Sometimes I’m lucky enough to stumble onto a simple, effective solution.  But more often than not, I find that I have to dive into a hive of complexity where few are willing to go, and CREATE a simple, effective solution.

Comfort is great!  I love sitting down, safe and warm, stuffing my face, and enjoying good movies.  I fully enjoy all the luxuries the world has to offer…but I watch myself.  I watch myself to ensure that comfort doesn’t degrade me.  

Because at a certain point, many will trade their capability for comfort, and in my opinion, that is a perilous road to embark on.

A given goal may be unachievable, but my stance is that unless it’s blatantly unrealistic it’s a waste of life to assume so, and that there is honor in giving it your very best and failing.  I also believe that new opportunities open with each failure, so as long as I maintain discipline and an open mind, I’m confident that I’ll find fulfillment in every moment, and possibly glory as well.

I’ve been around a lot of folks who infuse the word “warrior” with aggressive zealotry, ringing it with vague implications of nobility and wisdom.  I usually look at them with a cynical eye, because oftentimes, it seems like those same people ignore the basics, some of which are:  be on time, whether it’s waking up or showing up; use logic (which is another word people like to use but are often unable to define) to solve/articulate problems so others may understand how to navigate an obstacle; condition both the mind and the body, and address weaknesses in order to foster capability.  And if something doesn’t work, then apply brutal honesty, figure out why, and try again.  It all requires DISCIPLINE.  My stance is that if you consistently work on these mundane, super unsexy basics, you don’t need to slap venerable, grandiose labels onto yourself. 

You’re simply solving problems and flowing with life.

During moments when I want to bail on a commitment or switch methodologies, I am extra, EXTRA careful to scrutinize myself.  Bailing/switching can be a strategic move, but oftentimes, my ego rationalizes a case where bailing/switching is a thin masquerade for staying inside my comfort zone.  

To hell with that.

I’ve tyrannized results out of myself, but the downside of this seems to be that when I experience failure, I keep pushing harder with the same methods, and the failures multiply.  Conversely, being too kind with myself leads to no effectiveness, and no results.  In order to avoid a methodological rut, my current approach is to assess and aggress, assess and aggress.  This approach’s sole aim is to solve problems.  It is not for idealists, or people wanting to flaunt their toughness.

When I aggressively apply myself in a strategic manner, one that facilitates growth and capability, I find I can look myself in the mirror at the end of the day and say, “Good.  Do it again tomorrow.”  

Money cannot buy that.  Only discipline can.

In the quest for long-term fulfillment, the willingness to endure short-term discomfort is incredibly empowering.  That, along with the meticulousness/ruthlessness to examine evidence and the audacity to act off it, are some of the most potent weapons a human can wield.

Combine the willingness to work hard, the willingness to act strategically, and the willingness to fall flat on your face…

And you end up with the potential for success.

The ability to honestly assess something—casting aside ideology and viewing phenomena through the clear glass of evidence/experimentation—is essential in propagating personal development, a sound democracy, and critical thinking.  Unfortunately this is a painful thing if one has muddied their perception by lying to themselves—choosing empty platitudes instead of sussing through unpleasant causalities.  But once refined, this ability is used in every endeavor and every arena…from building complex structures to understanding the difference between what’s humorous and what’s not.  It keeps problems small and manageable, rather than allowing them to mutate into giant beasts.  It enables one to adjust for context and harmonize with the environment, and it also builds consensus—for evidence-based truth can slice apart pretty-sounding crap and invoke widespread function.  When our baser nature cries for the seductive comfort of self-deception, being honest with oneself can be an act of heroism; it adds another clear mind into the whirlpool of falsity that many drown in.  Sure, there are personal benefits, but being willing to sacrifice obsolete views and seductive self-deceptions is, I believe, the very key to unlocking harmony.  The implication that one must sacrifice or kill their useless aspects can be extrapolated from a plethora of belief systems from both the East and the West.   

Nested in many of those implications is the idea that when an individual decides to fix him/herself, it is a heroic endeavor, and has the potential to fix the world.  I happen to agree with that.