There is a price for living a disciplined lifestyle and it entails learning how to transcend suffering. If you don’t learn how to deal with pain skilfully then you will either fall off your path or be completely miserable a good deal of the time.
Today is day 3 of Spartan 365.
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I’m glad I modified the challenge. It feels like I can love my life again.
Today went pretty damn well.
I woke up, did a breathing drill, and started scheduling my day. I made some bullet-proof coffee, got some work done, and went to the gym.
It feels pretty damn good to be back on track.
However, I know the challenges are coming.
I’ve had this experience many times before. It’s an experience of positive mental focus and disciplined action. It typically lasts anywhere from 1-14 days.
But usually somewhere around the 7-14 day mark, something happens…
I suddenly start feeling like my routine is boring and weighing down on me. Maybe, some unexpected challenge pops up and temporarily knocks off my positive mental focus. Sometimes, I lose focus and start to crave junk-food or some other source of instant gratification.
The point I’m trying to make is that this positive feeling of focus and discipline isn’t going to last. Something will eventually happen that will challenge me.
When that challenge comes, this positive feeling WILL be replaced with tension, boredom, stress, strain, etc.
I will have to rise above. But rising above isn’t usually comfortable. It requires facing the pain and dealing with it consciously without trying to numb it.
That’s why instant gratification such as junk-food is such a seductive way out. It offers a temporary escape from reality and responsibility. It offers a reliable dose of dopamine and other feel-good hormones albeit for a very short period of time.
The strong path is one that calls me to face my suffering. Recently, my track record in regards to my willingness to face suffering has been horrible. I kept choosing the easy-way out…the path of mediocrity.
I don’t hate myself for this. In fact, I love myself and have compassion for myself. However, I FUCKING HATE it when I fall into the same ol’ trap over and over. I fucking hate how I feel the minute I snap out of it and realize what I’ve done.
A Superior Man is one who deals with pain skillfully and I must stay focused. I can’t lose my focus and fall back into old patterns anymore…I just can’t.
A Superior Man is one who holds the line when things are AT THEIR WORST. It’s easy to live a disciplined lifestyle when things are going well and you just restarted your routine after a hardcore binge.
It’s HARDER to be consistent and stay disciplined day-in and day-out. That feeling can feel like a grind…a struggle.
But that’s what Spartan Ownership is all about. It’s about choosing a path and striving towards an ideal. This ideal entails being a strong, courageous, competent, and honorable man.
This path isn’t easy.
But this path is a path with heart. It will turn you into a warrior. But a warrior must be willing to pay the price which often entails facing pain and being willing to struggle.
Over time, a warrior will be able to laugh in the face of pain but that state of mind doesn’t always come easy. I know this for a fact. No matter how positive and pumped up I feel today, something will get under my skin sooner or later and I’ll have to make hard decisions as to how to respond.
The good news is that over time, your self-discipline will become a part of who you are. Your behaviors will become habits. But you will still need to remain vigilant because old habits die hard and falling backwards can still sound seductive during times of challenge.
“The spirit of a warrior is not geared to indulging and complaining, nor is it geared to winning or losing. The spirit of a warrior is geared only to struggle, and every struggle is a warrior’s last battle on earth. Thus the outcome matters very little to him. In his last battle on earth a warrior lets his spirit flow free and clear. And as he wages his battle, knowing that his intent is impeccable, a warrior laughs and laughs.” – Carlos Castaneda
Stay focused.
Pay the price.
Hold the line.
Rest and rejuvanetae.
Repeat.
P.s. Have you joined the Spartan Ownership Facebook community where I personally respond to questions and share exclusive content?
Best,
Maximillian Giamarco
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