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- 3 Shorts Make a Write
3 Shorts Make a Write
This week I have a slightly different format for you.
That said, don't stress - this is not the end of long-form.
I enjoy writing shorts.
Why?
They help me think things through. They encourage me to boil down thoughts, ideas or concepts into small and punchy, well, 'shorts'.
I hope you enjoy.
Before we get to the short, I want to introduce something else new - something that is here to stay.
I've previously constructed and distributed newsletters, and have done versions of this.
Each week I'm going to share with you 3 things for you to take away with you - I call this area of the newsletter TLC:
Tune of the week - the song I've been looping this week. Each week I pick a song and loop it. I've been doing this for years - It becomes meditation, allows me to understand deeper and helps me slip into a 'flow' state. I also enjoy long runs looping the same song - Don't knock it before you try it.
Lesson of the week - a quote that taught me a lesson during the week.
Content of the week - be it an article, a lecture, a video or anything else. Something a little more in-depth that got something from during the week.
So without further ado, this week TLC:
Tune
Lesson
"The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation"
What's your version of 'quiet desperation'?
Content:
Any feedback from this week's TLC? - Hit me up on Twitter.
Now into the shorts...
Your joy is your responsibility
In a world surrounded social connection, it is more common than not to compare yourself to others
We have the ability to compare ourselves to virtually anyone in the world
This can be a motivating factor - for the right mindset
However, it can also be detrimental to the wrong mindset
If you’re trying to better yourself, build a skill or achieve a goal, it is human nature to compare yourself to others
Often, this comparison leaves you disheartened and deflated
As the saying goes - ‘comparison is the thief of joy’
Comparison - I believe - is only the thief of joy if it comes from an emotional place
Comparing yourself to others from an emotional POV will undoubtedly end in disappointment
You're comparing a snippet of their position directly to yours - with no context
Instead, compare yourself to others objectively
What if you considered your circumstances?
What if you compare your ‘why’ to theirs?
If you consider your circumstances to theirs and your ‘why’ to theirs - 99% of the time they will be vastly different
Your journey is wildly different to anyone else’s
Maybe you're comparing your fitness progress to that of an elite athletes
Do you have the same life circumstances as an elite athlete?
Do you have multiple hours per day to commit to training?
Do you have multiple hours per day to commit to recovery?
Do you have the funds to commit to an in-house chef and the worlds best coaches?
Is ‘why’ you started your fitness journey motivated by the same things?
Do you want to be on the world stage or do you just want to be better for yourself and your family?
When comparing to elites, step back from your emotions and consider objectivity
Consider your circumstance, and consider and your ‘why’
This also remains true when comparing yourself to those around you
In this scenario - it is much easier to mine for accurate feedback
Follow the same path as outlined above
It will shed objective light - be it positive or negative
If the light reveals negatives, this is still a positive
The negatives of your comparison can be used as a road map for improvement
Lean into these results
Change your actions (if they align with your ‘why’) - and learn
Remember, still objective, not emotional
Take ownership of your joy
Comparison is NOT the thief of joy
Your perception of comparison is the thief of joy
Holidaying is Finite
Yet society will make you believe it is the end goal
Society wants you to believe you will be eternally happy with a cocktail on the beach
Holidaying is sold as infinite
We get sucked in and believe it should be
Reality - it's not
Humans need growth - or at the least opportunities for growth
Then, the goal should be to integrate 'holidays' into our daily lives
To create a life with calm, sunshine and creature comforts
But also to create a life with challenges, adversity and growth
To live a life with daily growth
To live life with daily holiday
Integration
Everyone is Guessing
Despite their projection of confidence
No one knows the outcome of their decisions
Confidence can be earned - life experience, previous decisions, observing others' decisions etc
You CAN build validity to your confidence
The other secret to confidence - ignoring social profiles and the knowledge that everyone is guessing
We are all special
But we are all equal
The human experience is a lifetime of culminated guess' - chill the fuck out
For another week - Take care (but be risky) xoxo