Addictions/aversions (IMHO) do not demonstrate lack of energy; on the contrary, it takes INCREDIBLE energy to perpetuate habitual addiction/aversions.  That energy is simply trapped in a static loop.  Once you use [contemplation/meditation/willpower/etc] to hack yourself and undo that loop, that’s when you can tap mind-bending energy.  But you gotta be willing to hack yourself.  And it’s not always pleasant.

(But in the end, Yeah—it totally is.  😉  )

We all ingest suffering.  And whether we’re motivated through desperation or virtue, some of us will digest that negativity into wisdom, ability, or both.  The other things?  The bad habits, grudges, and reactiveness?  You can guess what happens to that stuff.  

Don’t forget to flush.  😉

There is nothing in reality we know for sure, and that being the case, we mustn’t wed ourselves to a glittering premise.  Instead, I say let evidence direct us to whatever premise is fitting—dull or shiny—and in this way, we wed ourselves to Truth.  And once that happens?  

I hope you believe as I do, but I think that it will become glaringly obvious that there is absolutely, incontrovertibly, NOTHING to fear.  😉

Willpower is built through brute repetition—partially.  It’s also built by closing those comforting background programs that are always draining it.  Everyone knows about the willpower upgrades attained through discipline and hard work, but IMHO, to tap the purest store of willpower, we need to mentally defragment ourselves and engage in a psychic cleanup of useless viewpoints/processes.

I can be cultish by INTRODUCING ambiguity (energy/entities/magic), I can be scientifically cynical by DISREGARDING ambiguity (everything must meet a burden of evidence), or I can be spiritual by ACCEPTING ambiguity (being able to function as if a premise is true, but upon seeing contrary evidence, be fluid enough to instantly change my opinion).  I think we were born into these limited forms not to haughtily declare ourselves all-knowing, but to explore…

And be humbled by wonder.

My philosophical expressions are only things that I’d like someone else to say to me—whether it be “me” right now, or a past version of myself.  In order to pull this off, however, I have to do my best to actively LIVE this stuff.  

F*ck the talk, hail the Walk.

Common platitude:  “Skills take 10,000 hours to master.”  So that means with above average dedication (1 hour per day, no days off), that’s 27.397 years to master ONE SKILL.  That is WAY too long.  BUT:  I believe that within all skills, there exists a core group of abilities—discipline, creative problem solving, fluid analysis (accepting the possibility of two or more opposing outcomes and simultaneously dreaming contingencies for each one), attention to detail, AND?  Discipline.  So—from this premise—no matter WHAT we do, we can constantly master core abilities, and when we switch to learning a new skill, all that’s left to learn is the outer technicalities.  The inner foundation is already in place.  

Long story short:  Pay attention to the “mundane” and hack your time.  🙂

To power your way to dreams/achievement/etc., you can use whatever fuel you want: anger, love, duty, futility, obsession, positivity…Some fuels, though, will leave residue, and eventually become toxic.  

(The cleanest burning ones, IMHO, are discipline and clarity.)

Rules of Writing Fiction, IMHO (in order of importance):  1.  Reader must be [entertained/uplifted/sad/furious/FEEL SOMETHING].  2.  Reader must understand what is happening.  

Everything else—and that includes grammar, punctuation, etc. etc—is a supporting element.  You can take them or leave them according to how well they serve Rules 1 and 2.

I’ve seen meditation/psychedelics/positive thinking/logic/etc fail to carry people.  IMHO, if life is athletics, these are all separate elements that can enhance your game. Conditioning, good diet, good recovery. But you can’t rely on any one thing to carry you without the basic skill work—honesty/accountability with oneself, courage to push outside comfort, and of course:  DISCIPLINE.  The other stuff is like steroids/supplements/fancy programs.  It’s great if you find the right mix for you, but it doesn’t change the fact that you gotta get in the mud and prove that it all works together.