Valiant Growth: Earn Self-Esteem, Build Amazing Relationships and Achieve Freedom through Radical Personal Development

Dial up the extreme to 11!If you thought retiring to financial independence in 5 years and 75% savings rates were extreme, how about retiring immediately, with whatever savings you've got?

David Downie's book says you can do it, because you are smarter than you think!

If you liked today's podcast, lifestyle design, and short but well-written books, also check out Episode 11, which contains a framework of ALL approaches to a free life.

Find the book at valiantgrowth.com/rir

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Website: http://valiantgrowth.com

This is my presentation of Early Retirement Extreme - I talk about the philosophy of frugality, I talk about how it's an embodiment of a great strategy book and I present some really useful frameworks for thinking about your goals, your independence and your purchases.

It's a great book, I suggest that you get it now, even you have a full reading list. Every person I've ever shown this book to has regretted not reading it sooner.

Find it at http://valiantgrowth.com/ere

Also find Jacob's website at http://earlyretirementextreme.com, Joshua Sheats' review of the book for more excerpts on the philosophy at https://radicalpersonalfinance.com/3 (it was his 3rd episode as opposed to my 30th, he knows what he is doing) and Mr. Money Moustache's blog at http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/ for a more approachable...approach.

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Website: http://valiantgrowth.com

The title's no lie - you can retire in 5-10 years from now! No, really! And in this podcast, I present the way (well, give you an entry point for your own exploration)!

If you are not familiar with extreme saving/early retirement/early retirement extreme, this is one episode you have to listen to! I say this with no exaggeration: this is life-changing stuff.

If you are an early retirement expert, you might choose to listen simply to hear how much fun I had with the subject! I love talking about early retirement, and the love shines through - this was the most enjoyable episode to record to date.

Before you move on and forget, go and check out (and I mean "go to the check out with" ;) ) this incredible book on frugality @ valiantgrowth.com/ere

It's an affiliate link, and I'm sharing it with you for my own benefit: not really because of the small percentage of the sale I get now, but because I want to have a rich audience in the future!

Also see one of the most popular VG episodes on how to realistically spend only $2/day on food @ valiantgrowth.com/e14

In what can be considered a second introductory to the podcast, I discuss the new motto, and the three levels of personal development.

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Website: http://valiantgrowth.com

Why pursue radical personal development, and until when? Is there an end goal?

These questions have been on my mind for a long time, and I finally feel that I have a good answer to them.

The end goal is independence, or even better, becoming self-contained:

"Having all that is needed, in itself."

We gain great benefits from relationships: the ability to powerfully fulfill our needs and have a support network that is far superior to what we can create on our own. But entering relationships with great neediness is a recipe for disaster.

When we don't have the inner resources to meet our needs to an at least satisfactory level, our connections go from being a great boost to being a lifeline - hence codependency, jealousy, clinginess. Also, it grants immense power to the other party - and that rarely ends well.

This applies both on the emotional level, but also on the financial one. Abusive partners and abusive bosses stem from the same source: a lack of independence, or a lack of belief in one's ability. Once you win the lottery, the tables turn. And since that's not going to happen, you must build skills instead.

Once you've developed a base level of emotional support skills, self-esteem, productivity and financial stability, you really have the power to only allow win-win relationships in your life. Where you are the least developed is where you'll have the worst relationships - hence a broad focus is the richest approach.

You could carry this vision further, and aim for total independence: how about being able to build your own house? Provide your own self-defence? Grow your own food? When you start on the path of radical personal development, these might the 80% of effort, 20% of reward skills. But there may come a time, when more basic levels are stable, when this becomes a priority.

Aim to be free of needs that you can't meet on your own. Aim to be self-contained.

This is, in it's essence, a state of mind - but it is earned through building skills. It is knowing how to be gentle and supportive to yourself. It is knowing how to build and maintain a list of valued friends. It is a bank account, or a vault of gold, or a bitcoin wallet.

These are the building blocks of independence, and independence is the end of goal of personal development.

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Website: http://valiantgrowth.com

In today's podcast I talk to author and intuition expert Jane Bernard. Some of the topics discussed: What is intuition? How to reactivate your intuition? How to handle your social circle opposing your growth?

Am I Really Hungry? by Jane Bernard : http://amzn.to/1X76Jr9

Intuitive Scribe Blog : https://intuitivescribe.blogspot.com/

Am I Really Hungry Blog : http://amireallyhungry.blogspot.com/

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Website: http://valiantgrowth.com

Should we putting our best foot forward when it comes to appearance? Where is the line between elegance and overkill? In this episode I suggest the countercultural idea of consiously de-sexualizing non-romantic interactions, looking clean and simple in public and more attractive at home, protecting the higher reasoning of those around us and my own experiences on the subject.

A very complementary episode to this is 019 - Relationships are a Trade, part of the Core Principles of Relationships series, at http://www.valiantgrowth.com/e19.

The review of The Millionaire Next Door is also mentioned in the context of men faking wealth, see http://www.valiantgrowth.com/e3/

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Website: http://valiantgrowth.com

A guest I've been really looking forward to interviewing, Steven Franssen and I talk about his first steps into self-knowledge, art as a tool for self reflection, dream analysis as a central tool for growth, structure vs. freedom in learning, why therapy is for everyone and how you can know it is for you, and an overview of Steve's past and upcoming work.

Find Steven's work at http://nurturingtruth.com

Steven's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/RedRightHunter

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Website: http://valiantgrowth.com

A review and commentary of the amazing Band of Visionaries book by Steven Franssen. As the "relationship sci-fi" book this is one the most rich and valuable works of fiction out there, and is a must read for valiant growers! It's also a detailed exploration around the question of saving the world, which has crossed many a libertarian mind, which really sets it apart even in the already very special (and short) list of libertarian fiction. Check the book out (link at http://valiantgrowth.com/e23), and check Steven's work out at http://nurturingtruth.com!

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Website: http://valiantgrowth.com

In this episode I pick my expert guest's brain into taking our approach to the next (self-knowledgeable) level! She talks about how she moved from several months long (!) juice cleanses and all sorts of fasts to a no-diet diet of mindfulness and self-acceptance, how body image problems can be unrelated to weight in the essence, how to get to self-acceptance and teaching yourself to be mindful of your body, what obstacles can come up the way, teaching children healthy eating habits and attitudes, men's and women's approaches to eating and her experiences in coaching people on this path. All in all, a great and rich conversation on an often overlooked subject!

Rande Moss' Website for resources and coaching services: http://randemoss.com

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Website: http://valiantgrowth.com