Below is part 1 of my interview with the World’s Strongest Librarian Josh Hanagarne!

To do him justice would make for too long of an intro but one of the signature aspects of Josh is how he’s battled Tourette’s Syndrome and managed to turn a hugely challenging disability into something he actually thrives on (overall), one of the best modern examples of making lemonade out of lemons that I’m aware of.

Additionally Josh:

-runs a hugely popular blog (http://worldsstrongestlibrarian.com) earning the attention of thought leaders such as author  Seth Godin.

-is a voracious reader which explains his special sense of humor, razor sharp wit, and entertaining writing style.

-is big time into the strength game, posting outrageously gaudy numbers of lbs moved nearly every day, and is a student of professional strongman Adam T. Glass.

Most of all, he’s a STRONG Dad which is why I’ve tracked him down and picked his brain for you here. Enjoy!

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YC: Josh, first thanks for doing what you do. I know you do it for your own amusement, growth, and just your way of choosing to live life, but it must be cool to know that your choices, and the way you approach life inspires people, is it not?

WSL: Cool is an understatement. I’d be lying if I said I’m not overwhelmed and grateful at all the support I’ve been shown and all the enjoyment and progress people tell me they’ve gotten out of my blog. That said, everything I write should be taken as snapshots of my experiences, nothing more. I’m fallible, I make the occasional horrible choice, and if anyone shows up just to blindly follow my advice, they’re going to be led down some paths that may not please them greatly

YC: Glad you said that. Blind following is almost always a surefire recipe for not being pleased greatly .

The wedding ring you gave your wife has the promise, “I will never bore you” which is tremendous. I think a lot of us men could take that mantra into our homes and literally work miracles. How do you see your tireless pursuit of physical strength supporting or at odds with that promise?

WSL: For me, strength training is a manifestation of my desire for constant progress and curiosity. The benefits of looking good and feeling healthy are hard not to like, but the acquisition of physical strength is rarely, in my case, the primary benefit of chasing it. It’s everything else that matters. Strength training teaches dedication, commitment, and to be good at it, you have to learn to keep promises to yourself.

YC: Wow. Couldn’t agree more. I feel like one of my jobs is to attract people into this way of life via their own goals such as fat loss, but slowly help them see that this path is so much richer.

Your new book just came out, “The Knot” which I haven’t gotten to yet. Congrats by the way. Still finishing your last recommendation “Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?” by Seth Godin, an important, impassioned manifesto demanding us to bring back artistry into everything we do, something the old economy punished but the new economy requires.

What did you learn about yourself in the process of writing and launching your book?

WSL: I wrote The Knot on and off over the last six or seven years. It taught me how much I enjoy writing and what a healthy thing it is for me. It taught me to commit to something that I knew could take years and I’m very proud that I finished it, whatever it is. It’s a big absurd fictional story that saved my life. Those characters were the best thing in my life during a very dark period.

As far as the launch, I’ve learned that createspace is a pretty sweet setup for self-publishing. I learned that having a platform with readers already built-in makes the launch process much easier, because I don’t have to head into the bookstores and harass people to get them to buy it.

I also learned that I’m very good at overestimating sales, which would have been a hard pill to swallow if I had written the book for any other reasons than the ones I did.

YC: (lol) I’m sure your book will continue to sell as your platform grows and more people get to know your work.

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If you liked part 1, don’t miss Part 2! It will please you GREATLY.  Josh gets into his key philosophies of life and what he hopes for his beloved son Max. Really insightful stuff for the “Strong Dad” in particular… You can read that HERE.

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