PERSONAL EXCELLENCE, THE SADNESS ANTIDOTE?

I know what it' s like to be in a place where life feels... meh.

Another way to put it: your own life feels out of control and waking up excited to be alive is a foreign thought.

The highs and lows of life... but do i really have to be in this place as often as I am? Thats what started my Personal Excellence journey.

Leading to the contemplation of...

How can I expect different outcomes when i'm putting in the same inputs?

Inputs = Outcomes

Heres a graphic to really grasp this concept.

Thinking of that in terms of our own life is where it gets interesting. Input (what we consume in every way) = Our perception of the world.

In my life, i've always got the same result when I do the same things. SO, if I want my life to be different in the future, I therefore must change the inputs...

An example from the fitness realm: what would a "fit" (your own definition) person do? To be a "fit" person I must do what they do. Further more, what would the fit version of ME do? I must do what he/she would do in order to become that person.

Ask yourself: "who do I need to be today so I can be who I want to be in the future?"

Wohooo another dude talking about self development using concepts and words. Yeah I know, but hear me out. Lets get practical.

1. Discipline.

Discipline = Freedom. How? If you have decided what you are doing, for example: I'm only eating home cooked food. Then the option of buying takeaways/fast food isn't even an option, leading to freedom in the mind. As long as there is a 100% commitment.

For this to be more achievable a timeframe can be applied. "Ok for 30 days I WILL NOT get any fast food." 30 days of mental freedom from the contemplation of fast food. Also leading to a reward the next time you eat it, which to me feels like such a positive experience.

Side note - Our brains are also wired to work this way! The dopamine reward system basically states: if you seek pleasure excessively, those pleasures will turn into mundane experiences. So not only is it my collection of thoughts and experiences around these concepts, it's also science and chemicals in the brain.

2. No Compromise.

Applying this principle on top of discipline is the key to it being a self developing process. I decide on something, then its all in, 0 compromise. Not half in half out. ALL IN.

Putting things into play and controlling what you are in control of. It's easy to look outside of ourself and point the finger at others, your situation or whatever it might be. BUT if you use this principle of no compromise, to look solely at the things you can control with no reasoning of the things you can't. Then theres a shot at self improvement. Remember: The circumstances will never be perfect... stop waiting, start acting!

As Epictetus, a stoic philosopher said: "Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle. Some things are within your control. And some things are not."

This combination of principles gives me real world evidence as to why I can believe in myself.

What can I control?

*The food / water I consume.

*The information I consume (social media filtering is a heavy topic here, but lets leave that for now.)

*The exercise I do.

*Where I spend my money (what I vote to exist.)

*The people I see in my free time.

*What time I go to bed.

I'm sure there are many others but you get the idea.

Practical takeaways:

Decide for 30 days what your future self would thank you for. Change / add one thing.

Sticking to a workout plan? A diet? A 10 minute a day meditation challenge? A 30 min walk every day? Honestly just deciding and giving yourself that self belief for 30 days is enough to change your life and get the ball rolling towards a fulfilling future!

*Outputs = Inputs.

*Who do I need to be now? so that I can be who I want to be in the future.

*Disciplined commitment.

*No compromise.

*Test and audit these concepts by experiencing them yourself to see if it applies to you as well.

All i'm sharing is what has worked for me, interpret and experiment with it as you will.

How do you know what life could feel like when you haven't added new inputs in?! Fuck that excites me. Knowing how much potential for my own life I can unlock via discipline.

The more i've stepped into this, more of the world seems to open up. Connections and confidence grow. Coincidence!? I think not!

Lets face it, life is hard sometimes... SO lets continue to show up for ourself via daily actions, and lets prove that life is incredible by getting Every Last Drop from it!

Thanks for stopping by <3

-Hunter

The Contentment Letter.