ACCESS TO INFORMATION IS ACCESS TO ASCENSION

Capitalism rewards innovation that brings value to society. The internet may be the greatest example of that in my lifetime. For the cost of an internet connection, we gain access to elite knowledge in real time. World-class bodybuilders share their training and diets. Investors explain capital allocation and opportunities. Entrepreneurs break down how they built million and billion-dollar companies. Even niche interests — Catan strategy, Madden schemes — are dissected at a level that once required insider access.

Sure, there are downsides to the internet but that’s largely when it’s misused and abused. That’s the case with every tool in human history. The benefit that the internet has provided and continues to provide in my life alone is immense. They say you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. I deliberately surround myself (digitally) with experts in business, economics, bodybuilding, and strategy. In nearly every domain, elite knowledge is available to anyone willing to seek it out and apply it.

I’m going through an evolution. Moving out of my parents’ house and into my duplex gave me more than physical and financial independence — it gave me intellectual independence. I’m no longer operating primarily within their paradigm. My inputs now come from entrepreneurs, business leaders, and philosophers. With intentional access to information, we can rise beyond our immediate environment and engage with ideas that elevate our thinking and our trajectory.

Information doesn’t equal ascension, however.

Most people consume.

Very few apply.

Learn.

Apply what you learn.

Repeat.