Almost a year ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 191. Yesterday, I talked about taking a leap of faith and doing things without hesitation. Today is a new day.
If something sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. Businesses try selling "miracle" pills, drinks, and all sorts of products with the promise that you'll gain something of value fast all of the time. Get-rich-quick schemes are popular because people want money without having to work for it. Yet it's precisely because these people don't want to earn their keep that they're unable to find the success they desire.
It's like the person who wants to lose weight by fasting and purging instead of having consistent exercise and a healthy diet in their daily routine. They might get results, but it'll be at the sacrifice of their well-being and it can come with a lot of long-term problems. As soon as they stop fasting or purging their body will just revert back to where they were and no progress will be made. You can't lose weight just by drinking a health supplement, you have to put in work, too. Nothing worth anything is gained with ease. Nobody gains a six-pack from doing nothing.
I used to take protein supplements in college in order to gain muscle mass, but because I only went to the gym once or twice a week and wasn't really training seriously I didn't see much growth. I didn't have a routine, my workouts weren't structured (I just did what I felt like doing), and I wasn't consistent. Although I got a little stronger those gains soon went out the window after I graduated and started working an office job where I'd sit at a desk all day. At that time I didn't maintain my physical health so I had to essentially start over. All of that work was reduced to nothing in a few short months.
Before coming to Japan I wanted that to change and I started doing some workouts at home every day. I bought a barbell and some weights so I could do more than calisthenics (body-weight training) and got a lot of my strength back. Doing this really helped motivate me to get a gym membership when I finally moved because I didn't want to lose my progress again. I learned from my time in college and saw that I had to be more consistent and serious about my workouts. Since moving here I've made some nice gains (although I've overall lost weight, I am much stronger than I was) and I know that I can still go a lot further. Put in the work and the rewards will come. This is especially true if we learn to focus and not let daily conveniences and pleasures distract us from doing what needs to be done. This applies to everything we do in life. Success is a grind, not a lottery.
In a nutshell, success to me boils down to working hard, learning from experience, and never giving up.
Peace
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard word, and learning from failure." - Colin PowellLiving in Japan, I've seen how much people value convenience. Not just here, but even in the states and (through my observations of teaches from across the world) everywhere else. It goes back to our heuristic-based mentality. We inherently create mental shortcuts in order to process and organize information in our brains. This affects our thinking and actions as a result. Although there's no denying our capacity to work hard and diligently, when given the option it's enticing for us to take the easy-route. We like shortcuts.
If something sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. Businesses try selling "miracle" pills, drinks, and all sorts of products with the promise that you'll gain something of value fast all of the time. Get-rich-quick schemes are popular because people want money without having to work for it. Yet it's precisely because these people don't want to earn their keep that they're unable to find the success they desire.
It's like the person who wants to lose weight by fasting and purging instead of having consistent exercise and a healthy diet in their daily routine. They might get results, but it'll be at the sacrifice of their well-being and it can come with a lot of long-term problems. As soon as they stop fasting or purging their body will just revert back to where they were and no progress will be made. You can't lose weight just by drinking a health supplement, you have to put in work, too. Nothing worth anything is gained with ease. Nobody gains a six-pack from doing nothing.
I used to take protein supplements in college in order to gain muscle mass, but because I only went to the gym once or twice a week and wasn't really training seriously I didn't see much growth. I didn't have a routine, my workouts weren't structured (I just did what I felt like doing), and I wasn't consistent. Although I got a little stronger those gains soon went out the window after I graduated and started working an office job where I'd sit at a desk all day. At that time I didn't maintain my physical health so I had to essentially start over. All of that work was reduced to nothing in a few short months.
Before coming to Japan I wanted that to change and I started doing some workouts at home every day. I bought a barbell and some weights so I could do more than calisthenics (body-weight training) and got a lot of my strength back. Doing this really helped motivate me to get a gym membership when I finally moved because I didn't want to lose my progress again. I learned from my time in college and saw that I had to be more consistent and serious about my workouts. Since moving here I've made some nice gains (although I've overall lost weight, I am much stronger than I was) and I know that I can still go a lot further. Put in the work and the rewards will come. This is especially true if we learn to focus and not let daily conveniences and pleasures distract us from doing what needs to be done. This applies to everything we do in life. Success is a grind, not a lottery.
In a nutshell, success to me boils down to working hard, learning from experience, and never giving up.
Stay determined, friends.
Peace
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| With some focus, hard work, and determination, anyone can grind their way to success. |
What are you working on to reach success?
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