I want to talk about two things today. Two things that, when I bring them up, make people scatter like I just yelled “Voldemort” in the middle of Hogwarts. It’s funny. In a niche where we talk about the end of the world, civil unrest, and all sorts of disasters, the two things that truly terrify people are health and money. I get it. When I say you have to get healthier, you have to make more money, and you have to spend time doing things you do not want to do, a wall goes up. I can almost hear the collective groan. “Oh, another make money thing. Another lecture about the gym.” No. Listen. This is the whole foundation. If you do not have your health and you do not have any money, how are you going to get ahead? How are you going to prepare for when things get worse? How are you even going to prepare for when things get better? |
The Money You Think You Don’t Have
In order to have a better life, and in order to be more prepared, you have to be financially stable. Period. This is not about buying a Lamborghini. It is about having options.
Years ago, I used to restore classic cars and trucks with my dad. We were not rich. But we always had what we called “opportunity money.” A couple grand in cash, set aside. When we saw a beat-up old truck we knew we could fix and flip for a good price, we had the cash to jump on it. We would buy it, fix it, sell it, and put a little more back into the opportunity fund for the next one. We did it because it was fun to work on a car together, but the money was a tool that made the fun possible.
It is the same reason I bought about 150 Bitcoin back in 2012. People ask me, “Man, how did you know?” I did not. I just had a few bucks to invest in an opportunity. I was not sure if it would be good or not, but I had the cash to take a calculated risk. I still have them. I do not plan on selling them anytime soon.
Do not tell me you do not have the money. Flip the script. Instead of saying “I do not have the money for that,” ask yourself, “How can I put $10 aside every single week for the next year for some opportunity cash?” Deliver pizzas on the weekend. Cut out the things in your life that are causing you pain and costing you money. That is how you build the foundation.
The Gym That Hates You
Now for the other four-letter word: health.
In 2024, I broke my ribs. It took a year to heal properly. In that time, I gained 62 pounds. I felt awful. I had no energy. I was not the man I wanted to be for my family. As of today, I am down 68 pounds. I have been going to the gym every single day since October of 2025. I eat better. I move more.
People ask me, “How do you go to the gym every day? I hate the gym.”
My answer? “I do not hate the gym. The gym hates me.”
It is a little brainwashing trick I play on myself. I do not care what the gym thinks of me. I do not care if other people there are stronger or faster. I am not there for them. I am there for me. I am there for my family. So I tell myself “the gym hates me,” and I walk in anyway.
I do the same thing at the grocery store. I see the donuts. I do not say, “I never get to have donuts.” That feels like a punishment. I say, “You do not get to have those today.” Just today. I can choose to have them any other day I want. But for today, the answer is no. It is a small shift, but it puts me back in control.
Look, I have been through it. In my 20s, they told me every six months I was going to die from cancer. I broke my back twice and they told me I would never walk straight again. I healed my back at the gym by just bending over and picking things up, retraining the muscles, teaching my body what I needed it to do. How do you gain muscle? Pick up heavy stuff. How do you lose weight? Walk a lot. Pick up heavy stuff. Eat lean proteins. Drink a gallon of water a day. Rinse and repeat.
This is not a diet. It is what you are supposed to do for yourself.
This Isn’t Voldemort
Making more money is a good thing. Taking care of your body is a good thing. These are not the bad guys. They are the bedrock of a prepared life. Buying all the junk canned foods and boxed foods to prep with is fine. Better to have something than nothing. But that is not the stuff you want to eat every single day if you want to be strong and vibrant for a real emergency.
Fuel your life right now. Build your opportunity fund right now. Improve your life 1% every single day. In 100 days, you will be 100% better. It is that simple.
Stay safe,
Bob Yeager
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From The Desk of Bob Yeager, Editor and Chief of Self-Reliance Media Publications: |
I spend a lot of time researching for our newsletters, looking for resources that help build better self-reliance skills, make money, ensure that prepping becomes a common action in your life, instead of an after thought. With that, many of our sponsors are digital learning resources because I want you to download and save knowledge that you can use to grow revenue, resources, and skills! |
Today I have two, both affordable, all lend to us being able to keep the cost of this newsletter taken care of (the newsletter doesn’t cost you anything but, the software, servers, and time it takes to research and write each issue costs us real dollars for sure! |
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