Regarding my personal beliefs, I leave the door open for magic and miracles, but I think it’s foolish to rely on them.  In the past, I’ve dazzled/baffled “magic-minded” folks with results borne of strategic thought and consistent discipline.  So in the grand sense, I’d argue that discipline and strategy are just as impressive as nebulous powers and probably more so—discipline and strategy are far more reliable and consistently more effective.

I’ve found that when I act solely in line with my comforts and fears, I usually get led into a spiral of anxiety and misery.  But when I act in line with my convictions, I sleep well, and experience a harmony which makes the temporary setbacks well worth it.

I’ve known people who are largely ruled by pursuit of comfort or immediate gratification.  They seem to lead a piecemeal life; I’ve seen them jump from pleasure to pleasure, comfort to comfort—all of them transient—as entropy rises with inexorable certainty, trapping them on a sinking piece of compromise and misery.  

Personally, I’d rather seek fulfillment.  It might not be as pleasurable in the short-term, but working towards fulfillment allows me a bone-deep peace that handily beats the petty rush of bowing to cravings and whims.

Truth is a sword that cuts both ways, because even while it can slice through deception and ineffective thinking, the ensuing revelations often imply that I must take action.

Thus far, however, I’ve found that those sharp, stinging reprimands are far more pleasant than the slow, cramped death that arises from the alternative.

In my opinion, if you admit/address deficiencies to the best of your ability, you never have to worry about whether you’re “strong,” “weak,” “worthy,” “worthless,” or a host of other labels; you’re simply solving problems and doing the best you can.

Sound strategy (which arises from being honest with myself so I can objectively assess my strengths/weaknesses) increases the chance I can dictate the terms with which I live my life.  

Unsound strategy increases the chance that life will dictate what I do, as a matter of necessity.

It is uncomfortable—oftentimes painful—to know yourself well enough to assign yourself a functional criteria for success/failure, but if you can do so, you will know when you screwed up, and you can start learning from your mistakes.

It’s fine to believe in magic and miracles, but perilous to rely on them.  Without a solid base of discipline/critical thinking, character, wisdom, and fortitude cease their development.

One could argue it’s a blessing in disguise to not have desirable things “magically”  manifest.

From what I’ve seen, many fail to see discipline as a path to strategic excellence.  In acquiring discipline, people set up quantifiable boundaries—neatness, fitness, routine, etiquette—and these are necessary in the beginning, so that one isn’t derailed by their personal cravings.  But IMO, the goal of discipline isn’t to slavishly maintain “respectable” practices; it’s to be free from the nagging of cravings so that one can break the rules when necessary, then return to doctrine—if necessary.  It’s not about worshipping some illusory ideal—being “tough” or “hard”—it’s about honing will and perception to the point where one can objectively decide what the next priority is, and have the personal fortitude to follow through on it.  In this way, one can follow in the steps of Musashi, who flagrantly violated tradition/etiquette on a routine basis, yet maintained excellence through his focus on strategy.  To me, EXCELLENCE is the goal, not some robotic perpetuation of tradition and etiquette.

I get why people rationalize away or hide their weakness from themselves (I used to be an expert at it) but pride be damned—I love identifying/addressing personal weakness.  To me, it’s an obvious target in my quest to make myself a little more capable, and my life a little more harmonious.