Death By a Thousand Cuts (2)

Eric Karls • September 25, 2024

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There is a small group of us who will be starting “75 HARD” on October 1st. A mental toughness challenge that spans 75 consecutive days and consist of the following each day:

1.   Follow Nutrition Plan – Goal must be some sort of physical improvement.

2.   Two – 45 minute workouts, one outdoors.

3.   No Alcohol, No Cheat Meals.

4.   Drink 1 Gallon of Water.

5.   Read 10 Pages.

I’ve been intrigued by this challenge for a long time due to wanting to make myself a stronger person, both physically and mentally. I have a very grandiose vision of my future self and I figure in order for me to pull it off, I’m going to have to be the best version of myself at all times. Adopting these habits will give me the discipline and organization I need to do so.

 
With that said, I have contemplated giving up alcohol for years. I figure, if I want to be my best throughout a day, drinking the night before isn’t going to help in anyway. The typical routine I tend to fall in is 1-2 glasses of wine a night, a few days during the week and then anywhere from 3-5 drinks Friday through Sunday. I tell myself during the week it is a good way to relax after a long day and then the weekends are a reward for a hard week’s work put in. I never drink to excess, so justifying it is easy. It also helps that this is the routine of many people, so it must be OK. So, giving up alcohol remains just a thought, oh, and I really didn’t want to do it, I enjoy drinking and I’m good at it. This all helps keeping quitting to just a thought.
 
Another routine that I used to be committed to was read at least 10 pages a day. I have been giving myself the excuse that I have been too busy lately and not reading isn’t a big deal. Our mere existence should be looked at as a gift and the ability to acquire knowledge is a gift within that gift. We are required to do so in the first part of our lives and then we finish school and for many of us, the pursuit of knowledge ends. I see not continuing as an expression of not appreciating the gift.
 
While renewing my appreciation of that gift, I came across 2 passages in separate books that stuck with me.
 
(1) “You are only limited by self-imposed beliefs and ideals. God does not limit you-you limit yourself by immature and undisciplined thinking.”
~Above All Else, Greg Amundson
 
(2) “In its ability to provide short-term relief from depression, dreaming about the future works much like acoping mechanisms that help people deal with extreme pain. Thought processes and behaviors such as denying a problem’s existence or losing oneself in drinking or other drugs have been shown to engender more depression as time goes on. People fall into passivity and don’t actually do much about the cause of their pain; over time, it wears on their mood. Yet short-term alleviation of depression is no insignificant thing.
~Rethinking Positive Thinking, Gabriele Oettingen
 
# 1 Made me realize I make excuses or justifications for myself. The problem is then I justify not making changes or taking action which leads to me not progressing. Not progressing leads to frustration and anxiety about reaching the end of my life and realizing I just went through the motions and did not use the gifts God gave me to their fullest potential. We do not regret the things we do in life; we regret the things we don’t do. 

#2 Even though my drinking is not in excess, or anything outside of social norms, it is acting like “a death by a thousand cuts”. I deal with stress and anxiety about the future with tiny band-aids. A drink covers the bleeding, but does not stop it. In fact, over time, I find myself with thousands of cuts, all needing band-aids. Covering up the stress and anxiety which then leads to bouts of depression, and if you’ve ever dealt with that, it’s no fun. It’s no fun for you and its definitely no fun for loved ones, they tend to get the worst of it. 

“The ONLY way out is through”
 
Now the decision is easy. Change my thinking, create new habits, and stop making excuses. If I truly want the things I say I want, then hard things need to be done. 

What are you using as band-aids? Alcohol? Drugs? Food? Relationships? Exercise? Porn? Gossip? Social Media? World Situations?
 
Respond back and let me know. If I can help in anyway, I will. Also, sometimes it helps just to know you are not the only one and talking to someone can be super powerful.
 
*Disclaimer*
I’m not going to tell you what you want to hear, I’m going to tell you what you need to hear. Quit listening to the people who tell you this is just a “season”, the ones that let you get away with your bullshit excuses. They say this because they are afraid to hurt your feelings or even worse, it’s their way of justifying their own excuses or coping mechanisms. This advice is for the people who are ready for it. Those that just got butt hurt, I’m sorry, enjoy your “season”, winter is coming.
 
“The ONLY way out is through,
The only way through is TOGETHER.”
 
In Strength,

Eric Karls
CrossFit Conductor
Chief Awesomeness Engineer
CrossFit Level 3 Certified Trainer 
(859) 494-9119


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