I slept in this morning, took my time getting to work, and enjoyed one of my most productive days at work this year. I ignored my alarm, several of them, and for hours a chorus singing songs of guilt and shame. I took my time in the shower and had a late breakfast when I arrived at work. I’m in charge today.
I’m in charge today.
Who Am I?
I find it a bit odd how many radio shows I’ve heard in the past few days discussing lying. One show was particularly interested in the practice of lying to ourselves and spent an hour supporting their thesis with data from social experiments and other psychology tricks. The conclusion of not one but every single scientist on every one of these radio shows was that lying to ourselves correlates to higher rates of success in sports, business and emotional stability. What I find most fascinating was what they seemed to have so simply overlooked.
Lying to ourselves correlates to higher rates of success.
Let’s Come Clean
I’ve written hundreds of articles that you will never see because I will not publish them. There are a million truths, opinions and stories that the world would sooner misinterpret, twist or plain misunderstand than accept for its unpopular utility. That said, I’d like to clear up the confusing message of the scientists above because they’re too appropriately methodical to have offered the following. It is not lying that empowers these successful people but the ability to lie.
It is not lying that empowers these successful people but the ability to lie.
Ability & Power
It is ability (or the less popular word: “power”) that literally empowers. Whether it be the ability to lie to yourself or tie your shoes, it is ability and understanding how and when to exercise an ability that results in success or failure. Ability exercised manifests results. The intended results of a perceptive engineer manifests success.
Ability exercised manifests results.
Tonight I Craved Eggs
I did not eat eggs tonight. I wanted eggs. I had eggs in the refrigerator. I had free reign of a gas grill, frying pan and spatula. I did not eat eggs tonight, why? To exercise. To keep myself in check. To strengthen my ability to overrule a part of myself. After a successful day of ignoring one voice or another, I ate cereal.
Keep yourself in check.
When We Were Young
As children, we had the liberty of enslavement. When we were young, we knew no better (or did and did it anyway) so we were directed. We were told to get up, go to school, sit down, pay attention, eat your lunch, get to class, go to practice, give your 110%, go clean up, eat your vegetables, help with the dishes, do your homework, stop watching that garbage, and goodnight. It was in every one of those moments of instruction that our parents, teachers and coaches shaped the voices in our heads. Today, we have their power of guidance and instruction, the power to override our desire to sleep in, skip school, zone off, skip meals or gorge ourselves, challenge ourselves with hobbies and extracurricular activities, have good hygiene, eat well, clean up after ourselves and be a team player, and get in bed and read a book or stay up all night playing video games.
As children, we had the liberty of enslavement.
Where The Fun Starts
Here’s where the fun starts. Granted, it was easier when we were externally motivated, but now you’re in charge. But when we were young, we were told what to do and how to do it, now you’re in charge. You’re free to spend your young adult life revolting against the instruction of your childhood authority figures by abusing yourself, weakening your future and generally acting like a child. Fortunately, you’re just as free to paint your future by the bending and strengthening of the echoes of the voices of your childhood authority figures.
Now you’re in charge.
Where Do You Want To Be
Demand it of yourself. Whatever you want from life, take it. Everything they told you was some garbled mess of opinions and interpretations, filtered, bent and lost in translation. What is your opinion, your interpretation, your translation? You’re free now, no matter from whom you take your orders.
Whatever you want from life, take it.
The Value of Self Discipline
We all have a lot to learn. Throughout life, the time will come for us to assume more responsibility for ourselves. If we jump the gun, we may be strong and tenacious but not see the wall against which we beat our heads. If we stay sheltered and complacent, we will miss the opportunity to live the life you want. Recognize the power of authority, the differences between internal and external motivation, and learn to leverage discipline to live as you’ve dreamed.
Learn to leverage discipline to live as you’ve dreamed.
Leave a Reply