Last week, my biology lab professor announced we wouldn’t have lab this week due to Labor Day. It occurred to me we enjoy Labor Day weekend every year without understanding why.

Labor Day is meant to celebrate workers' contributions to society through their toil. That contribution is massive, but Labor Day is not. Most Americans treat it like a "get out of work free" card.

Doing hard work for ourselves makes us stronger. Not only does it improve our health and personal agency, but it gives us a more accurate perception of the world around us. When we understand how hard laborers work every day, we become nicer, more grateful people.

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1stPhorm Supplements

Motivation won't solve your problems. No matter how many Goggins or Jocko videos we watch, our motivation will come and go on its own. Fortunately, we don't need motivation to change our behavior.

B.J. Fogg is a professor and founder of the Stanford Behavior Design Lab. His research looks at how behavior works, specifically how habits are formed. It is summed up in his book, “Tiny Habits,” where Fogg breaks down his model for human behavior and shares how to use it to develop better habits.

The best way to change our behavior is by changing our environment. We want to make bad habits so difficult we will never do them. We want to make good habits so easy that we will always do them.

Fogg’s book is called “Tiny Habits” because we have to start small. Small changes are sustainable changes, and sustainable changes turn into big changes over time.

Links:

1stPhorm Supplements

"Tiny Habits" by B.J. Fogg

Health and fitness is the #1 life enrichment strategy.

Health in America is all about the absence of illness or impairment. We live our lives without thinking about health consequences until something goes wrong. When it does go wrong medicine fixes the symptoms with the marvels of modern technology and pharmacology. Although the symptoms may be alleviated, the cause of the issue continues in most cases.

Health problems may be one of the only things we fix by alleviating symptoms instead of eliminating the causes. If nails are lying in your driveway would you patch your tires every day or pick up the nails? You would pick up the nails because patching a tire daily doesn’t make sense. Most Americans approach health like tire repairmen.

We all have the power to fix the root causes of chronic illness. How do we do it: get in better shape. Eating nutritious foods and moving our bodies is the #1 strategy for avoiding the doctor’s office, but that’s not the biggest benefit. The biggest benefit is the life enrichment that comes with health and fitness.

How nice would it be if you could walk up three flights of stairs without breathing heavily? How fun would it be to hike a mountain without thinking twice? What if you could still run around with your grandkids when you are old? Fitness can make it happen; it’s a hedge against decrepitude no matter how old you are.

Getting in shape isn’t easy, but it can be simple. Trade out processed foods for whole foods. Increase your step count, practice bodyweight exercises, and go on a ruck. Small changes to daily life can result in tremendous benefits. Health and fitness is the #1 life enrichment strategy.

Outlive by Peter Attia

Getting Stronger on Substack

Ty Jenkins is the 3x Fittest Teen on Earth. In this conversation, Ty shares his fitness journey, motivations, and goals as a professional athlete. Ty is living proof of how strength can improve one's life.

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Ty's Instagram

Supplements that make you stronger.

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Less manual labor is seen as a marker of societal progress. We are doing less physical work than ever, but there are consequences to quitting the type of work humans have completed throughout history. This is a look at the physical and mental rewards of manual labor and the costs of the modern workplace.

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Mike Rowe Works

The Boy Crisis Book

Big Think Article

It’s never been easier to be weak, but it’s never been more rewarding to be strong. Strength is more than lifting weights and being tough– it’s the ability to do more with our lives. “Getting Stronger” is a library of life lessons and insights designed to help you improve your life through strength. Join host Justin Sharp to learn how to improve your health and habits to be the person you want to be. You can be proud of your body, control your attention, and have a deeper connection with others. The choice between strength and weakness is yours to make. Let’s get stronger, together.

In this conversation with Betsy Hartley, we discuss her incredible journey of losing over 200 pounds, falling in love with running, and eventually running the Mountain Lake 100-mile ultramarathon. Along the way, she defied the expectations of doctors, friends, and modern culture. Betsy proves that health and fitness are guaranteed to improve anyone's life.

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Betsy's Links: linktr.ee/Auntbets

My friend Ashton is from Florence, Mississippi. Despite growing up in different parts of America we have similar views on social experiences and alcohol. We enjoy a beverage occasionally and recognize the value a few drinks can bring to a social gathering, but the college drinking culture in America puts us off. We love a good event for the event, not its beverages.

In May, Ashton visited the United Kingdom while I visited Peru. After being immersed in foreign social experiences, dining, and alcohol cultures we have new perspectives. Traveling to foreign countries changes your worldview. This conversation covers how our views on socializing through alcohol and dining have changed. Is alcohol a friend or foe?

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Let's Get Real on Substack: justinsharp.substack.com

Wedding reunions and the power of deep friendships forged through challenges. The best of friends come from the hardest of times.

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Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/justinsharp/p/best-friends-and-hard-times?r=bu0y3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Most people work for a paycheck, but Karl works to help the farm. What would the world look like if everyone had Karl's eagerness to help?

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Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/justinsharp/p/not-all-heroes-wear-capes?r=bu0y3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true