Thank You Tim Ferriss

Thank You Tim Ferriss

A few months ago I was interviewed by Carol Salva on the Fat2FitHQ podcast and recently I appeared as a guest on the Health Nuts Anonymous podcast (the episode hasn’t been released yet), and in both of those appearances I was asked to describe how I got to where I currently am.

One of the major inflection points in my life was when I first encountered the work of Tim Ferriss.  His book, The 4 Hour Body was what first exposed me to the concept of bio-hacking and the quantified self, which was the inspiration for a lot of what I’m doing now.  His emphasis on finding the minimal effective dose and the importance of finding measurable things to track in order to quantitatively document progress really resonated with the inner scientist in me (as you can see with all of my self-experiments).

When he explained the science behind his Slow Carb Diet (SCD) and the importance of glycemic control, it just made so much sense that I immediately jumped on board.  After a few months I saw amazing results with a loss of 20-25 lbs and inches off my abdominal circumference.

This was a pair of snowboard pants that fit me snugly when I first got them, and after following the SCD for a few months, I needed to buy a belt to hold everything in place.

Once I saw how effective his methods were I couldn’t wait to get a hold of his other book, The 4 Hour Work Week.  This book introduced me to the concept of lifestyle design and the idea of finding the most effective and efficient ways of getting things done in order to get the most out of life.

I actually credit this book as one of the most significant influences in my life.  It exposed me to the possibilities in life that are available as long as you are open minded enough to explore them.  Before this, the only path I believed open to me was the go to school, go to work, make enough money, then finally retire, enjoy life, and die.

The 4 Hour Work Week showed me that there was so much more life had to offer as long as I was willing to be curious, willing to make mistakes, and willing to fail.  I just needed to understand that the idea of failure is scarier than the actuality of failure itself…

Failure = opportunity for learning.

Once I embraced this concept I decided to take an unconventional job (hence my graveyard schedule) that afforded me the time to travel and explore many of my outside interests (like health, nutrition, ketosis, BJJ, starting up this website etc).

Being willing to make mistakes and take risks these past few years has allowed the BJJ Cave-wife and I to do some amazing things like:

Zip-lining through the forests of Costa Rica

Climbing a volcano in Guatemala

Single-handedly holding up the leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy

Canoeing amongst the limestone rock formations of Halong Bay, Vietnam

Stand up paddle-boarding on the pristine beaches of Maui, Hawaii

Hiking along the caldera of Santorini, Greece from Fira to Oia and being rewarded with an unforgettable sunset

Offering a prayer in the Western Wall of Jerusalem, Israel

Walking alongside camels in Petra, Jordan

Floating like a beach ball in the Dead Sea

Gambling like James Bond in Monte Carlo, Monaco (ok, ok, it was only for the equivalent of a total of $10… so it was more like a discount James Bond, but still…)

Sand-surfing on the dunes of Florianopolis, Brazil

Literally going to the End of the World at Ushuaia, Argentina… and then beyond

Kayaking beside icebergs and humpback whales on the oceans of Antarctica…

… and then going ashore to hang out with penguins

…. all the while continuing with my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training and fulfilling my dream of actually training in Brazil, with Alexandre De Souza and Marvio Charles at the Gracie Floripa Academy in Florianopolis, Brazil…

… and earning my blue belt from legend, Rigan Machado

… while having the privilege of training with other greats like my ultimate man-crush, Marcelo Garcia…

… and Royler Gracie

I’m now in the process of working through his latest book, The 4 Hour Chef, and while my recent culinary experiments haven’t been exactly taste bud friendly, I’m eager to see what new mistakes I can make in the future.

What I’ve found to be the most useful part of this book however is his first chapter where he reveals his process of meta-learning: how he approaches learning how to learn.  This is worth the price of admission alone!

He also has a wonderful blog and twitter that I follow regularly.

Tim recently launched podcast that I listen to religiously that I also highly recommend.  My favorite is his interview with Joshua Waitzkin, where they discuss many deep subjects including meditation, BJJ, and the amazing kinesthetic abilities of my man-crush, Marcelo Garcia.  There are so many nuggets of knowledge that I’ve already listened to it a couple times and now feel the need to take written notes.

I initially intended this to be an open letter of gratitude so Tim, if you’re reading this, the BJJ Cave-wife and I are eternally grateful and wanted to express our sincerest gratitude to you.  We can’t thank you enough for all the work that you’ve done and are continuing to do.  You’ve changed our lives for the better.

You’ve given me a lens through which I can now see the many possibilities available to me in life that I didn’t even know existed, and this is a priceless, powerful, and truly amazing gift.

So from the bottom of my heart, I would like to say:

THANK YOU TIM FERRISS

Sincerely,

Philip, The BJJ Caveman