Week 11: Garbage In – Garbage Out: Why You Are the Sum of What You Consume
- jenseng0
- Mar 24
- 4 min read
Let me ask you something: If I gave you a poisoned apple, would you take a bite?
What if I wrapped it in fancy packaging, put a ‘superfood’ label on it, and got your favorite celebrity to tell you it’s the best thing ever?
Now, would you take a bite? That’s what’s happening every day.
The only difference? It’s not an apple—it’s the information you consume, the food you eat, the company you keep. The inputs shaping your life.
TL;DR: Listen and Watch Instead (NEW!!!)
The Scientist vs. The Consumer: Which One Are You?
You’re running an experiment. Every single day. But most people don’t know it. They think they’re just “living.” But whether you realize it or not, your daily choices are data points feeding into a long-term result.
Scientists run tests, analyze inputs, tweak variables, and look for patterns.
Consumers? They take what they’re given. They react instead of experiment.
Your life isn’t a random result. It’s an output of the systems you’re running.
If you’re always tired, always stressed, always feeling like you’re stuck—step back. What are you feeding your system?
Michael Pollan nailed it in The Omnivore’s Dilemma: "Eat anything you want, just cook it yourself." That one rule instantly removes 90% of processed garbage from your diet.
The same applies to life. Want better mental clarity? Filter your information diet. Want better relationships? Choose your social inputs with precision.
The Subtle Poison of Media & Marketing
Let’s talk about the algorithm running your brain.
What you watch? Programs you.
Who you follow? Becomes your peer group.
What you hear daily? Turns into your subconscious script.
The mainstream narrative reinforces self-sabotage:
Alcohol as "freedom" (when it's really a depressant).
Caffeine as "high performance" (when it's actually borrowed energy).
Hustle culture as "success" (when it’s often just burnout).
In The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz talks about being “impeccable with your word.”
That doesn’t just mean what you say—it means what you let into your mind. Words are spells, and the media you consume is casting them on you daily.
Choose wisely.
Garbage Inputs, Garbage Outputs: The Manifestation Effect
Your body? A biological input-output system. Your mind? A processing engine. Your soul? A resonant frequency.
Manifestation isn’t some woo-woo magic—it’s just long-term pattern recognition. Quality inputs lead to quality outcomes. Period.
This is why monks guard their energy. Why top performers curate their environments. Why people who treat life like an experiment tend to thrive. They’re not hoping for good results—they’re engineering them.
Want more energy? Stop feeding your body processed sludge.
Want mental clarity? Detox from the outrage machine.
Want peace? Cut out toxic people & content.
Inputs create outcomes. Always.
Bookstore: Upgrade Your Inputs
If knowledge is power, then the right books are precision-guided weapons for your mind. These aren’t just books—they’re blueprints for better inputs, better thinking, and better living. Pick one and start your recalibration.
📖 The Omnivore’s Dilemma – Michael PollanEver wonder why food is so damn confusing? Low-carb, high-fat, organic, factory-farmed—what’s the truth? Pollan breaks it down with a simple rule: Eat anything you want, just cook it yourself. This book will change the way you see food forever.
📖 You Can Heal Your Life – Louise HayYour body listens to what your mind believes. If you’re running on self-sabotaging loops, expect your health, relationships, and life to reflect that. This book helps you reprogram your thoughts so your life follows suit.
📖 The Four Agreements – Don Miguel RuizWe are programmed from birth—by parents, culture, and society. This book exposes the invisible "agreements" you've made and teaches you how to rewrite them. Master your inputs, master your life.
📖 Regeneration – Paul HawkenWhat if healing the world starts with healing yourself?
This book isn’t just about the environment—it’s about regenerating every aspect of life, from mindset to nutrition to the systems we exist in.
📖 NLP: The Essential Guide – Tom Dotz & Tom HoobyarIf you want to master the inputs shaping your behavior, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is a cheat code. Learn how subtle language shifts can completely change the way you see, react to, and shape reality.
A note from the lab (a.k.a., our community): Some of the links above help support this mission. If you grab a book, you’re not just upgrading your mind—you’re keeping this movement alive. Now go feed your brain something worthwhile.
Poetry & Philosophy
An Original Poem by RWG
"A seed does not argue with the soil.
It simply takes what is given
And grows into its fate."
What are you feeding your soil?
Daoist & Stoic Insights
📜 Laozi’s wisdom: “Watch your thoughts; they will become your actions.”
📜 Epictetus’ truth: “We control our mind, not the world.”
Ancient wisdom, modern problem. The world has always tried to flood us with distractions, poisons, and cheap dopamine hits.
The difference? They had fewer inputs to filter. We have an algorithm fighting against us. Your only weapon? Discernment.
Final Thought: The One-Week Detox Challenge
For one week, run this experiment:
Cut one garbage input. (Negative news, toxic conversations, processed junk—your choice.)
Replace it with one quality input. (A book, whole food, an energizing habit.)
Track the difference. (Just observe, like a scientist.)
You don’t need a radical overhaul. You just need a small, consistent shift. Quality compounds.
Soft CTA: Build the Tribe, Build the Culture
We’re building something here—smarter, sharper, and more in control of life’s inputs.
If this hit home, share it with someone who needs it. Your circle is an input, and together we can shape something better.
Next Week’s Topic: The Art of Digital Detox – Reclaiming Your Time & Mental Clarity
We’re about to unplug. Deeply. Because what you don’t consume is just as important as what you do.
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