Archive | May, 2011

The Best and Highest Possible

By Anthony Dream Johnson in Independent Thinking, The 21 Convention

A lot of people who follow The 21 Convention
have only done so for a short amount of time.
They stumble upon a video from the event, and
then realize there is a TON of content on the website.

What a lot of those people don’t realize I think,
is that the upcoming events they see — this year
London England & Orlando Florida — aren’t just
random events that sprang up out of the blue
for the specified dates.

They are the cumulative, sum effect and result of
5 years of momentum, hard work, dedication, and
sheer, brute effort of everyone involved.

Of me, of the speakers, of the film crew, of the staff,
and of the attendees who bust their ass all year to
make it out to the events that are the source of
life changing knowledge, and inspiration.

Inspiration in many forms, and chief among them,
consistency and the persistence behind that
consistency.

Those of you who have been around long enough
know I have struggled to maintain The 21 Convention.

You know I didn’t have any sort of financial…

Keeping Your Integrity in a Corrupt World

By Anthony Dream Johnson in Independent Thinking

If we live in a society where business associates, corporate heads, political figures, religious leaders, and other public personalities hold themselves to high standards of morality, it is relatively easier for an average person to practice integrity than in a society where corruption, cynicism, and amorality are the norm. In the latter kind of society, the individual is likely to feel that the quest for personal integrity is futile and unrealistic — unless he or she is extraordinarily independent and autonomous.

The challenge for people today, and it is not an easy one, is to maintain high personal standards while feeling that one is living in a moral sewer. Grounds for such a feeling are to be found in the behavior of our public figures, the horror of world events, and in our so-called art and entertainment, so much of which celebrates depravity, cruelty, and mindless violence. All contribute to making the practice of personal integrity a lonely and heroic undertaking.

If integrity is a source of self-esteem,…

A False Dichotomy

By Anthony Dream Johnson in Independent Thinking, Lifestyle Design

“A men’s conference would focus much less on women and much more on how to be a man.”

I’ve already discussed this quote here, which came from The Spearhead, but would like to briefly expand on it thanks to Rob Judge. Rob says,

Genuinely loving women isn’t something you “do;” it’s something you ARE

In regards to quote number one, Rob hits the nail on the head, so hard, that he reveals the false choice presented in the original quote — that focusing on women is somehow opposed to or exclusive of “how to be a man” — a completely undefined phrase 99.999999% of the time that is just “supposed to” have some sort of meaning without any effort or thought given to the matter.

Like the word “good”. What is “good”? Ever thought about that? What about “evil”?

Anyway, in the (paraphrased) words of Nathaniel Branden, viewing women as the greatest of nature’s creations is central to life on earth as a man. It is central to being male.

The same is true in reverse: viewing…

Meeting Lord James Steele II and UK Adventures

By Anthony Dream Johnson in Exercise, Meeting Cool People

‎”Don’t work for my happiness, my brothers–show me yours–show me that it is possible–show me your achievement–and the knowledge will give me courage for mine.”

Disclaimer: James isn’t actually a lord, but I enjoy British culture and use it every chance I get, even if the words I am using are fully and completely out of place.

I also love the accents. Really, it’s like music to my ears, especially from women. English, Welsh, Irish, variations there of, etc.

~~~

Who is James Steele II?

He’s a young man living in Southampton England — almost the exact same age as me — a graduate student, an eternal friend of life, liberty, and reason, and the man who will finish what Arthur Jones started.

What Drew Baye is to high intensity training, Doug McGuff is to exercise science, Mark Sisson is to proper nutrition, and Bill DeSimone is to congruent bio-mechanics,

Why Did I Become So Interested in Politics?

By Anthony Dream Johnson in Independent Thinking

I wasn’t always interested in politics. In fact, for most of my life up until about 18 months go, I didn’t care one way or the other. Then I discovered the greatest man living, Ron Paul.

Ron Paul opened my eyes to politics — and what a very real, serious, and direct threat government presents to my life, and happiness on this earth.

This is why I became interested in politics: I very quickly, and accurately, gauged the threat government poses to my life, my liberty, and my highest moral purpose in life — my own happiness.

Naturally, and subsequently, I decided I was going to fix government (which starts with understanding the problems we currently face) — fix because I love my life, I love my liberty, and I love my own happiness.

People call me stark raving mad — but who’s the crazy one here?

The IRS puts a gun to your head for not paying your taxes — as if you did not have a right…