The Two Secrets To Starting Over
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The Two Secrets To Starting Over
Day 40 · How my death informs my choices in my second life
If there’s one thing that screams amateur, it is a person writing about what they intend to write about. That’s not this. This is me writing about the thing while doing the thing and the thing is starting over.
Afresh. Square one. De novo.
If there’s one thing I know it’s starting from square one. Most people require structure. I am not one of those people. I hate structure, unless I create the structure, then I love structure.
In my first life I started this. And, this. And, this. And, this. And, this. 100% from the blank page.
There are only two secrets to starting from square one.
The first secret is taking action.
The second secret is not taking action.
“Not taking action sounds great, Mark. Even with my busy schedule I can imagine not taking hundreds, even thousands of actions. How do I know what actions to start not taking?”
You don’t and it doesn’t matter. Since you’re not taking action, there’s no concept of failure. Just start not taking action. That’s what I didn’t do and it works great!
For example, since my ironic death by heart attack on National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day, I started not drinking ginger ale. Then I started not drinking coffee with half-n-half. Then I started not eating butter. Then I started not sitting so much.
Once I started not taking negative actions, the positive results were axiomatic.
My first life ended when my body got completely fed up, murdering me in a sudden, violent attack.
But, when I started not taking action, without even being asked, my body took action in my favor, slashing my excess weight by 50%. I’ve gone from 30 pounds overweight to just 15 pounds overweight in less than 45 days since my first death.
I plan to continue not taking these actions until the next time I drop dead.
In my first life, my doctor was like: “Open your mouth and say, ‘Oink!’”
In my second life, my cardiologist is like: “You’re giving me chills!”
I am already back to skipping up the stairs two, sometimes three at a time
My new favorite store is Forever 61!
By 90 days into my second life, I will weigh 175 pounds; dead center normal for a six footer.
There’s no time like the present to start not taking action.
I’d write more, but it’s lunch. Time to start not eating the Sonic® Steak Butter Bacon Death Burger.