
October 30, 2020
Boxing, Sobriety, and Writing with Ed Latimore on The Danny Miranda Podcast with Danny Miranda
Check out Episode Page and Show Notes
Key Takeaways
- Boxing requires a huge time commitment including hitting the gym 4-6 hours daily
- “I asked myself what do I have to gain by being intoxicated? What I had to gain by being sober is incredible. I have control over the conversation.” – Ed Latimore
- Changing one decision in your life can change all of your life
- Being able to socialize without alcohol and excusing yourself from situations that aren’t good are critical steps toward sobriety
- “A good challenge is one that forces you to grow and develop; it should not be something you can coast through” – Ed Latimore
- The best way to tackle a new skill is to break things down into smaller components and practice
- Ed’s Writing Tips:
- Write what you know – don’t be afraid to put yourself out there
- Use your life experiences to put your own stamp on your writing
- Show your personality!
- Don’t make the mistake of choosing hobbies or a career because other people think it’s what you should do
Intro
Ed Latimore (t: @EdLatimore) is a retired American professional boxer, influencer, and author.
Books
- A Course in Miracles by the Foundation for Inner Peace – mastering a spiritual journey
- The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin – a journey of optimal performance
- The Bruce Lee series by Bruce Lee –a series of best-selling fitness books
A Boxing Journey
- As boxing careers go, Ed started late – age 22—and got into boxing because he needed direction and wanted “something to show for being here”
- After a successful amateur career where he won a national title, Ed became a professional boxer
- Ed says that with the amount of money and time you spend on training (before you even get a shot at getting on tv), you’d be better off getting a regular job
- Boxing caveats:
- Boxing requires a big time commitment – hitting the gym 4-6 hours daily
- Most fighters don’t get multi-million dollar contracts – even if they earn $10,000 for winning a fight as there are no guarantees for the next fight
- You have to be hungry – it helps if you have no other options
- It’s a rough sport with high opportunity costs
- It’s better to start sooner than later but there are no guarantees
- Ed left the sport on his own merits– “I knew the end was coming”
Going Sober
- Ed quit drinking because it got in way of his career and straining relationships
- Ed had a chance to change the course of his life and didn’t want his drinking to ruin that
- “I asked myself what do I have to gain by being intoxicated? What I had to gain by being sober is incredible. I have control over the conversation.” – Ed Latimore
- Going sober has stuck for Ed
Being Open About Quitting
- Being open about his struggle has become a source of inspiration for others
- “If people can learn from what I’ve gone through, then good” – Ed Latimore
- Ed says going sober also offered a good commercial opportunity i.e. a potential book
- Changing one decision in your life, can change all of your life
- Drinking was Ed’s keystone habit – once he got that under control everything else fell into place
- Being able to socialize without alcohol and excusing yourself from situations that aren’t good are critical steps toward sobriety
The Appeal of Learning Physics
- Ed knew he had to go back to school for something – “Boxing doesn’t last forever”
- Physics seemed to have a wide range of options and a huge salary range and he figured “someone would hire me”
- Ed got electrical engineering exposure when he enlisted in the army but physics was what he really wanted to do
The Similarities Between Professional Boxing, Physics and Writing
- “All require hard work and diligent work and you have to put your mind to it” – Ed Latimore
- Physics made him a better communicator – the language of it is very precise—and that made him a better writer
- All three are challenging: “A good challenge is one that forces you to grow and develop; it should not be something you can coast through” – Ed Latimore
- Combining skills from different things makes you a more valuable human being
- The best way to tackle a new skill is to break things down into smaller components and practice
- That’s how Ed learned to fight and how he got better and better
- You can make headway if you put your head down and get to work
Tips for Writing Online – Ed has 100K followers on Twitter
- Write what you know – don’t be afraid to put yourself out there
- Try to put your own stamp on your writing with your life experiences
- Be yourself and pull from your life
- Show your personality!
Pursue a Higher Version of Yourself
- Stay in shape – your body is the best weapon you have
- Challenge your mind – try a new language
- Find ways to express yourself in ways that add value to other persons’ lives
- Push to better yourself
- Anything is learnable but you have to have a reason to make it stick – make the time investment
- Talk with like-minded people
- Don’t make the mistake of picking up things that are other people’s idea of what you should do
Next Goals
- Ed is launching a YouTube channel with the goal of recording one good video a week
- The channel will be another way for people to consume his knowledge and for him to grow his reach
- Optimize his Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Ultimately his goal is to write fiction
Ed’s Favorite books
- A Course in Miracles by the Foundation for Inner Peace – mastering a spiritual journey
- The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin – a journey of optimal performance
- The Bruce Lee series by Bruce Lee –a series of best-selling fitness books