Check out Simo Hayha. That's incredible.

It seems that many people seek constant pleasure and ease in their lives, and I think this is misguided. Emotionally, I believe a range of feelings is healthy, and at times, intensity is a good thing. This is why I like the weather in the northeast better than California. Even keeled weather that is always pleasant dulls the soul, in my opinion. While of course the cold is bitter and the heat is oppressive, I value being physically involved in a dramatic procession. It is invigorating. It's what's lacking in the idea of being "chill". This is the idol of my generation, being chill. I think we're too chill. We should give more of a shit, be more discerning, and try harder. Too much tolerance is a bad thing.

I love living in a place where I can hear church bells. It's a small thing, but it brings me tremendous pleasure. I've been fortunate enough to have this for most of my life and would miss it if I moved to a place that doesn't have them.

Inertia is imparted upon our minds by culture, upbringing, education, friends, and other factors. In order to live freely we must be able to view ourselves critically and be able to reshape our beliefs. Fortunately, there are curricula that exist to accomplish this goal, and they work well. But I was thinking that there are many non-intellectual imprisonments that we suffer from, and there are fewer programs to address them. Two that come to mind are food and fashion. Yes, a motivated person could seek out magazines, books, and forums on these topics and expand themselves that way, but using these things and nothing more still makes it difficult, and that's assuming that a person would be highly motivated in the first place.
There's an additional factor that I think is less often recognized, but just as important. Comfort creates major inertia, and it's more than comfort--it has to do with your concept of self. Even if someone gives you explicit instructions about how to improve your diet or dress, the follow-through is not just dependent on your motivation--it depends also on your ability to venture outside of your comfort sphere. It's why the kids in the Wire wanted to go to McDonalds even after Bunny took them to that expensive restaurant downtown.