The beginning of the new year traditionally includes a resolution. Very often in the form of a promise to exercise more and take better care of ourselves. I did it ahead of time for you – and we chose Arnold Schwarzenegger as our inspiration. He has recently taken the media world by storm again, so there is a new bodybuilding newsletter, a new documentary on Netflix, a new bodybuilding app and a new book. It was the last item that interested me the most, because I believe in the saying: “Both on New Years and all year long.” And I wanted to be wiser, more aware and, of course, fitter on January 1, 2024. How did it end up?
Don’t imagine any science. I just bought a book Be Usefulwhich was released in the fall and has the subtitle Seven Tools For Life (Czech Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life), and I also started exercising regularly. I’m over 40, I feel physically better, so why not?
There’s no point in hiding anything. As a child of the 80’s and 90’s, I hold Arnie in the deepest respect. When he writes in the book that at the end of 1987 he already had 283 “killed” people, memories of Barbara Conana, Terminator, Command i Predatorfilms that shaped my viewing tastes (to this day, I still prefer action movies, sci-fi and horror movies).
Even as a pubescent, I wondered every now and then how John Matrix does it, that he can kill 87 people alone and without help. Now I know: because he believed in himself, he had a clear vision (in his case, to save a kidnapped daughter from the hands of a treacherous wretch) and what he did made him happy (there is no doubt that the main character A team had killing in the genes).
This is ultimately the message of the book Be Useful. Don’t look too hard at its title, because it doesn’t really match the definition of usefulness – it’s a motivational, self-development book that wants to move the reader forward, in whatever direction that may be. So don’t look in it for a recipe on how to be more useful to society or even to the family. At most in the direction that when you it will be better, it will also be better for the people around.
The basic content is completely to be expected. It builds on the unique story of a seventy-six-year-old author, who came from the remote Austrian village of Thal through his own efforts (and also thanks to luck) to Hollywood, which he conquered. It is both a strength and a weakness of the book – Arnold undoubtedly has an inspiring story, but one that is difficult to repeat. And the fact that he keeps saying how he got this far just because of hard work and vision doesn’t make it any easier.
At the same time it is Be Useful need to be perceived cautiously and critically. An uneducated reader could easily fall under the impression that Schwarzenegger is such an antique prototype of a proper man and person. It is somewhat similar to hagiography – a description of the life and teachings of saints.
In the diary Los Angeles Timeswhere they closely followed Arnie’s acting and political career, are clear: the book is part of the effort to build Schwarzenegger link. Much like a documentary on Netflix. It is not known from the Czech Republic, but for example his career as California governor between 2003 and 2011 was not nearly as successful as he describes it. Nor was his political approach straightforward and honest and free of lies and lies as he would have his readers believe.
In addition, he, like many other big figures in show business, has faced many accusations that during his rise to the top, he did not treat women in particular, including his ex-wife, as gentlemanly as you would expect from someone who called one of his motivational chapters “Shut Up and Open Your Mind”.
On the other hand, you will find enough moments in the book that can fulfill its primary purpose – you will realize that the main thing that is needed for success (whatever we mean by this word) is determination and perseverance. As Arnold writes at one point: “Above all, remember that rest is for babies, and you can relax when you’re retired.”
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In a way it is Be Useful in today’s often oversensitive times, with a sympathetically sincere boomer exclamation that nothing is free and the way forward is primarily through hard work. The book is divided into seven chapters, which are also those messages:
One of the main lessons is to believe in good developments, even if one is instinctively programmed to pay more attention to negative messages and warnings: “We have many tendencies towards certain behaviors within us, but they stem from our ancient past and are not very beneficial today.”
And this is exactly what I take from the book to 2024. I don’t know how much more useful I will be, but I know that if I look at the world around me more positively and if I try a little harder in what I do, it will turn out better than if I tried less. Banal? Undoubtedly, but that’s what Arnold’s book is, and that’s how motivational tracts tend to be. You must always distill that basic wisdom from them.
What about weight training? I also started this during the fall, but not because of Schwarzenegger or because of the fitness app The Pump, which the Czech studio STRV created for the famous actor. I just wanted to be fitter. And for now I’m holding on and you should too. After reading Be Useful I’m going to push myself a little harder in the gym because pain is – sometimes – good after all!
2024-01-01 18:32:31
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