Commitment to Truth

There’s something that transcends us all: truth.  Yet each one of us bends the truth to fit our ego and our paradigm.  

Those that continue to grow have a few things in common.  Commitment to truth is one of them.  

If you let it, the truth will kick your ass. 

Try this: Before reading on, try introspection.  Take off your narrative glasses and take a hard look at yourself.  What do you see?  

Is your initial reaction a positive one?  Like you have a handle on things?  Or a negative one?  Like you’re a seasoned captain in a storm that’s never been survived before?  

The way you see yourself is a giveaway to how mature you are.  

Ditch the ego.  Ditch your own story you tell yourself about yourself.  Take off the glasses.

Sweat More. Bleed Less.

When you are thrown headfirst into scary situations, let’s say, joining the Marine Corps, things become clear real fast.  

One common theme all through my enlistment was hardship.  Things were hard.  Everything was hard.  Not on purpose, but it was just the nature.  Whichever force sweats more in peacetime bleeds less in wartime.  (Given all other variables are equal).   It was common for USMC units to train so hard that once they actually deployed, things seemed easier in ways.  

This same lesson transfers over to everyday life.  

Now, we all have it pretty easy.  We get to sleep every night, eat every day, and know that no matter what we’ll be ok.  The fears that we have now are so slight, that they’re almost silly.  “Honey what’s wrong?  Bad day?”  “Yeah.  I can’t get my calendars to sync.”

You have got to be kidding me.  You and I can feel, deep down, that our biggest fears lately are minuscule.

These fears and perceived discomforts are lessened when we search for ways to sweat more.  When we search for ways to be the best.  Can’t sync your calendars?  Give yourself a time limit then find someone who’s better at it.  

Here’s what I’m getting at: your time and attention are all you have.  Don’t waste it worrying about a ‘danger’ that isn’t even real.  It’s a mere speed bump.  Get over it.  Fix it.  Attack.  

Know your mission, and be the best at it.  Sweat more than the other guy.

Quantity Over Quality

We’ve been lied to.  (no suprise)

“Quality over quantity” and “If you’re going to do something, do it right”   

Sure, the message may have been needed back in the old days, but not anymore.  We are paralyzed by the idea of creating something perfect.  We are afraid of ridicule, of being shoved to the outskirts of our tribe.  

Fear not.  

The truth is, nobody really knows what they’re doing.  (I know you’ve heard that before).  But for some reason we aren’t letting it sink in.  

That means we need to put ourselves out there a little more, create and ship more consistently, and embrace being vulnerable.  

Today is thanksgiving.   If you’re not reading this on thanksgiving, no problem.  I challenge you anyway.

I challenge you to tell someone something that you’re thankful for today.  Here’s the catch: It has to be vulnerable.  

There’s strength in being vulnerable, and consistently putting yourself out there will make you stronger.  It’s a win-win-win.  You win, I win, and your little tribe wins.  

Get out(side)

There’s always a way to get stuck in your own head. “What should I write about? Where should my time go?”

Heading outside for a little bit always helps clear the head.

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best solutions.

Don’t overcomplicate things.

The climb

Welcome to my little slice of the internet.

I’ll be using it to document my progress as a human.

Nothing to sell, nothing to buy, no action needed on your part.  This is mostly for me.