My Last Post

Hey guys,

First off, I want to say thank you to each and every one of the 4000+ people who have subscribed to /r/GetSuave over the past year. I never dreamed the community I created would draw enough interest to sustain that amount of activity and support. I never dreamed that so many people would PM me looking for advice on their situation. I appreciate all of you.

Unfortunately, it’s time for me to move on. I’ve been evaluating my priorities a lot lately and have come to the conclusion that I need to spend a lot less time in fake reality (the Internet) and in, well, reality.

In order to do that, I know I have to burn a few bridges. One of them being this account. After I publish this post, /u/champagnehouse will be no more.

You are now in the capable hands of /u/Defective_Prototype, /u/The_Archer_of_Rohan, and /u/BerkshireHathaway-, the moderators of this humble sub, and I know that they’ll continue to make this a sub about fun, self-worth, and building a valuable, whole, and attractive lifestyle.

So here it is. After hundreds of thousands of words, a book, and countless words of advice, here is the last thing I want to say when it comes to being suave and becoming a better person.

The Only Principle: Persistence

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

-Calvin Coolidge

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

-Christ

A wise man once said that in order to achieve anything you want in life, you must first determine what the price is for that thing. Then you must pay that price.

It really boils down to that.

There is only one person in this world who can stop you, and it’s you. If you make it your life mission - your life mission - to succeed, then ultimately, people and events will get out of your way like the Red Sea parting for Moses. But only once you make that determination to succeed in spite of all obstacles.

You have to have a mission in your life. A mission so strong that you are willing to die for it.

Napoleon Hill called it your chief definite purpose. David Deida says to work an hour a day working toward what you love, because there is no tomorrow as we all know.

All we get is today.

And how do you spend today?

I’ll tell you what I just did. I got lunch at McDonald’s and hated myself for it. I really did. “Why can’t I eat better?” I asked myself. What’s the secret?

It’s that I haven’t made my fitness a top commitment. Something I’m willing to go to the ends of the earth to find.

If you are armed with only one tool as you go into the world, make it persistence.

Persistence will make you the most powerful person you know. Persistence will win you admirers. Persistence will, as Mickey once told Rocky, turn you into a very, very dangerous person. In a good way, of course.

You know how I love the Rocky movies. One of my favorite moments in the Oscar-winning original Rocky movie is toward the end. Rocky’s only goal in the fight is to “go the distance” with Creed, which no one had ever done. He doesn’t even want to win. He’s armed with only one weapon, persistence. He’s outclassed. Creed is the superior athlete and the superior fighter. Creed is even in Rocky’s head. But Rocky has one weapon, and it’s the most important weapon of all.

He gets knocked down.

Even his trainer tells him to stay down.

Creed holds his hands up high.

But Rocky is armed with one weapon, the only weapon. Persistence.

He gets back up.

And here’s my favorite moment. Creed sees Rocky get back up.

Creed gave Rocky his best shot, and Rocky is back up. And he’s in the corner saying “come on.”

Watch the look on Creed’s face. That’s the look of a man who just got blasted with The Weapon.

The Rocky series is full of these great moments, like in Rocky III when Rocky learns to face his fear and tells Clubber Lang, “harder!” He looks fear in the face and says, “do your worst.”

And he keeps coming.

I know it seems strange to talk about the Rocky movies in a forum like this. But I want you all to keep those same lessons in your heart. If you remember nothing else from champagnehouse writing advice, remember this: persistence wins all.

Woman tells you to fuck off? Keep that warm goodbye and keep smiling.

Guys clown on you? Wish them a good day and move on your way.

No one comes to your party? Throw another one next month.

Woman cheats on you? Lose the girl, but don’t lose the heart.

Be like Sisyphus. Condemned by the gods to move a rock up a mountain for eternity, he can never lose heart.

Albert Camus said, imagine if Sisyphus were happy.

Be like happy Sisyphus. Keep pushing that rock up the mountain.

Because in real life, eventually the rock doesn’t roll down again. Eventually, when you go to war with attrition itself, there’s only one thing left: you.

That’s all any lifestyle change is about. It’s not about calorie counting. It’s not about buying better clothes. It’s not about approaching women. It’s not about any of that.

It’s about that thing beating in your chest.

It keeps going.

So should you.

Thank you guys, and I wish you all the best as you persist in your future endeavors.

-Dan, aka “champagnehouse”