For Your Listening Pleasure, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenegger

(Penguin Press)

Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life, by Arnold Schwarzenegger is available as a free audiobook with a Spotify Premium subscription.

Arnold has something to say and he’s saying it in his Austrian accent, thick with hope and honey. That’s right, his new book is a sweet listen if you’re looking for motivation to change your life or excessively work out your calves. Jump right into Chapter 2 where Arnold does not despair, in fact he delights in losing a bodybuilding competition. Why did he lose? His calves were not defined enough. What did Arnold do? He worked harder. Arnold weaves a tale of cutting the legs off of his sweatpants so he would simultaneously be able to see his calf muscles developing day by day and show his opponents at the gym who’s boss. Thus far I’m on Chapter 5 and I already know it’s worth sharing with ya’ll because I am engaged. Bubble bath engaged. I mean, also, no man has ever talked to me with an accent as I bathed and tried to motivate me to keep changing my life, so I’ll take it where I can get it.

At this point I’ve discovered healthy insights about goal setting, marketing, getting into a state of flow with creative work and more. He sites many examples from his past, sharing what inspired him to keep going - a vision. And, it’s true, if we don’t have a vision, what are we showing up to everyday?
It’s crystal clear that progress takes practice, discipline and commitment, no matter what our goal and this is something I am very aware of as a person who considers themselves pretty disciplined and committed to their health, well being and doing things a bit differently - even if it’s harder. I mean, I cut my own butternut squash. That says a lot! And maintaining a 160 lb. self-propelled weight loss on my own for 22 years has been no easy feat, but the rewards have been tremendous and filled with learnings. Every day I still learning something about my mind/body connection and perceived limitations. Probably why I can lean into Arnold’s calves so much, I relate to defeat and getting back up.

Arnold astutely writes about vision, setting a plan, distilling goals into even smaller achievable ones - all through the lens of his own story and personal climbs as the world’s greatest bodybuilder, a successful screen actor and politician.

However, I must admit that I am left wondering when is success and achievement enough? How hard do we push ourselves to achieve? Arnold admits to hardly sleeping but never seemed to be chasing money. He was inspired by chasing the golden glory of his vision, the man he wanted to be and give to the world. He goes hard and admits to it, along with his foibles, but, for me, it still begs the question of whether or not this type of hunger is extreme? What about balance? Does balance not get you next level success? I have ti imagine balance can coexist with success, with achieving. What is his purpose and happiness now that all of this is said and done? Is it in this book? Motivational speaking? Will he ever rest? Does he have another layer to his vision?

I’m going to keep listening. Try it, I think you’ll like it.

With Love,
Tina