay focused on winning and on achieving your goals, you can use their doubts and underestimation against them to effortlessly bridge the conversation, or the interview, or the negotiation to whatever you want to talk about” (Schwarzenegger, p. 138).
Tool #5: Shift gears. When something doesn’t go your way, do not despair. It’s been proven that we respond more strongly to negative things than to positive, or we have what is called a “negativity bias”. But focusing on the negative is a total waste of time and will not get you any closer to reaching your goals. You have to shift gears and focus on the positive and what you CAN do about the situation. Another nugget from Arnold: reframe failure. It is not fatal and the only way you will experience any kind of true change or reach any goal is by experiencing some failure. It really is true, that which does not kill you makes you stronger.
Tool #6: Shut your mouth, open your mind. In bodybuilding, training your mind is just as important as training your body. You need to create a mind/body connection for the best results. How can you improve at anything? Be quiet and listen. Look around you and learn or as Arnold says, “The world can be your classroom” (Schwarzenegger, p. 195). Everything you want to learn is out there, most of it even for free either through online searches, YouTube videos, books or resources at the library, or just being quiet and watching the world around you and the people in it. But most importantly, you have to BE CURIOUS. You have to want to learn and you have to be willing to listen; don’t have too much of an ego to listen to those who have come before you.
Tool #7: Break your mirrors. This one took me a minute to get the reference for but the basics are this: let go of your ego and instead of thinking about yourself, think about how you can give back and help others. If you have had any measure of success in your life, big or small, you did not get there on your own. There were people who guided you, believed in you, mentored you. There is no such is “self-made” when you really get down to it. Think about how you can help someone else or as Arnold says, “…it’s important for you to recognize that you have a responsibility to give back. To help others. To send the ladder back down and lift the next group up. To pay it forward. To be useful” (Schwarzenegger, p. 231).
Buy or Borrow?
Arnold’s latest masterpiece is definitely a BUY. I will be reading this one at least 1-2 times a year as a motivational reminder. I love his conciseness, his positivity, and his storytelling that pulls all the ideas together.
Find a hard copy in your local library in the Non-Fiction section (IBSN 978-0-593-65595-5). In my area, Stanislaus County in Central California, you can download the Library app and get everything in a one-stop shop. I cannot say enough about how great this app is for really taking full advantage of everything our local libraries have to offer.
Get the audiobook. If your local library uses apps like Cloud Library or Hoopla, you can connect that app to your library card and you may be able to check out the Audiobook for FREE!
You can download the book through Audible which is subscription based. They offer a free seven day trail period and you can also purchase individual books through the app if you prefer not to have a subscription service.
You can also buy the eBook through Apple Books or again, you can also get it FREE from your local library if they use Cloud Library or Hoopla!
You can buy it on Amazon or at Barnes & Noble.
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