“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” - Viktor Frankl

Physical/Financial - Become self-sovereign across the physical world and not be overly reliant on government schemes, hand-outs or external market conditions.

Mental/emotional - Do not be ruled by your emotions - learn how to be self-sovereign in your mental state - you don't always have to succumb to the whims of your thoughts and emotions.

"I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from a single thing that I wanted to do." - Georgia O’Keeffe

Spiritual - learn how to be self-sovereign in spirit - whether you believe in God or not - do not let your life be ruled by destiny, karma, or external gods - life is in your hands.

NOTE: This does not mean you need to be a "lone wolf" or do everything yourself. This doesn't mean you need to be a billionaire either - you can be homeless and still be self-sovereign if you can learn to take ownership of decisions. 

It is about taking ownership instead of being a victim of circumstance.

Everyone starts somewhere - it's a journey, not a destination.

"Your Mind is the forerunner of all things"

Take time every day to take care of yourself and reflect.

We are in the most technologically advanced time in human history yet depression, anxiety and suicide rates are high. We are in a "digitally connected world" yet we have become more disconnected than ever.

Sometimes there is no "clear path" or "10 steps" to be done - you just have to keep going and like all things in life "this too shall pass".

This is obvious and we all know that there is more to life than money and buying nice cars - yet do our actions prove it

Nothing in this life is permanent, from thoughts, and emotions to the very breath you take.

Enjoy life's many ups and downs and don't take it too seriously.

Sometimes you don't actually have to "do" something - as long as you "don't quit" it will change - just accept it and see what happens.

“Change is never painful, only the resistance to change is painful."

There are only a few things in life that truly matter - everything is just background noise. Make sure the background noise doesn't overtake your life.

Each person is different - The most important thing could be your partner, it could be your family, it could be your business, it could be your relationship with God, it could be "life purpose", it could be money, etc.

Whatever it is - don't lose sight of it.

Keep the main thing the main thing!

Whether you have a little or a lot - Take every opportunity you can to give to others. 

• Every meal you get - Even if you are starving - can you share "some" of it with others?
• Every time you get paid - can you share some of it with others?
• Every time you go to the grocery store - can you give a smile to the server?

NOTE: This doesn't mean give everything away - use common sense - you can't help everyone.

Try not to be the person who has 100 New Year's goals and achieves none of them.

Who can you trust when you can’t even trust your own word?

Get in the habit of doing what you say.

You don't have to make crazy promises.

You don't have to go from 0 to 100.

If you want to get fit you don't have to run a marathon first.

Instead of trying to wake up at 4 am - try waking up 20 minutes earlier instead.

"The rich get richer and the poor get poorer"

Success isn't overnight - it's a compounding effect of little wins. Make sure you set yourself up for success no matter how small you start. 

Build a track record of keeping your word - start small and let it snowball into the bigger goals - you will be surprised how much you can achieve when you build a foundation of micro wins!

"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone." - John 8:7

"Empathy" is NOT born - it is a skill.

Most people repress their emotions and turn into robots. Don't be afraid to admit the natural ups and downs of life.

Pay attention and "observe" your emotions internally.

Practice paying attention to your emotions - observe when you are sad, observe when you are happy, observe when you are anxious, and all other feelings.

Log your emotions every hour for 7 days - including what you were doing. (There are many great apps to do this like THIS)

Do this for a week and see how it transforms your life!

Next step (externally): Practice paying attention to other people's emotions - observe when they are sad, observe when they are happy, observe when they are anxious, and observe all other feelings.

NOTE: This simple skill helps in all facets of life from happiness to business. 

Being grateful is a choice and it starts with your inner voice.

Example: Instead of automatically saying "I have to go to work". Take a second to remember that millions of people across the world are below the poverty line - "You get to go to work"

No matter how bad it gets - there is always something to be grateful for :)

"All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone," - Blaise Pascal.

Sit down every day for 30 minutes without moving.

People largely fail at achieving goals because of self-esteem and lack the discipline to be consistent- this single habit will help you in any area you wish to grow.

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS

1. Carve out 30 minutes every day around the same time (mornings are best)
2. Sit down - either cross-legged on the floor or on a chair (try to keep your back off the wall)
3. Have a small smile and try to hold that smile for the 30 minutes (if you lose concentration that's completely fine, don't beat yourself up. Just be grateful and return to your smile again)
4. Don't move until the 30 minutes are up
5. Repeat for 90 days and see how it changes your life.

Let my skin and sinews and bones dry up, together with all the flesh and blood of my body! I welcome it! But I will not move from this spot until I have attained the supreme and final wisdom. - Buddha

In less poetic words - stop caring what other people think.

NOTE: This does not mean you need to be disrespectful to others when they have differing opinions on your life!

Everyone has some wisdom you can learn from BUT you need to try to stack the deck in your favour.

Understand what you want - then find the people who have already "been there and done that".

"The steakhouse doesn’t want advice from a vegetarian."

If you want to get rich stop asking your broke uncle for advice.

If you want more happiness stop asking the "successful" CEO who you've never seen smile.

All of our beliefs and everything we know have been conditioned into us since we were born.

From the beliefs about existence: family, community, city, and the world - the laws, religion, cultures, and all of society’s rules. Someone or some other external input has given us the answers to these.

Our parents are the first to teach us about this outside world. As we grow, school, the media, churches, and other aspects of our environment hook our attention and tell us what proper behaviour is.

• We’re told what is right and wrong.
• We’re told how to behave, what is acceptable, and what to believe.
• We learn a specific language that wasn’t our choice.
• We didn’t choose our own names, yet our name becomes a core part of our identity.

We are born into this system of beliefs – this societal dream – through no choice of our own. We’ve been exposed to it for so long that we can’t fathom living or thinking any different way.

You didn't even get to choose your own name.

We just simply agreed to all of these.

Now the question is - do these beliefs and agreements serve you?

If not - then there is good news. you can change them.

If you can be conditioned into the person you are today - that means you can use this understanding to condition yourself into whoever you want to be in the future.

Old habits die hard - but it is very possible. Stack the external environment and "inputs" in your favour!

The human spirit is far greater than ANY external achievement.

Never judge yourself or anyone else based on their external possessions or achievements. We are born clinging to nothing and we will die leaving everything behind - the worth of a human cannot be measured in "things".

NOTE: Go out into the world and achieve whatever you want - be ambitious in your goals BUT know that your self-worth and self-love are not at stake.

Beware of extremes.

Don't be a slave to static dogma or the whims of your emotions.

You don't always have to be "stoic" - at the same time, you don't always have to "YOLO" and give in to your urges.

There is a middle way - use your best judgment.

Life is always in flux - it's not static - which means dogmatic views normally lead to a life that is closed and not whole.

THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: Imagine you are in a helicopter watching someone walking below you on a bridge. If they walk too far left or right they will fall to their death.

When you see them going too far right - you should tell them to go left.

When you see them go too far left 0 you should tell them to go right.

On the surface, it seems like you are continually telling them opposite instructions - in the right context every view can be correct.

So zoom out and reflect on your life - are you going too far left or right? What do you need to do to find the middle way for yourself?

You don’t always have to be at the whim of your baser instincts - you have been gifted with awareness - take a brief pause before your actions and use your awareness to choose how you want to respond.

When someone insults you - there are a million ways to respond. You can hit them; yell at them, smile at them; walk away; thank them etc. Choose which way you would like to respond in any given situation.

A long time ago, a poor Chinese farmer lost a horse, and all the neighbours came around and said, “Well that’s too bad.” 

The farmer said, “maybe.” 

Shortly after, the horse returned bringing another horse with him, and all the neighbours came around and said, “well that’s good fortune,” to which the farmer replied, “maybe.” 

The next day, the farmer’s son was trying to tame the new horse and fell, breaking his leg, and all the neighbours came around and said, “well that’s too bad,” and the farmer replied, “maybe.” 

Shortly after, the emperor declared war on a neighbouring nation and ordered all able-bodied men to come fight—many died or were badly maimed, but the farmer’s son was unable to fight and spared due to his injury. And all the neighbours came around and said, “well that’s good fortune,” to which the farmer replied, “maybe.” 

And so the story goes.

Your thoughts, emotions and even your biology aren't always right. Humans are pre-wired for the wrong things - we still have the voices of over a thousand generations in our heads.

We sometimes put far too much importance on our thoughts, emotions, and yes even our biology. Sometimes it's right, and sometimes it's wrong.

Here is a simple example of how even our biology can betray us.

Our biology is actually killing us faster in the modern world by making us addicted to sugar. In the pre-historic days when there was a short supply of sugar - it made sense for our taste buds to be addicted to simple carbohydrates. When you found sugar sources it was rare so it's fine to try and consume as much of it as possible.

NOW - in a society where carbs can be found at every corner in your local supermarket this “survival mechanism” is killing us.

COOL EXAMPLE of how we all have cognitive biases that distort the reality around us - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY55MXoKqlA

NOTE: I’m not saying NOT to listen to your thoughts, emotions and biology - I’m just saying don’t take it as gospel and use some awareness.

There is a difference between character traits versus superficial personality behaviours. Qualities like empathy, kindness, generosity, open-mindedness, mindfulness etc are deeply rooted in one’s character and should always be present in any situation. However, traits like being an introvert or extrovert are superficial markers of one’s personality. Learn to distinguish between the two for yourself to become adaptable to any situation.

EG - Let’s say you're an outgoing extroverted person - would you make loud noises and try to be the “life of the party” at a funeral?

If you go to someone's house as a guest and they don’t allow shoes inside - would you continue to wear them even if you don't have the same rules?

If you are a guest in a foreign country - would you respect their laws and customs or force your values on them?

Change your personality to the situation BUT never compromise your character and integrity.

NOTE: Do not lose yourself in your character - know who you are! You should spend some time finding out what your own unique non-negotiable character traits are.

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” ― George Bernard Shaw

Humans are "predictably irrational". Learn the cognitive biases that rule your own life and you will have a better understanding of how others are as well. This will help when dealing with people at work to leverage, to your relationships to make highly profitable investment decisions. 

A great framework is Maslow's hierarchy
"It's hard to think about your life purpose when you are getting chased by a bear."

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory of motivation that states that six categories of human needs dictate an individual's behaviour. Those needs are physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, self-actualization needs, and finally self-transcendence needs.

Spend a day researching Maslow's hierarchy and read "Drive" by Daniel Pink.

You are not some omnipresent God - at no point will you know everything so be humble enough to continually outgrow yourself.

People used to think the sun revolved around the earth.

Don’t beat yourself up when you find out you are wrong; it's part of growing.

You can't even categorically prove you aren't in a dream right now, can you?

“Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.”― Zhuangzi

We are all controlled by unconscious mechanisms and cognitive biases that we aren't even aware of.

Accidentally lean on a hot stove. What happens? You instantly and involuntarily move out of the way.

A system in your body that you don't control just makes you move.

Even though you don't know this system well it will control you.

This applies to "rational" decision-making as well - we have a set of cognitive biases that make us make poor decisions. 

EG. Marketers use this to manipulate and persuade us. This is why they use tactics like "scarcity", "Buy now", "Social proof- Celebrity endorsements" etc to make us more likely to buy.

There is too much I can write about cognitive biases - do some research on how your mind can be manipulated and guard against them.

GOOD INITIAL RESOURCES: 

• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion - Robert Cialdini 
• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational

We always have the option to justify/rationalize how it’s not our fault. - try not to make the easy choice.

We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse. ~Rudyard Kipling.

Humans learn most effectively through osmosis and we have things called mirror neurons that help us "fit in" with others - this was a survival mechanism during the pre-historic days that encouraged us to stay in groups.

Your mind will unconsciously try and get you to blend in with the people and environment you most surround yourself.

Don't let your life be left up to chance - decide who you want to be and engineer your surroundings according to this.

Seneca - It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested. But when it is wasted in heedless luxury and spent on no good activity, we are forced at last by death’s final constraint to realize that it has passed away before we knew it was passing.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. – Mark Twain

The average person is overweight, over 50% marriages end in divorce, most people work pay cheque to pay cheque - the status quo and “common sense” aren’t all that it’s cracked up to be

Sometimes the status quo aligns with you and your values and sometimes it doesn’t. Don’t automatically dismiss it - but don’t automatically accept it.

NOTE: This doesn’t mean you need to be a “rebel”. Both the conformist and the rebel have given up their independence.

Conformists are dictated by what the rest of society does - so if society goes left, they have to go left.

At the same time “rebels” are slaves too - they are also dictated by society. If society goes left they must go right.

Choose to be independent and self-soverign - assess the situation and go whichever way suits you.

Habits are just conditioning - If you can be conditioned one way you can also be conditioned the other way.

Food is an easy example - depending on where you are in the world - you will have a certain affinity to a certain type of food - Many Asian foods seem "weird" to a lot of Western people. If you group up in Asian countries it would be normal.

Ask yourself:

1. What conditionings and habits do you have
2. Do they still serve me?
3. What conditionings and habits do I need to start to get what I want in life

You have the choice. You don't have to "undo" your previous conditionings - you can just decide to implant new ones. People spend too much time asking "Why am I the way I am" - no one cares - it's a waste of time - Just become whoever you want to be instead of being stuck in the past.

It’s hard - but you do have the option to accept and let go of your past. You can un-shackle yourself from conditionings and become whoever the heck you want.

It's never too late…to be what you might have been – George Elliot

NOTE: There is a difference between “repressing” your past and letting it go/accepting it and then moving on - don't repress)

Don't let your current beliefs stop you!

Everything I am good at, I was once bad at, and everything I am still bad at is because I have not invested enough time, energy, and resources to develop that; it was my choice.

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare it is difficult” – Seneca

“It’s always fun to do the impossible, because that’s where there is less competition.” - Walt Disney

You should oy be limited by the laws of physics, gravity etc. As Jeff Bezos

"If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want." - Zig Ziglar

The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it. Rather, its that we aim too low and we reach it – Michelangelo

Have a healthy disregard for the impossible - Peter H. Diamandis

"A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm." - Charles Schwab

“Nearly everyone takes the limits of their own vision for the limits of the world. A few do not. Join them.” - ARTHUR SHOPENHAUER

Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination. – Oscar Wilde

Luke Skywalker: I don’t believe it Yoda: And that is why you fail - Star Wars (When Yoda lifted Luke's ships out of water)

The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible and achieve it generation after generation. – Pearl Buck

“The unhappiness, unease and unrest in the world today are caused by people living far below their capacity.” - ABRAHAM MASLOW

Rick Dalzell, Amazon’s former chief information officer is quoted as saying, “[Jeff] is not tethered by conventional thinking ... he is bound only by the laws of physics. He can’t change those. Everything else, he views as open to discussion.” His risk-taking is seen by many as necessary, considering that Amazon’s success was still not guaranteed.

Remember that old saying.....“Sticks and stones may hurt my bones but words can never hurt me”....we know this is wrong - some of the most painful times in our lives are when someone verbally abuses us. Be mindful of your words and use them to uplift NOT tear down people.

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. - Chief Tecumseh (Crouching Tiger) Shawnee Nation 1768-1813

NOTE: This includes being kind to yourself as well. 

Everyone has a story. Everyone has had experiences that have moulded them into the person they are today - and so have you. If you knew everyone else's story and conditionings then you probably wouldn’t judge others.

This does not mean working 24/7 or always "being on". Whatever you do decide to do - give it the attention it deserves and don't take it for granted.

Your life is important. Honor it. Fight for your highest possibilities." - Nathaniel Branden

Don't shy away from pressure or the hard things in life - embrace them as a chance to grow. - you will learn more about ourself through the struggles rather than the good times.

When the tide comes in, you can see who was swimming naked – warren buffet.

Sometimes it's not about what you want.

Imagine you are a parent that needs to drop their child off at school.

It doesn't matter if you are tired - you still have to do what is required and make sure your child goes to school.

I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do. - Georgia O'Keeffe

There are four main ways you can "deal" with your thoughts and emotions

1. Express - super popular.
   Someone makes you angry and you attack them for it
   
2. Repress - super popular.
   You hold your emotions in and push it down BUT they will always come back one way or another. It's like pushing down a baloon in water; at some point your subconscious will let go and it will appear again. Many times when you think you are repressing but you end up expressing it somewhere else.
   EG. Your boss yells at you at work - you decide to repress and hold it in - then later that night you yell at your child for no reason.
   
3. Escape - super popular
   You try to escape it by overconsuming drugs, and alcohol or trying to keep yourself busy and distracted. 
   
4. Accept and let it go on its own
   Don't judge your thoughts/emotions and just observe them. Everything is impermanent - so are your thoughts and emotions. Instead of reacting - just watch them. As it arises - so it will disappear as well.

If we “oversimplified” our life - it would just be a collection of several key areas like “relationships, the experiences you want, your health, your wealth, your emotional states, your spiritual beliefs, your character traits etc”

Write down what you want in each category and then check in with yourself every day and ask “Have I done one thing (small or big) to get closer to at least one of my categories?" You don’t have to do everything at once, just one small step every day over a lifetime is enough.

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don't much care where—” said Alice. “Then it doesn't matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

Self-explanatory... 

You would be shocked how you can transform your life in 3 years or under.

Whether it's financial freedom or getting the body of your dreams... once you become intentional and start doing the small things consistently - it's a mathematical inevitable you will achieve your dreams!

This is the fastest route to success in most human endeavours.

“Success has a hundred parents, but failure is an orphan.” – Buddha

It’s sometimes hard trying to figure out the right answer BUT it’s sometimes easier to ask and eliminate what you don't want. That narrows your options down and makes it easier to make an educated guess.

Everyone has a story/trauma - the world doesn't care. People may feel sorry for you but it doesn't improve your life besides getting a dopamine rush for that moment.

Take every opportunity to learn - the resources, books, blogs etc are all out there. Pick your goals and align which external resources will support you instead of letting your external stimulus be random.

Bruce Lee! Don’t fall into the trap of learning as a form of procrastination. There is an old quote from bruce lee..."I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

Both suck! 

Be the person that practiced 10,000 kicks once and then continue kicking once a day for the next 10,000 days - you will beat both types of people!

In my whole life I have known no wise people who didn't read all the time, None, zero - Charlie munger

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.—Mark Twain

It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able to adapt to and to adjust best to the changing environment in which it finds itself……so says Charles Darwin in his “Origin of Species.”

Don't be a billionaire who can't climb up the stairs without collapsing.

Understand the fundamentals of the key areas of life

• Health
• Love
• Happiness (Define what this is for you)
• Wealth

You don't have to be in the top 1% in all - but it is shockingly simple (not easy) and doesn't take much time to get into the top 5% in each. It will take you under a year in each if you are consistent.

Michael Jordan was one of the "cockiest" players to ever play - but he still had the humility to train and learn from others.

"This ability to listen was among his most precious gifts."

To his coaches, his capacity to be coached was his single most impressive attribute, beyond even the 18-year-old's spectacular physical gifts." Smith said he "had never seen a player listen so closely to what the coaches said, and then go and do it." "My greatest skill was being teachable," Jordan said some years later. "I was like a sponge. Even if I thought my coaches were wrong, I tried to listen and learn something."......

There are three main types of people when it comes to humility.

1. Humble on the inside and humble on the outside
2. Humble on the inside and "cocky" on the outside
3. "Cocky" on the inside and "cocky" on the outside

All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved. – Sun Tzu

EG. "Calories-in vs Calories-out" is a principle.

The carnivore diet, paleo, fasting etc are just tactics to help you reduce your calorie intake- these are just methods. intake)

EG. Building out a sales funnel that moves your customer along the "customer journey" is a strategy.

Doing email marketing, Facebook ads, partnerships are just tactics to support that.

You can have anything you want in life BUT not everything

Once you write down what you want -ask yourself what are you willing to trade off to get there.

Everyone wants to be a billionaire or the next Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk - BUT would you also want to work 100+ hour weeks, and spend very little time with family and friends?

There's no right answer here - just be aware that there are always trade-offs.

Everyone's case sounds good until you hear the other side – proverb

Always Look for disconcerting evidence in your opinions - will Durant

It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so. Mark Twain

Just because a person has died for it, does not make it true. - Oscar Wilde

You cannot cram your way to success - A daily method of operation (DMO) is a cornerstone of getting what you want out of life

'Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.'

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act it’s a habit – Aristotle

“In the first 30 years of your life, you make your habits. For the last 30 years of your life, your habits make you.” – Hindu saying

If you had a gun to your head - could you do it?
If yes - then what's stopping you?

If you had a gun to your head - would you at least change your behaviour when it comes to approaching the goal?
Most people say they want to become "financially free" or to "make a million dollars a year" - BUT most people don't even know "how". Millions of people have made $1 million AND each of them started in different scenarios and priveledges - AND most of them have gotten there using different methods.

Before you say you can't do something - ask yourself if you have even done the basic research to answer this appropriately - otherwise, it once again comes down to having more self-belief in yourself,

You are the creator of circumstance, you should only be bound by the law of physics, everything else is fair game and the only thing holding you back is yourself.

Just because I spent years doing something doesn't mean I have to keep doing it.

If you’re halfway through a movie and you hate it - why continue watching?

Reflect and ask this question at appropriate time intervals “Knowing what I know now - would I still have made the same decision if I could go back in time?”

NOTE: There is a difference between someone who lacks discipline and is a flake and quits too early. There is a difference - contemplate it!

Look for positive-sum outcomes everywhere you can. (Not equal outcomes)

"Equal outcomes" are kinda weird to me - Trying to make equal outcomes is an inefficient allocation of time, resources and energy.

Thought experiment -

Imagine if you have two apples and two oranges to distribute to two people:

• Jenny likes apples and hates oranges
• John likes oranges and hates apple

Why would you give each of the same division of apples and oranges?

I would give Jenny both apples and I would give John both oranges.

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” - Henry David Thoreau

“Never permit a dichotomy to rule your life, a dichotomy in which you hate what you do so you can have pleasure in your spare time. Look for a situation in which your work will give you as much happiness as your spare time.” - Pablo Picasso

The easiest example is investing.

Understand where you are in each -

1. Adequate knowledge - Having adequate knowledge about the thing you are investing in
2. Tested judgment - do you have experience in it
3. The margin of safety - If you make the wrong mistake will it break you?

EG. In Web3 most "successful" institutional investors don't actually have "Adequate knowledge" and "Tested judgment" - they have a ton of money and invest in everything and hope one goes well. So next time you say “xyz company invested in it so I should too" - realize they could have their money in everything and they have enough margin of safety for this investment to fail.

What are the highest leverage points in any given system - are you leveraging them?