Self-Inflicted Isolation
Asheville, NC 6:58 AM
What would you give up in order to gain success? Would you separate yourself from your childhood friends? Cut out and disown 99% of your family? or would you ignore years of your life, focused on a screen to learn how to make money?
These questions aren’t rhetorical… These are the things I’ve done and is continuing to do. You see, life doesn’t slow down and neither do bills. Sure, I could go nomadic and hid up in the mountains, totally off grid… But I want to leave my legacy. My family has never amounted to shit, even though I’m related to President Truman.
Those who have millions say that you must make sacrifices in order to get to the top… Well, what happens why you don’t have anything else to give? How would you keep going in the face of darkness? I’ll tell you how… You embrace the isolation… the solitary confinement… the hollowed void of nothingness.
Below, you’ll see why you should give up everything to obtain what you truly want.
Strategic Isolation for Success
I’ve burned every bridge to get here… Traded my social circle for success. I walked away from everyone to build my empire. Conventional wisdom calls this a tragedy, but science calls it attention management. If you want to build an empire, you must understand the methodology of isolation.
Eliminating Distractions Accelerates Progress
Deep focus requires isolation and interruptions kill your performance. Research shows that task-switching imposes massive cognitive costs. When you remove social obligations, you reclaim the hours needed to master your craft. Instead of partying to escape the confines of reality, bunker down and focus on creating your own modes of income. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said “No” to hanging out with drunks in order to do research. Yes, they all called me a ‘loser’, ‘fag’, and even said that it was a waste of time. Good thing I don’t get my feelings hurt easily, or else I’d be partying every day.
Solitude Protects Core Strategy
Other people introduce doubt, conformity, and distraction. By me choosing to stand alone allowed me to maintain absolute clarity. This allows you think better, reason faster, and solve problems without outside interference. When you listen to everyone else (those who have no idea or clue on being free) will drag you down. “You should focus on your 9-5 and save your paychecks”, “You got to get a job instead of trying to start your own”, and my favorite, “You can’t do that, that’s not how the world works” … all said from family and friends… But what do they know? They’re stuck in the cycle of progress. But the solitude I’ve accepted, allows me to grow into my own ruler. Just ignore them, get obsessed with creating your craft and never faulter. The rewards at the end… will be beyond the gold and silver today.
High-Performance Demands Obsession
The average social circle doesn’t understand intense ambition. And I’m willing to bet, yours doesn’t either. People naturally try to pull you down to their comfort level. Walking away removes the gravity of average minds will provide you the stability you’ve always wanted. My old social circle was filled with drunks, stoners, and hippy rappers. Where they only focused on the ‘fun’ side of life and ignored the work that comes with it. I’d get up early… like EARLY… 3:30-4 AM to focus on ForbesCopy. But others prefer the warm comfy bed that hugs you to sleep as soon as you lay down. This kind of mindset won’t allow you achieve your goals. If you’re as obsessed as I am, you’ll make strides that far surpass the average person. You’ll see yourself evolve into a force to be reckoned with.
Isolation Builds True Self Reliance
Removing your safety net forces absolute resilience. When you have no one to lean on, you become your own ultimate resource. You find solutions because failing is not an option. And I’ve been alone since 14. Before I ever knew what business was, I’ve been alone - forced to defend for myself. I’ve been homeless, slept on Wall Street, ate out of dumpsters, drank water out of ditches on a hot summer day, and somehow, I persevered. I’ve been hooked on cocaine, robbed people, lied, cheated, and it all shaped my warped perception. Now, I’m happy to be alone. Forced to figure it out. Because whenever I asked for help… I get ignored. When people find out the tribulations, they all say the same thing… “You should have told me, I would have helped.” I know they mean well… but I don’t like to be lied to. As soon as you realize that no one cares, you unlock a special kind of freedom.
Sacrifice Forces Execution
Giving up everything to focus your energy is probably the most hardcore and manliness thing you can do. You eliminate low-value obligations and use solitude as a tactical weapon. You don’t isolate to suffer but to win. Now, I’ve felt the suffering that comes with loneliness. Even in a room full of multi-millionaires all filled with ‘good energy’ and hope, I can’t help but feel like the odd one out. By accepting the isolation, you learn to be comfortable by being uncomfortable. Birthdays missed… anniversaries ignored… celebrations and holiday shoved to the side… success doesn’t pay bills. This takes an emotional toll, but your future self will thank you. Don’t fall victim to someone else’s proclivity. Following the blind will only lead you off a cliff.
My note to you, my dear reader…
Focus on your craft. Fall in love with it. Be the ruler and controller of your life. Embrace the ridicule, hatred, drama, and scrutiny that will weight you down and almost tear your world asunder. Let me share the words I wish would have heard: You got this and you CAN do this, keep up the great work, I’m proud of you.
And if you need guidance on how embark on your perilous journey, my book ‘Ætherveil’ shows you undeniable evidence that you control the world you inhabit. The universe happens through you, not to you.
Ric Forbes
Written by Ric Forbes with first-hand expertise. AI tools may be used for research and drafting assistance, but all content is reviewed, verified, and published by the author.