The Insight That Changed Everything

Here's something I wish someone had told me 20 years ago:

When I started seeing life this way, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It opened my eyes for so many things.

I finally understood why I felt like I was working hard but getting nowhere. The system was designed to drain my (everyones!) energy. And I had no idea it was happening. I was basically a battery powering someone else's devices with just little reward.

"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool." — Richard Feynman (who probably also realized his savings account was a leaky bucket)

The Problem: Running on a Treadmill

Let me describe a pattern. See if it sounds familiar:

You work 40+ hours a week. You earn money. You pay rent, buy food, fill your car with gas. At the end of the month, there's some left over. Maybe you put it in a savings account. You feel responsible. Your parents are proud. Your bank sends you a smiley face email.

Then, quietly, invisibly, like a financial ninja:

• Inflation chips away at your savings (7-10% some years—thanks, money printer! 🖨️)
• Bank fees nibble at your balance (for the privilege of them lending YOUR money to others)
• Taxes take their cut before you even see your paycheck
• That gym membership you used twice is still going strong

A year later, you've worked 2,000+ hours, and you're... roughly where you started. Congratulations, you've been running on a hamster wheel! 🐹

Energy Masters: Who Gets It?

Before we dive into the framework, let's look at people who consciously think in energy. Some are billionaires. Some are fictional. One swims in gold coins. All of them understand something most people miss.

The Framework

Everything Is Energy (Literally)

This isn't some woo-woo crystal healing nonsense. Physics tells us that everything—matter, light, motion, heat, your annoying coworker's endless meetings—is energy in different forms.

• The food you eat? Chemical energy. (Your body is basically a very complicated combustion engine that complains about Mondays.)
• The gasoline in your car? Chemical energy.
• Your paycheck? A claim on energy (someone's labor, machines, resources).
• Bitcoin? Stored proof-of-work energy. (Saylor enters the chat.)

When you understand this, you can start measuring your life with precision instead of vague feelings like "I think I'm doing okay?" and "Why is my bank account always empty?"

The Three Flows

Every energy system—power plant, ecosystem, or your life—has three functions:

Think of yourself as a power plant. You generate energy (work), store it (savings/assets), and use it (expenses). The goal is to generate more than you use, store it in containers that don't leak, and only consume things that either keep the plant running or make it more productive.

The Key Insight: Every Storage Leaks

Here's where it gets spicy. 🌶️

When I first made this table, I was shocked. My "safe" savings account was leaking 7% per year. That's not storage—that's a slow drain. In 10 years, I'd lose half my stored value. I might as well have been storing water in a colander.

Mapping Your Energy Flows

Exercise: Calculate Your True Position

Time to do some math! (I promise it's the fun kind. Okay, it's the "slightly disturbing but ultimately empowering" kind.)

The Uncomfortable Truths

(Grab a coffee. Or something stronger. This section has no chill.)

Truth #1: Your Job Has an Efficiency Problem

Let's do the math on a typical office job. Warning: this may cause existential reflection.

You're losing 42% of your work energy to friction. Taxes, commuting, overhead—they all extract energy before you can store it. You're basically a very inefficient power plant. (DHH works from home. Just saying.)

Truth #2: Inflation Is Theft

Let me be direct about something you won't hear on the news (they're too busy showing you what celebrities ate for lunch):

When the government prints money, they're not creating value—they're diluting yours. Every new dollar printed makes your saved dollars worth less. It's like if someone kept adding water to your orange juice while telling you it's "good for the economy."

If you have $100,000 saved and inflation is 7%:

• $7,000/year stolen from you (that's a nice vacation!)
• $583/month taken while you sleep
• $19/day extracted from your life's work

Would you subscribe to a service that charged you $583/month for literally nothing? That's what a "safe" savings account does. At least Netflix gives you content.

Truth #3: Taxation Is Compounded Theft

Here's what they don't teach in school (probably because they're too busy teaching you about mitochondria):

Add bureaucracy on top: licenses, permits, compliance costs, forms, wait times. All of these consume your energy while producing nothing of value for you. It's friction. Pure friction.

This isn't about politics. It's about seeing clearly where your energy goes and who takes it. Awareness is the first step. (The second step is building a Money Bin, apparently.)

Truth #4: Not All Consumption Is Equal

Here's some good news! Not everything that costs money is a drain. Some consumption generates future production. Some just disappears into the void (looking at you, DoorDash fees).

The One Question That Changes Everything

Before any financial decision, ask:

• Pay rent 10 years: Energy gone. Landlord richer. You? Same.
• Pay mortgage 10 years: Energy stored in equity. You own something!
• Cash for 10 years: 50% lost to inflation. Thanks, money printer.
• Skills for 10 years: Compounds if used. You become more valuable.
• Bitcoin for 10 years: Ask Michael Saylor. He's smiling.

This single question eliminates 90% of financial confusion. You're welcome.

What To Do About It

Okay, enough doom and gloom. Let's talk solutions. 🚀

The Three Levers

You have three levers to improve your position. Pull them all. Pull them hard.

Start Here, Right Now

Don't let this insight evaporate like your motivation after January 3rd.

Continue Your Energy Journey 🚀

This guide gave you the framework. But frameworks are just the beginning. Space is the limit for energy thinkers! (Literally—Elon is trying to get us there.)

These in-depth guides will give you the tools to implement your personal energy revolution:

Final Thought