Cigarettes and Seatbelts
I heard this the other day, “America was built on the backs of men who smoked cigarettes, drove without seatbelts, and ate bacon for breakfast. Your gluten intolerance, slightly sore shoulder, or that you missed writing in your gratitude journal one morning isn’t what’s holding you back.”
That hit me so hard! We are soft, it’s just that simple! “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.
We live in a time of excuses, nothing is anyone’s fault, and it has made us soft! Before I go any further, this includes me. I am fighting against it, but I’m still guilty.
So what do we do? As with anything else, we first need to admit we have a problem. What are we making excuses for or about? My biggest excuse is that I’m already working hard. If I’m honest, I have it so easy. There are so many people that have it harder than me, and are still putting in more work. It would be one thing if I was where I wanted to be, but I’m not.
My second biggest excuse that I hide behind is fear. Fear of the what if, or what will they think, or what if I fail.
“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
~Steve Jobs
After identifying the problem, the solution: “become a Monster, and then learn to control it.” ~Jordan Peterson
“Better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war.” ~Miyamoto Musashi
My goal is to make myself that Baddest, Hardest Mother Fucker in the room. This goes for every facet of my life; Health, Relationships, Faith, Finances, Discipline, Skill Sets, EVERYTHING. That might sound a bit aggressive, but aggressive is what motivates me, so that’s what I turn to.
I use so many quotes, because I look for the traits/skills/attributes of people that inspire me and then copy their habits. I don’t have a personal group of friends made up of Navy Seals and CEOs, so I created one. I found the people that I admire and I read their books, listen to their podcasts, and follow what they say.
Stop taking advice from people who you don’t want to be like. If your goal is to lose weight, stop letting someone who is overweight tell you how to do it. If you want to make more money, the broke guy isn’t who you should be turning to. If you’re looking to create discipline, your buddy at the bar doesn’t know the path.
“The more I listen to this, the better my life gets. If they don’t have what you want, don’t listen to what they say. There’s no greater waste of time than justifying your actions to people who have a life you don’t want.” Alex Hormozi
The other trap of these people is that they are too afraid to do it themselves, so they’ll actively help you stay where you’re at for fear of being left behind. They’ll help you justify inaction or even worse, justify the actions/habits that are holding you back. They’ll criticize others that are doing the things they were too scared to do and do it all while wearing a the disguise of being your friend.
“Decide what you want, make a plan, and work on that shit every day.” ~Conor McGregor
Oh, and shit is Hard, you’re gonna have to Fight!
In Strength,
Eric Karls, M.Ed.
CrossFit Conductor
Chief Awesomeness Engineer
CrossFit Level 3 Certified Trainer
(859) 494-9119
3801 Nicholasville Centre Dr, Lexington, KY 40503, United States of America