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Arnold Schwarzenegger's 14 best pieces of advice he's sharing for his 77th birthday

He shared ‘77 Lessons at 77’ with his ‘Pump Club’ newsletter group.

via Arnold Schwarzenegger/WikimediaCommons

Arnold Schwarzenegger visits Brazil.

There are few more remarkable examples of someone achieving the American Dream than Arnold Schwarzenegger. He had a humble upbringing in Austria, where his family struggled to make ends meet. Still, after enjoying the opportunity in America, he became a 7-time Mr. Universe, the biggest action star of the ‘80s and ‘90s and the 2-time Governor of California.

Even though Schwarzenegger is known for being a larger-than-life movie star who never had a problem flaunting his ego, he’s also a generous man who’s always spoken about the importance of giving back. He attributes much of his success to being helped by others.

“The whole concept of the self‑made man or woman is a myth,” he said in a commencement speech at the University of Houston in May 2017. “The reason why I want you to understand that is because as soon as you understand that you are here because of a lot of help, then you also understand that now is time to help others.”

July 30th was Schwarzenegger's 77th birthday, so he shared some of the wisdom he’s accumulated over the years with members of “Arnold’s Pump Club,” a daily newsletter by him and his team about nutrition, fitness and wellness. Schwarzenegger calls the club the “positive corner of the internet."

“No matter where you are in life, negativity and jealousy won’t help you get to a better place. I put together these 77 lessons from my 77 years to help you learn and dream a little more, and offer suggestions that will support you in living a better life,” Schwarzenegger wrote in the book’s intro.

— (@)

Here are 14 of the most inspiring pieces of advice Schwarzenegger shared in his 77 Lessons at 77 e-book. You can download the whole book here.

1. Everything starts with vision

You have to see it before you can achieve it. You will never regret the time you spend to develop a very clear vision. When I say clear, I mean so clear that it plays in your mind like a movie. Before I stepped on a bodybuilding stage, I saw myself standing on the podium holding the trophy. It was like a memory — one that just hadn’t happened yet.

5. Decide who — not what — you want to be

Make your vision a part of your identity. Don’t say, “I want to be fit.” Say, “I want to be the type of person who can keep up with my kids and grandkids,” or “I want to be the person who everyone looks at on the beach.”

9. None of us make it alone

I am not a self-made man, even though I came to America without any money. Claiming I made it on my own would mean disrespecting my parents, the mentors and early coaches, the training

partners and friends like Franco, and every single person who reached out and gave me a hand when I needed it. No matter who you are, someone helped you or laid the groundwork for you along the way. Once you accept that, you can see the tremendous responsibility that comes with it. You have a duty to help the next generation.

12. Reps, reps, reps

You might think you only do reps in the gym, but repetitions are the key to life. Whether you want to improve at speaking in public or reading books or just eating better, you will need to do reps. Whatever you work at, it becomes easier and less uncomfortable with every rep you do.

25. Your mind can be your greatest enemy

It can be your biggest naysayer. Learning to overcome yourself is much more important than learning to overcome anyone else. Your mind will seek comfort. It will ask why you don’t just stay in bed, under the covers, when you wake up before the sun to train or to work. It will tell you that you might fail, so why even try? You need to learn to shut it off.

26. There are times for thinking, and there are times to be a machine

I start every day like a machine. Everything is on automatic pilot. I wake up, I make coffee, I feed all of my animals, then I drink my coffee, get on my bike, and ride to the gym to train. I don’t turn my brain on until I’ve biked to breakfast after the gym.

39. Sometimes, nothing f*ckin’ matters

There are other times that my team makes fun of me because I am so relaxed. We will come to someone else’s event where I’m supposed to speak, and they’ll tell me they’re sorry, but we don’t know when I’ll be on stage. I say, “It doesn’t f*ckin matter.” Because it doesn’t. We don’t have control. Trying to control something we can’t will only make all of us stressed out, and that won’t help anybody.

43. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of progress

I know a lot of people who will start a workout plan that’s supposed to be every other day, and then as soon as something comes up and they miss a day, they give up. You’re never going to be perfect. None of us are. Just accept it. Progress is about moving forward. So you can only do two workout days this week instead of three? That’s still progress compared to zero workouts. Just keep moving forward.

49. Sell, sell, sell

No matter what you do in life, you need to learn to sell. Whether you have a product or whether you are the product, we all have to sell something. Become comfortable with selling.

58. Develop a sense of humor

People love to laugh. They like being around funny people. You might think you’re either funny or you’re not. That’s not true. Like everything, you can get better with reps. When I wanted to get into Hollywood, I became friends with a very famous comedian, Milton Berle. I asked him to help me with comedy. Milton would write jokes for me, and then he would critique my timing. (He wasn’t very gentle about it, I remember a few, “Schwarzenegger, you Nazi, you fucked it up!”) The more I practiced, by getting in a joke in every TV appearance, the better I became.

62. If you ever feel stuck, pick three small things you can focus on

Make them so small it’s impossible for you to fail. If your goals are to learn a new language, get in shape, and read more, write all three things on a notecard, and write “5 minutes a day.” When you wake up, do 5 minutes of reading, 5 minutes of pushups and squats, and 5 minutes of language practice before you brush your teeth. Make a tally for each habit on the notecard, and keep it on your nightstand. No matter what, you get that tally every day. Even if you’re about to climb into bed and you realize you didn’t do all three things, you do it and then go to sleep.

68. Find joy, not happiness

I think one of the nicest things anybody ever said about me came from Jim Lorimer. He said, “If I needed one word to describe Arnold, it’s ‘joy.’ When he’s working, there is joy, when he’s with his friends, there is joy, when he’s with his family, there is joy. I’ve never seen someone have joy in everything they do.” Now, I believe joy is different than happiness. Joy is deeper. People chase happiness, but I think they should chase joy. Happiness is fleeting. You can feel joy when you’re struggling. You can feel joy when you’re grieving the loss of a dear friend. Joy, to me, is having a sense of purpose. It’s what gives meaning to life.

70. The world isn’t as broken as your phone makes it seem

Read your social media feed. Now imagine going to a gym, or a bar, or church, and hearing

people talk like that. You’d say, “It’s enough already — stop fucking whining.” But that’s normal on social media! Get out there in the real world as often as you can. Talk to real people, not avatars. You will not find joy on social media.

76. Leave the world better than you found it

That’s it. If every one of us tries to live up to that simple rule, imagine the world we’ll leave to our grandkids.

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Democracy

American who moved to Italy shares the 5 things she'll never do again

Europe changes people.

via Eggmergency/Flickr

A tourist visiting Italy. (Representative image)

Americans pride themselves on living in the “best country in the world.” However, the American way of life isn’t for everyone and some prefer the more laid-back approach to life that people enjoy in Europe.

Four years ago, a writer named Roze left her tiny apartment in Los Angeles, booked a one-way flight to Turn, Italy and never looked back. Now, she documents her new life in Europe on TikTok to inspire others to pursue their dreams.

Recently, she posted a video in which she counts down 5 things that she’ll never do now that she lives in Italy. These are examples of the relief some Americans feel when they move to Europe and settle into their new, stress-free lifestyle.

1. Rush

"One of the first things that attracted me to Italian culture is the fact that people don't seem to be in a rush. There are no drive-thrus. People don't walk and eat. If you need a coffee, you sit down and drink a cup of coffee. There's always time for that."

2. Own a car

"I don't plan on ever living in a place where you need a car to get around. I don’t like the expense of a car and it’s just bad for the environment.”

3. Live for work

“I’ll never obsess about work as much as I used to do in the U.S. Now, I'm not saying that people don't work here. People work very hard, but there's not as many people who make working hard their whole personality."

@rozeinitaly
Visit TikTok to discover videos!

4. Trust the internet for business hours

"If you look it up on Google Maps, it says that it's open from 10 am to, I think, 7 or 7:30 pm. Does that mean I can go there at like 2:30 3 o'clock? No. What is not listed on there is that they are closed from 1 to 4 for lunch."

5. Worry about medical bills

“I just don’t plan on living anywhere where there is not some kind of universal healthcare.”

From Your Site Articles

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Identity

17 things that ‘poor people’ loved until rich people made them too expensive

Why does everything have to cater to rich people these days?

via Pixabay and Burst/Pexels

A gentleman camping and a woman shopping in a thrift store

Do you ever feel that just about every experience in life now caters to upper-middle-class and rich people? Sure, everyone is feeling the brunt of inflation, but something else happened along the way.

For example, over the past 20 years:

The price of going to a concert has quadrupled.

A one-day admission ticket to Disneyland has gone up around three times.

The cost of the average American home has gone up around two-and-a-half times.

Pleasures that were affordable to everyone suddenly had to become luxury experiences. Face-value tickets went by the wayside in favor of having to buy things on the secondary market. Simple things that blue-collar people enjoyed have been gentrified by upper-class people who thought they were cool and “authentic.”

It seems impossible for the average person to get a good deal in life, and if they do, someone will figure out how to make rich people want it and sell it for double the cost.

A fed-up person on Reddit named r/degreeofvariation, asked the online forum, ”What was loved by poor people until rich people ruined it?” The question received over 18,000 responses in just six days. Given the commenters’ reactions, it seems there hasn’t been a simple, affordable pleasure in American life that hasn’t been co-opted by people with money and ruined.

Here are 17 things that poor people loved until rich people ruined them.

1. Living in warehouses

"Yes! They tore down all the real lofts to build condos they call lofts." — StrainAcceptable

"And people complained the windows are too big and everyone can see in, and they didn't like the open floor plan. That was the whole point. Artists had lots of room and tons of natural light." — richarddrippy69

2. Etsy

"I bought so much stuff for my wedding in 2012 from Etsy. It was all handmade and so cute and inexpensive. It’s changed so much from the cool site it once was." — PrudentConfection

3. Food banks

"My local food bank put out a news article basically saying that rich people need to stop using the food bank as a 'life hack' to lower their grocery bills." — ConfidentlyCorrect

"This is why food banks in my area now need proof of need. Which is shit, because it means jumping through more hoops to put food on the table when you’re already desperate." — DoorSubstantial2104

4. eBay

"It used to be so useful to get all kinds of cheap or unique things. Then more and more big commercial sellers joined the club, and eventually, eBay itself forgot about what and who made their platform a success in the first place." — Onesmilematters

5. Cabins

"Quiet out-of-the-way country cabins sitting by lakes. Now they are overpriced Airbnbs." — Amyaaurora

"I'd even say Airbnbs themselves. They started as a potentially cheap alternative to hotels run by people who have extra space they aren't doing anything with. Now people build guest houses specifically for Airbnb and treat It like a full-on rental." — Jarf17

6. Fixer-uppers

"Buying a 'fixer-upper' home and spending weekends working on it. I was really looking forward to that." — Couldstrife1191

7. Thrift stores

"Thrift shopping. I'm not 'thrifting' I'm f**kin broke." — Elduroto

"Sometimes I feel like it's cheaper to buy clothes at Target or Walmart brand new than it is to buy from a thrift store." — Urchintexasyellow

8. Festivals

"Burning Man was on my bucket list until rich fucks started showing up with bodyguards and started establishing private zones." — hgaben90

9. Farmers markets

"That's what our markets are turning into as well. It's gone from local farmers and affordable produce to artisanal creations for the elite." — KeepOnRising19

10. Houses

"We poor people would work our entire lives to own one. Property became a great investment and way to increase wealth so rich people started buying them. Not to live in as intended but to rent to the poor and keep them poor by renting so they will never be able to save enough to afford their own." — Etobocoke

11. Fajitas

"I remember being able to get skirt steak really cheap and sometimes for free." — DiegoJones4

"Oxtails/ crab/ wings used to be so cheap when I was younger." — Glohan21

"A few influential chefs decided to introduce traditional peasant food to the world, and now oxtail ragu with pappardelle is a $30 dish in fancy restaurants." — Patorama

12. Carhartt

"Blue collar workers needed the durability, then celebrities wore 'fashionably' and drove up the price." — Pepperdice

"...and then Carhartt realized that their brand was fashionable, and started throwing their logo on cheap shit to capitalize off it." — Glochnar

13. Hobbies

"Burning Man, Collectable Card Games, Retro Video Games, GOING TO CONCERTS...like seriously, just pick a hobby. Once the re-sellers get into it, prices go through the roof, and nobody can afford to do anything." — divine_shadow

14. NFL games

"While I can afford them I have to ask myself what the actual F/ $500+ for a football game? The experience is awful too. Too many breaks, too many calls you can't hear. It's so much better to be on your couch or in a bar. Who is buying these tickets? $2300 for good seats in LA? That's insane. It's a game. On TV." — StanFigjam

"In 1995 the average ticket to the Super Bowl was $200... This year it was $3800." — RumWalker

15. McDonald's

"It was originally a place for a quick eat because it was cheap, but now it’s just mid food for high prices." — DrMcSpicy

"The old dollar menu stuff is like $3.50 minimum now." — Perrymasson

16. Camping

"I'd say people with campers ruined camping. Can’t drive two miles in the mountains without having to hug the side of the trail to let some dude with $100k+ truck and trailer squeeze past you on a road they have no business going down." — Reasonable-Tutor-943

"This and now it's impossible to get a campsite because of the plethora of Sprinter vans and RVs that cost more than my house. Nobody (few people) camps in tents anymore!" — all-about-climate

"I swear 95% of the time I’m the only person in the campground with a compact car and not a $70k+ truck." — DeliciousMoments

17. Life

"'Poor' people I knew were always happy with the simple pleasures. Now even these simple pleasures are almost impossible to afford unless they're necessary and you break your back to pay for them so you almost resent them. Rich people are literally ruining life." — Wenisdan

From Your Site Articles

inequality

This young woman proves there are no barriers — physical or otherwise — when it comes to achieving your dreams.

When you first meet Julissa Arce, you might assume she's like lots of other ambitious young women just looking for her own slice of humble American pie.

And she is. But she also lived with a huge secret for years.

Image by Julissa Arce, featured with permission.

Julissa was an undocumented immigrant who became a citizen two years ago.

She came to Texas from Taxco, Mexico, when she was 11, in 1994. Her parents got her a tourist visa, but when it expired three years later, she didn't go back to Mexico. Instead, her parents enrolled her in school. As Julissa notes in her book, her parents never addressed the expiration of her visa until it was too late.

Today, Julissa is 33 years old. She became an executive at Goldman Sachs before age 30, which might make her seem like a 100% success story. And she is. But her fight to get to where she is today shows us a lot about living as an illegal immigrant, too.

Her life story will hit home for anyone who says undocumented immigrants are only here to steal U.S. jobs.

(Just tell them to read her new book, "My (Underground) American Dream.")

"There’s so much that hasn’t been told ... and I really need to tell the whole story," she said about writing her book."I need to tell not just the victories, but also people need to understand the suffering and all the pain that went into getting to where I wanted to get and I couldn’t think of a more timely time to tell the story."

Julissa first realized the severity of her position while in college.

Julissa was a strong student in high school, but she still experienced a roller coaster of emotions when it came to attending college. Because she was an illegal immigrant, it was entirely possible that she wouldn't be able to attend at all.

Then she read about House Bill 1403 and was told to call then Sen. Rick Noriega's office. Her grades earned her a signed letter from the senator to the University of Texas in Austin asking them to consider Julissa's application. She was in.

But it wasn't smooth sailing from there.

She had purchased fraudulent papers with a fake Social Security number because she was so nervous about staying in America without correct documentation. Her parents and younger brother had decided when she was 18 that it made more financial sense for them to go back to Mexico, but because she wanted to go to college, she stayed, alone. How would she pay for her apartment or her tuition or her books? Julissa got a job and got to work. She manned a funnel cake stand, and she worked at a call center, taking any job that would pay the bills.

In her book, Julissa explains her heightened anxiety during college. She couldn't risk presenting any sort of ID at a bar or club, so she rarely went out. Driving meant risking a traffic stop that could potentially lead to deportation because she didn't have a driver's license.

Julissa speaking at The Berkeley Forum. Image by Julissa Arce, featured with permission.

There were also the more obvious sacrifices, like the comfort of family. Julissa couldn't visit her family once they went back to Mexico. She couldn't risk attempting to come back into the U.S. with fake papers. There was too much at stake. That also meant she had to spend holidays (including Christmas) alone.

This is one of my favorite pictures that I share in "My (Underground) American Dream". I dedicated the book to my mom, Luisa, and my dad, Julio. Today marks the 9th anniversary of my dad's passing and not a day does by that I don't wish I had been by his side in his last hours. It hurts just as much as it did on day one. In his honor, in his memory, I share my journey. My biggest wish is that not a single daughter, father, son, mother would have to be separated. The cost of my American Dream was too high. I share some painful moments about my relationship with my dad in the book, but the way I will always remember him is by his smile, his laugh, his jokes, his silliness! He used to call me Juliana. So today call me Juliana.
A photo posted by julissaarce (@julissaarce) on Sep 19, 2016 at 9:32am PDT

Julissa's grades in college were stellar, and she also became involved in the Hispanic Business Student Association, serving as president in her final year. Her work ethic and grades were so impressive, she managed to land one of a few coveted internships at Goldman Sachs before her senior year. She left such a positive impression with them that she secured a job as an analyst with the financial firm before graduation.

She met a guy in Manhattan, and they got married. That's what got the ball rolling on her path to becoming a U.S. citizen. But when it came time to take the oath in August 2014, it was an understandably emotional moment for Julissa.

In her book, Julissa writes that as she looked around the courtroom, she knew every person in there had worked hard for this moment. "America is still the shining beacon of the world. I kept wiping away my tears, simply overwhelmed to think that this day was finally here, and that never again would I have to live in fear of being deported from the country I loved. Never again would anyone be able to question that I was American."

What does this once-undocumented immigrant think about immigration reform?

She thinks we need a path to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants who already live in America. But she also points out that much can be done at a state and local level, too. Local governments can give people access to driver's licenses, and they can allow for in-state tuition costs for undocumented students as well.

When it comes to 2016 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, Julissa admits she's disappointed that we've given him a platform: "The problem is that whether he wins or loses — the damage has already been done, and we have a lot of work to do to repair the damage that he has done over the last 18 months that he’s been running his campaign."

Julissa's future isn't slowing down either, which excites her.

Her father died nine years ago, in 2007. She was climbing her way to the top at Goldman Sachs at the time. She recalls in her book slipping into a conference room to cry before composing herself and walking back out to face her coworkers.

Now that Julissa is a citizen, she can visit her family in Mexico whenever she wants to. But she also says she's found her true calling — and it's not on Wall Street. She wants to help other people like her looking for a path to citizenship. She has come out the other side of her incredible struggles a successful woman and wants to share the wealth of her knowledge with those who need it the most — undocumented immigrants who want to earn their way into the country.

During one week in October 2016, Julissa was in New Orleans on Monday, hosted a talk at Berkeley on Tuesday, was invited to the White House on Wednesday, and pitched a TV show on Friday. She's currently working on a TV show inspired by her book, too. America Ferrera is producing the series, making the rounds with Julissa in L.A. as they pitch the show.

Julissa with America Ferrera. Image by Julissa Arce, featured with permission.

Julissa says talking about her story is cathartic, but it's also incredibly important for other immigrants.

In fact, she has a simple yet powerful message to all the young, undocumented immigrants living here now: There's always a way.

"You can’t give up and that the road is tough but, at the end of the road, is your goals and your dreams," Julissa said. "You just can’t give up. You’ve gotta be really strong in your convictions and you gotta know that all of your sacrifices are … your dreams are worth your sacrifices."

I can't wait to see what Julissa does next, and as a fellow Latina, I'm thankful for her perseverance in chasing her dream in spite of the unimaginable obstacles, for the way she's reached such impressive heights at such a young age, and — most importantly — for how she is coming forward to share her powerful story to help others obtain their American dream. Every story matters.

This video is a powerful example of immigrants working hard and doing whatever it takes to attain the American dream.

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When Connie's family came from Mexico to the U.S. in 1972, her mother, Blanca Alvarez, was pregnant with Connie.

Even after Connie was born, her family's first years in America weren't easy. Sometimes they didn't have anything to eat. Sometimes they had to take any job they could to get by. Sometimes Blanca had to take the kids to work with her or make due with bean tacos when there was nothing else to eat.

It's a tale I'm sure many immigrants can relate to. And as our national conversation about immigrants continues, stories like Blanca and Connie's can make all the difference in helping us grow empathy.

Like most working parents, Blanca says she regrets not dedicating more time to her daughter.

The curious thing is that what Blanca thought would make Connie feel resentful or neglected is actually what motivated her daughter to push forward.

"For me, watching you go to school with two kids and trying to make ends meet — that was the biggest inspiration for me to finish college," Connie says.

Listen to Blanca Alvarez tell her daughter about her struggles and successes in this poignant and powerful video from StoryCorps:

One man’s inspirational journey from refugee to valedictorian to MIT.

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Abishkar Chhetri was born and raised in a refugee camp in Eastern Nepal, where living conditions were less than ideal.

An inside look at one of the many refugee camps in Nepal. Image via Jesuit Refuge Service/YouTube.

His family lived in a bamboo house, food and water were scarce, and he had to trek three miles just to get to school, which then presented its own set of challenges. The floors were dusty, there wasn’t any proper furniture, and all the kids had to sit on the floor squished together.

But despite all that, Abishkar’s desire to learn never wavered.

His parents decided to move to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, so that they could provide Abishkar and his sister, Amisha, with a better life and education.

In ancient times, Kathmandu was in the middle of the trade route connecting India and Tibet, giving birth to a fusion of art and culture. Image via Sharada Prasad/Flickr.

At 7 years old, Abishkar was clearly thriving. He described the experience to MIT News as "a new world for me — a place where I can be curious, and finally study without worrying about what I’m going to eat."

It seemed like the start of an exciting new way of life. But sadly, it didn’t last. The family hit some financial trouble and were forced to return to the refugee camp where they started after only a few years. It was back to square one.

Yet somehow, it was a blessing in disguise.

In their return, they learned about the U.S. resettlement program. And with the help of the International Rescue Committee, they were soon relocated to Decatur, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.

Abishkar was now 13 and began attending Druid Hills High School. The quality of living was much better, but a new set of challenges arose.

Druid Hills High School is known for its highly competitive academics. Image via Titaniumjjp/Wikimedia Commons.

"I was in a state of disillusionment. I felt lonely. The language barrier was turning out to be a big hurdle, and I almost felt like all of the hopes and aspirations would be left unfulfilled," Abishkar told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "But I knew I had to make the most of the opportunity here. My parents had made big sacrifices for me and my sister’s education, so I had to do everything I could to make them happy."

Undeterred, Abishkar put in the work and persevered.

In fact, he got really smart about his process. While he was still trying to grasp the English language, he put a lot of effort into making sure he excelled at math. It was an ingenious way to build momentum and confidence in his abilities.

Solving math like it's his business. GIF via "The Hangover."

Through some self-teaching, Abishkar's English eventually caught up. He watched countless history documentaries and YouTube videos on class subjects and even listened to audiobooks to improve his skills as much as possible. His classmates took notice, nicknaming him "workaholic" for all the extra hours he put in.

But his teacher and mentor, Alexandra Salivia, paints the picture a little differently. "The thing that sets him apart is his determination, self-discipline and resilience, and he doesn’t just do it for a while but he does it with consistency," she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Abishkar was named valedictorian and offered a full scholarship at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MIT's Great Dome looks even greater at night. Image via Eric Baetscher/Wikimedia Commons.

It’s a testament to the tireless work ethic he displayed, not just in high school, but all throughout his life. And while the uncertainty of what lies ahead is now more exciting than it is unnerving, Abishkar knows one thing to be true. He wants to help people, plain and simple.

"If you have a goal, follow your heart," he concluded to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "And be thankful for what you have. Recognize what you have and make the most of your opportunities."

Abishkar is a shining example of the great things anyone — including refugees — can do if we allow them the opportunity to succeed.

The faces of the future! Image via the International Organization for Migration/YouTube.

Unfortunately, stories like his — of which there are many — aren’t often the ones we hear. The topic of refugees is still a polarizing one in America, and sometimes it's easy to forget that there are real people at the heart of the issue.

A survey in Colorado found that after four years of life in the U.S., most refugees were "happy, productive, and integrating" members of society. Research like this and stories like Abishkar’s show that if we provide refugees with the support they need, they can go on to do amazing things that have the potential to give a lot back to the communities they live in.

Can you imagine seeing that kind of progress across the entire country? Sounds like the American dream, if you ask me.