Rediscovering a sense of empowerment, trading the pleasures of today for a better tomorrow.
In a world so heavily moulded by the need to be comfortable, our insatiable desire for cotton-wrapped cosiness has left many of us feeling empty, simply existing in life. Increasingly uncertain of our choices and unconfident for our futures, we are terrified. The convenience of 21st century living has allowed us to get away with doing as little as we possibly can and this, in turn, has given birth to a society of indecisive compromisers. Unfulfilled and desperately insecure, we repeatedly ask ourselves the same fear provoking question. Am I truly being the best version of myself?
And, for those keen to take accountability for their previous years of inaction, the humble answer is no. A world of constant distraction has allowed many of us to coast on the side-lines, putting off until tomorrow what needs to be done today, drowning the upcoming months and years in today’s cheap pleasures. But, as we continue on the path of least resistance and drown our ever increasing dissatisfaction with instantaneous thrill and comfort, we often begin to crave something more.
Normally, what is missing is a sense of pride, doing the things we know we should be doing and enjoying the contentment that brings. We blame our environment, our lack of money, the people we are surrounded by and any other feeble excuse we can think of. We write ourselves off as failures and deem our goals impossible. When really, only one thing is at fault: our attitude and approach.
Deep down, we are all insecure, frightened of what others might think of us. We feel safer watching others around us take risks, convincing ourselves we are not capable enough to achieve the goals we dream of. We try so hard to fit in that we become invisible and this leaves us feeling deeply unsatisfied.
However, our predetermined predictions of what others think of us are often inaccurate. We imagine an instant negative resistance to our ideas, forcing us into silence. Realistically, this distorted perception of what others may think is often never the case. People respect action. And, as much as we choose to ponder on many of mankind’s evil personality traits, most people are inherently good, and supportive of our ambitions. Ultimately, what we must learn to understand is that to do something well, we must first be willing to do it badly.
So, how do we counteract this fear-stricken version of ourselves? How do we thrive in a world of continual contemplation?
The simple answer is discipline. Setting achievable goals and taking small steps everyday towards achieving those goals. We often get so overwhelmed at the size of the mountain that we forget to take the first step towards climbing it. The secret lies in showing up, every single day. Self-discipline requires a consistent and cooperative level of will power, it requires us to be truly honest with ourselves, who we want to be and where we want to go. Accountability is key. Often, what starts off as a difficult daily challenge, fuelled by sheer determination and will power evolves and becomes an activity bred from enjoyment. We learn to appreciate the challenges that lie within each and every obstacle. The obstacle in the path becomes the path. And, as we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.
This choice to be better every single day reinstalls a sense of empowerment in our brains, we feel proud of who we are today and excited for who we might become tomorrow. As we learn new skills and reap the external rewards of remaining disciplined we begin to reclaim an inner-peace many of us have lost, gifting ourselves a new sense of pride and dignity. Previously scary thoughts begin to feel less intimidating, our goals more achievable.
Within each day lies a new opportunity to learn, to discover and to excel. In a world where mediocrity is often celebrated we must continue to test our minds to truly understand what we are capable of. Supressing our instantaneous desires in order to gain something better can allow us to thrive, bridging the gap between our dreams and achieving them.
Without discipline we are slaves. Slaves to our worst impulses. Slaves to our own laziness. We continue to collect the participation medals of an unfulfilled existence but miss out on the chance to be the best version of ourselves. Ultimately, we have two choices in life, action or excuses.
The thrill lies in conquering yourself today, for tomorrow is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.
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