So, after a long break away from blogging, I've finally decided to get my shit together and start writing again. This time it will be at my very own domain, which means I'll be saying goodbye to this particular blog (but fear not, for it will continue in pretty much the same way over at the new domain!).
So if you want to keep reading this blog, you can now find it over at www.MathiasOstlund.com!
Peace!
/Matt
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Settling For Better-Than-Average Results
As my long journey to the other side of the world has finally come to an end, it's time to start a brand new phase of my life. And it's about time - over the course of these last eight months, I've let myself go quite a bit; it's been almost half a year since I last visited a gym, and even longer since I picked up a non-fiction book for an educational purpose. I'm in worse shape than I've been for years.
But my problems didn't start with this trip - my progress was already being halted by complacency way before that. Although I was in what most people would consider good shape back then, I wasn't seeing any progress. I thought that since I was already more fit than most people, there was no need to put in the effort to improve further. I was simply settling for being better than average, and this was keeping me from even coming close to reaching my full potential and becoming awesome.
Set-backs can get You Moving Again
Sometimes, if you're stuck, you might need a slight setback to get you moving again. In the past, I was in really good shape, and saw no real need for improvement. Naturally, this led me to be complacent, putting in no effort to improve what was already working for me. Sure, I was in good shape - but I wasn't moving forwards, and I was making no progress, even though I had the potential to become way better than I was. I had become stagnant in my training.
Therefore, realizing that I've fallen behind on my progress isn't necessarily a bad thing - it just gives me the chance to start over with renewed force. Seeing clear evidence that I am now in a worse place than I was before has really opened my eyes to what needs to be done. I know that I am capable of so much more than this, and I know that improvement is definitely possible. I will no longer settle for a better-than-average situation, but instead aim to keep improving until I've reached my full potential.
For me, this will be the turning point where I stop settling for anything less than my very best, and over the next couple of months, I will work hard to return to, and surpass, the level of fitness I had eight months ago.
To awesomeness!
But my problems didn't start with this trip - my progress was already being halted by complacency way before that. Although I was in what most people would consider good shape back then, I wasn't seeing any progress. I thought that since I was already more fit than most people, there was no need to put in the effort to improve further. I was simply settling for being better than average, and this was keeping me from even coming close to reaching my full potential and becoming awesome.
Set-backs can get You Moving Again
Sometimes, if you're stuck, you might need a slight setback to get you moving again. In the past, I was in really good shape, and saw no real need for improvement. Naturally, this led me to be complacent, putting in no effort to improve what was already working for me. Sure, I was in good shape - but I wasn't moving forwards, and I was making no progress, even though I had the potential to become way better than I was. I had become stagnant in my training.
Therefore, realizing that I've fallen behind on my progress isn't necessarily a bad thing - it just gives me the chance to start over with renewed force. Seeing clear evidence that I am now in a worse place than I was before has really opened my eyes to what needs to be done. I know that I am capable of so much more than this, and I know that improvement is definitely possible. I will no longer settle for a better-than-average situation, but instead aim to keep improving until I've reached my full potential.
For me, this will be the turning point where I stop settling for anything less than my very best, and over the next couple of months, I will work hard to return to, and surpass, the level of fitness I had eight months ago.
To awesomeness!
Return of the Prodigal Son!
As you may have noticed, there has been a slight absence of new posts on this blog as of late (read: nothing at all in 8 months).
The reason behind it is that roughly 8 months ago, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to have a little more adventures for a while. I wanted a big change; something new that I'd never experienced before. So what did I do? I packed up some clothes and some hiking gear, grabbed my passport and bought a one-way ticket to the other side of the world.
Since then, I've been living the backpacker life. I've spent the last 7 months hitchhiking from place to place, carrying all my belongings on my back, never stopping at one place for any longer than a few days. And while this has been the best time of my life, bringing with it some amazing experiences and teaching me invaluable lessons, it had to come to an end at some point; namely last week, when I decided to return home after more than half a year in self-imposed exile.
Back in Business
Now that I've come back to "reality", it's time to get things rolling again - starting with this blog!
Attachment Leads to The Dark Side
"Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose." ~ Yoda
So I was watching Star Wars recently, and as the little green guy we've all come to love was giving his speech about how attachment is a direct path to the dark side, I realized that he has a point. Okay, so maybe we won't all turn into an evil sith lord for being too attached to things, but he still has a valid point; attachment can lead to quite a lot of suffering and despair if not treated the right way.
Attachment Stands in The Way of Progress
Attachment to people and things can be a great part of life, but when taken too far, it can easily get in the way of progress. If you're too attached to everything you have now, how will you ever be able to change things for the better?
You see, in order for any change or progress to happen, you will have to let go of something else. Be it a habit that you have to rid yourself of, a relationship, or even your home city or country (as is the case for me), you must be able to let it go if it stands in the way of your progress. And the more attached you are to those things, the harder it will be to let it go and make room for the new things in your life.
Attachment Will Lead to Pain and Suffering
Attachment to the things around you isn't just dangerous to your progress in life - it will undoubtedly lead to a great deal of pain and suffering as well. You may not realize it now, but sooner or later, you will lose something you're attached to - and the more attached you are to that thing, the harder it will hit you.
Do you have something in your life which you could never see yourself living without? Most of us do. Be it a partner, a friend or a job, this kind of attachment is dangerous - because what would happen if you were to lose whatever it is you're so attached to? You'd probably be devastated. And in the process of developing your awesomeness, that's a very dangerous thing to be.
So how do you make sure you won't be completely devastated when disaster strikes and you lose something you're attached to? Well, fortunately, Star Wars has the answer:
Mentally Prepare Yourself to Lose What You're Afraid to Lose
So how do you make yourself less attached to something, or someone, without risking to lose your feelings for it? Well, the Jedi (Yes, we're back to the Star Wars analogy) actually present a great way of doing just that, as Yoda so finely explains: Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.
In order to rid yourself of your attachments and fear of loss, you should condition yourself to mentally let go of the things you fear to lose. For example: Say that you're terrified of losing your partner; the very thought of it makes your stomach cringe. Instead of obsessing over it, and being excessively clingy, you should mentally prepare yourself for the event of losing that person.
Envision yourself experiencing the break-up - imagine how you'd feel, and what it would be like. Then imagine what life would be like a week, a month or even a year after that. Life would go on, wouldn't it? The world wouldn't end because of it, and you'd recover from your loss.
I'm not saying that you should devalue your relationship though - you should still cherish everything you hold dear. But by doing this exercise with anything you feel overly attached to, you will train yourself to be able to let it go, should it be required. This will lead to two great things; 1. You'll get peace of mind, and won't be too driven by the fear of loss, and 2: Your world won't end if/when you are forced to part with the thing/person you're attached to.
Of course, I'm not saying you shouldn't allow yourself to be attached to anything, or anyone, in life - a life without attachment would be a cold and empty one. But in order to reach your full potential in life, you must take back control of your emotions and control what you're attached to, and the strength of that attachment. Over-attachment, and attachment to the wrong things will only hinder your progress in life, and cause you a great deal of pain and suffering.
So I was watching Star Wars recently, and as the little green guy we've all come to love was giving his speech about how attachment is a direct path to the dark side, I realized that he has a point. Okay, so maybe we won't all turn into an evil sith lord for being too attached to things, but he still has a valid point; attachment can lead to quite a lot of suffering and despair if not treated the right way.
Attachment Stands in The Way of Progress
Attachment to people and things can be a great part of life, but when taken too far, it can easily get in the way of progress. If you're too attached to everything you have now, how will you ever be able to change things for the better?
You see, in order for any change or progress to happen, you will have to let go of something else. Be it a habit that you have to rid yourself of, a relationship, or even your home city or country (as is the case for me), you must be able to let it go if it stands in the way of your progress. And the more attached you are to those things, the harder it will be to let it go and make room for the new things in your life.
Attachment Will Lead to Pain and Suffering
Attachment to the things around you isn't just dangerous to your progress in life - it will undoubtedly lead to a great deal of pain and suffering as well. You may not realize it now, but sooner or later, you will lose something you're attached to - and the more attached you are to that thing, the harder it will hit you.
Do you have something in your life which you could never see yourself living without? Most of us do. Be it a partner, a friend or a job, this kind of attachment is dangerous - because what would happen if you were to lose whatever it is you're so attached to? You'd probably be devastated. And in the process of developing your awesomeness, that's a very dangerous thing to be.
So how do you make sure you won't be completely devastated when disaster strikes and you lose something you're attached to? Well, fortunately, Star Wars has the answer:
Mentally Prepare Yourself to Lose What You're Afraid to Lose
So how do you make yourself less attached to something, or someone, without risking to lose your feelings for it? Well, the Jedi (Yes, we're back to the Star Wars analogy) actually present a great way of doing just that, as Yoda so finely explains: Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.
In order to rid yourself of your attachments and fear of loss, you should condition yourself to mentally let go of the things you fear to lose. For example: Say that you're terrified of losing your partner; the very thought of it makes your stomach cringe. Instead of obsessing over it, and being excessively clingy, you should mentally prepare yourself for the event of losing that person.
Envision yourself experiencing the break-up - imagine how you'd feel, and what it would be like. Then imagine what life would be like a week, a month or even a year after that. Life would go on, wouldn't it? The world wouldn't end because of it, and you'd recover from your loss.
I'm not saying that you should devalue your relationship though - you should still cherish everything you hold dear. But by doing this exercise with anything you feel overly attached to, you will train yourself to be able to let it go, should it be required. This will lead to two great things; 1. You'll get peace of mind, and won't be too driven by the fear of loss, and 2: Your world won't end if/when you are forced to part with the thing/person you're attached to.
Of course, I'm not saying you shouldn't allow yourself to be attached to anything, or anyone, in life - a life without attachment would be a cold and empty one. But in order to reach your full potential in life, you must take back control of your emotions and control what you're attached to, and the strength of that attachment. Over-attachment, and attachment to the wrong things will only hinder your progress in life, and cause you a great deal of pain and suffering.
The 5 Biggest Threats to Your Awesomeness
Developing your awesomeness can be quite difficult at times. Countless things will try to get in your way, and you have to power through them all if you want to reach your full potential. And although most of these obstacles are easily overcome, there are those who pose a serious threat to your awesomeness.
These are five things that pose some of the greatest threats when it comes to developing your awesomeness.
#5 - Unoptimized Intake of Information
The rate at which you can take in and process information is crucial to your progress in awesomeness.
It's simple: the faster you can take in information, the faster you can learn and grow. Therefore, it is essential that you optimize your intake of information in every way you can.
And since the main way we all take in new information is through reading, we ought to make sure that our reading speed and comprehension rates are as high as possible, right? Well, as obvious as that may sound, most people don't seem to realize this, seeing how most people stop developing their reading speed at the age of twelve, and remain at that level for the rest of their lives.
With just a little time devoted to learning Speed Reading (and by little, I mean a couple of hours, tops) most people are able to at least triple their reading speed. Seems like a pretty fair deal to me, once you consider how much time you'd be saving every day if you tripled the speed at which you read.
#4 - The Desire to Quit
One of the greatest obstacles to your awesomeness is definitely your will to quit. It will always be there when taking on something big, or something difficult. Whenever you're working hard on developing your awesomeness, there will always be that annoying temptation to just quit and go on with your mundane life.
This, obviously, is a great threat to your awesomeness - one slip-up, and you could find yourself having quit forever. Therefore, it's important that you find a way to quench that little voice that tells you to quit. You need to find a way to resist the temptation of doing nothing instead of evolving. Be it through discipline or raising your motivation, you must find a way to avoid quitting.
#3 - Accepting The Morals of Society
Society has its own set of morals, which are viewed by most people as the "right morals". Therefore, most people share them - and condemn those who do not. And while most of these morals serve to keep our species alive and prosperous, a lot of them can (and will) stand in the way of your awesomeness. For instance, most people have the notion that it is never okay to break the rules or cheat on anything, even if doing so would cause no harm to anyone and could really help propel you in life.
That is why you need to question each of your moral values that may stand in your way and ask yourself if they are truly your values, or just society's imprint on you.
#2 - Settling, and Being Content
I don't care what those Buddhist monks say - an essential part of our awesomeness comes from our desire to have more - to constantly improve. Without it, we would simply see no personal growth at all. Being content with things the way they are is pretty much the same as giving up, or quitting. If we're not constantly improving, we won't get anywhere in life.
Being satisfied with the way things are, leaning back and accepting a comfortable life is the first step to failure in this world. If you're content with the way things are, you will never reach the full potential of your awesomeness.
#1 - Poor Self-Discipline
I've covered the importance of discipline before, and how it is the cornerstone of all awesomeness. Therefore, I believe it comes as no surprise that it sits undisputed at the top of this list.
Self-discipline is a must for anyone trying to develop their awesomeness - without it, any personal improvement will be slow and scarce. You need self-discipline to stay on course, remain committed to the cause and withstand all the hardship that comes with developing an awesome lifestyle.
These are some of the biggest threats to awesomeness out there. However, if you manage to push past these obstacles, there will be very little that can stand in your way of becoming as awesome as you desire.
So what are you waiting for? Start tearing down these obstacles now!
These are five things that pose some of the greatest threats when it comes to developing your awesomeness.
#5 - Unoptimized Intake of Information
The rate at which you can take in and process information is crucial to your progress in awesomeness.
It's simple: the faster you can take in information, the faster you can learn and grow. Therefore, it is essential that you optimize your intake of information in every way you can.
And since the main way we all take in new information is through reading, we ought to make sure that our reading speed and comprehension rates are as high as possible, right? Well, as obvious as that may sound, most people don't seem to realize this, seeing how most people stop developing their reading speed at the age of twelve, and remain at that level for the rest of their lives.
With just a little time devoted to learning Speed Reading (and by little, I mean a couple of hours, tops) most people are able to at least triple their reading speed. Seems like a pretty fair deal to me, once you consider how much time you'd be saving every day if you tripled the speed at which you read.
#4 - The Desire to Quit
One of the greatest obstacles to your awesomeness is definitely your will to quit. It will always be there when taking on something big, or something difficult. Whenever you're working hard on developing your awesomeness, there will always be that annoying temptation to just quit and go on with your mundane life.
This, obviously, is a great threat to your awesomeness - one slip-up, and you could find yourself having quit forever. Therefore, it's important that you find a way to quench that little voice that tells you to quit. You need to find a way to resist the temptation of doing nothing instead of evolving. Be it through discipline or raising your motivation, you must find a way to avoid quitting.
#3 - Accepting The Morals of Society
Society has its own set of morals, which are viewed by most people as the "right morals". Therefore, most people share them - and condemn those who do not. And while most of these morals serve to keep our species alive and prosperous, a lot of them can (and will) stand in the way of your awesomeness. For instance, most people have the notion that it is never okay to break the rules or cheat on anything, even if doing so would cause no harm to anyone and could really help propel you in life.
That is why you need to question each of your moral values that may stand in your way and ask yourself if they are truly your values, or just society's imprint on you.
#2 - Settling, and Being Content
I don't care what those Buddhist monks say - an essential part of our awesomeness comes from our desire to have more - to constantly improve. Without it, we would simply see no personal growth at all. Being content with things the way they are is pretty much the same as giving up, or quitting. If we're not constantly improving, we won't get anywhere in life.
Being satisfied with the way things are, leaning back and accepting a comfortable life is the first step to failure in this world. If you're content with the way things are, you will never reach the full potential of your awesomeness.
#1 - Poor Self-Discipline
I've covered the importance of discipline before, and how it is the cornerstone of all awesomeness. Therefore, I believe it comes as no surprise that it sits undisputed at the top of this list.
Self-discipline is a must for anyone trying to develop their awesomeness - without it, any personal improvement will be slow and scarce. You need self-discipline to stay on course, remain committed to the cause and withstand all the hardship that comes with developing an awesome lifestyle.
These are some of the biggest threats to awesomeness out there. However, if you manage to push past these obstacles, there will be very little that can stand in your way of becoming as awesome as you desire.
So what are you waiting for? Start tearing down these obstacles now!
The Difference Between "Man's law" and "God's law"
There is no such thing as the perfect legal system. No matter how much we try to perfect it, there will always be flaws with it. Some laws that serve to protect us in certain cases may serve no purpose, and can even be harmful to us, in others. Other laws may just be plain stupid in most circumstances.
Granted, most of our legal system is based on our existing morals that are there for a reason (like how it's wrong to murder innocent people), but then there are those laws that only seem to have a negative impact in a lot of cases, or are just plain stupid. These laws are what I'd like to call "Man's laws".
Laws in different situations
Surely you have had a moment when the law has stood in your way for no apparent reason other than to piss you off. For instance, it is illegal to run a red light, even if you're out in the middle of nowhere and have a clear view of the road for miles in all directions. Breaking this kind of law would have no negative impact on anyone, ever, and the only reason you follow it is because it's the law. Another example would be when the law stands in the way of doing what is morally right.
As mentioned, a lot of laws only serve a purpose in certain situations, and to certain people. That's why, in a situation of doubt, we need to ask ourselves if the law really serves a real purpose in that situation, or if it's there simply for the point of it being the law. If following the law serves no good to anyone in your situation, and breaking it would do no harm, then what is the point of you following it?
"Man's laws" Vs. "God's laws"
In addition to this, you also need to realize that all laws are not equal. Just blindly following every single law will leave you crippled in some situations in life, and you need to accept that in your lifetime, you will probably have to break several laws. We all do, whether we mean to or not - there are just so many minor laws that everyone breaks without even realizing it.
But what's important to keep in mind is that there are higher laws, and lower laws (or "God's laws" and "Man's laws", as someone colorfully addressed it). For instance, we all feel that some crimes are just horrible to commit, like murder, or personal theft. Those laws would be part of the "higher laws". Mostly, those crimes tend to be harmful to other people.
Then we have the lower laws, which are mainly there to keep people, and society, under control. Such laws include taxation laws and behavioral laws (like how it's forbidden to smoke in most public places these days). A lot of these will limit our freedom, and prevent us from doing what we want in life.
So when it comes to doing our best in following the law, we must realize that not all of "Man's laws" make sense at all times. Unlike the higher laws, these can't, and shouldn't, be followed blindly in every situation.
Is it ever okay to break the law?
Blindly following the rules and laws of society like a well-trained dog seems like a given to a lot of people, but there are times when stepping over the boundaries of the law might be okay, and perhaps even necessary. Although a lot of this must be determined by your own morals, there are some key questions to be considered when in doubt about the law:
Sure, a puppet of society would argue that the law is the law and must always be obeyed - But as a free thinker, you have to ask yourself Why would you blindly follow the law in question? Is it because your own moral tells you to, or is it simply because you don't want to risk being penalized for breaking it?
Granted, most of our legal system is based on our existing morals that are there for a reason (like how it's wrong to murder innocent people), but then there are those laws that only seem to have a negative impact in a lot of cases, or are just plain stupid. These laws are what I'd like to call "Man's laws".
Laws in different situations
Surely you have had a moment when the law has stood in your way for no apparent reason other than to piss you off. For instance, it is illegal to run a red light, even if you're out in the middle of nowhere and have a clear view of the road for miles in all directions. Breaking this kind of law would have no negative impact on anyone, ever, and the only reason you follow it is because it's the law. Another example would be when the law stands in the way of doing what is morally right.
As mentioned, a lot of laws only serve a purpose in certain situations, and to certain people. That's why, in a situation of doubt, we need to ask ourselves if the law really serves a real purpose in that situation, or if it's there simply for the point of it being the law. If following the law serves no good to anyone in your situation, and breaking it would do no harm, then what is the point of you following it?
"Man's laws" Vs. "God's laws"
In addition to this, you also need to realize that all laws are not equal. Just blindly following every single law will leave you crippled in some situations in life, and you need to accept that in your lifetime, you will probably have to break several laws. We all do, whether we mean to or not - there are just so many minor laws that everyone breaks without even realizing it.
But what's important to keep in mind is that there are higher laws, and lower laws (or "God's laws" and "Man's laws", as someone colorfully addressed it). For instance, we all feel that some crimes are just horrible to commit, like murder, or personal theft. Those laws would be part of the "higher laws". Mostly, those crimes tend to be harmful to other people.
Then we have the lower laws, which are mainly there to keep people, and society, under control. Such laws include taxation laws and behavioral laws (like how it's forbidden to smoke in most public places these days). A lot of these will limit our freedom, and prevent us from doing what we want in life.
So when it comes to doing our best in following the law, we must realize that not all of "Man's laws" make sense at all times. Unlike the higher laws, these can't, and shouldn't, be followed blindly in every situation.
Is it ever okay to break the law?
Blindly following the rules and laws of society like a well-trained dog seems like a given to a lot of people, but there are times when stepping over the boundaries of the law might be okay, and perhaps even necessary. Although a lot of this must be determined by your own morals, there are some key questions to be considered when in doubt about the law:
- Would breaking the law be more beneficial than following it?
- Would breaking the law do any harm to yourself or anyone else?
- Would you follow the law because of a real reason, or simply because you don't want to be punished for breaking it?
- Is the law in question stupid?
Sure, a puppet of society would argue that the law is the law and must always be obeyed - But as a free thinker, you have to ask yourself Why would you blindly follow the law in question? Is it because your own moral tells you to, or is it simply because you don't want to risk being penalized for breaking it?
Reaching Your Maximum Potential Vs. Settling With Being Average
In the modern world we live in, we tend to measure our success by comparing ourselves to others. Whether it's about our ability to throw a football or the number of digits in our salary, we can't help but base our sense of success on how well we're doing in comparison to other people.
And while this may be beneficial in some cases (such as if you are as competitive as myself), it can be a really bad thing in most cases. You see, society today instills the idea that being average is good enough, and is what we should aim for - no matter how high our maximum potential could take us. We see the average level as the goal, and once we've reached that level, there is no need to climb any higher. As long as we're not worse than everyone else, everything is fine.
And I suppose that's a legit way of looking at life - If you're content with being another faceless nobody in the crowd, that is. If you want to amount to something and excel at life, however, you need to completely change the way you compare your own success to the masses.
Not being bad does NOT equal being good
Most people are satisfied as long as they don't stand out from the masses in a bad way - so much so that they don't even care about standing out in a good way either. They believe that as long as they aren't worse than other people at something, they're good enough, and let it go.
This kind of thinking is great for the mindless worker drones of society. It keeps the masses in line, and makes sure they don't rise above their lot. But for those of us who aim higher, and want to achieve something of significance in life, this is a very dangerous way to think. It hinders any kind of advancement above the average level, and makes it so much more difficult to excel at something.
Only by realizing that being average is not the same as being good can we shed our lives of mediocrity, and reach for our full potential.
Always strive to improve
In order to stand out from the crowd, you must keep going even when you've climbed higher than most people. Simply thinking "But I'm already better at this than the others, there is no need for me to improve any further" will prevent you from reaching anywhere near your full potential. Sure, you might be slightly better than everyone else at something, but why settle for that if you could reach even higher? Why settle for being good, when you can be great?
Ask yourself if you're currently living up to your full potential, or if you've lowered your standards to fit in with the average level of the masses. Are you living life at your very best, or are you holding back your A-game?
And while this may be beneficial in some cases (such as if you are as competitive as myself), it can be a really bad thing in most cases. You see, society today instills the idea that being average is good enough, and is what we should aim for - no matter how high our maximum potential could take us. We see the average level as the goal, and once we've reached that level, there is no need to climb any higher. As long as we're not worse than everyone else, everything is fine.
And I suppose that's a legit way of looking at life - If you're content with being another faceless nobody in the crowd, that is. If you want to amount to something and excel at life, however, you need to completely change the way you compare your own success to the masses.
Not being bad does NOT equal being good
Most people are satisfied as long as they don't stand out from the masses in a bad way - so much so that they don't even care about standing out in a good way either. They believe that as long as they aren't worse than other people at something, they're good enough, and let it go.
This kind of thinking is great for the mindless worker drones of society. It keeps the masses in line, and makes sure they don't rise above their lot. But for those of us who aim higher, and want to achieve something of significance in life, this is a very dangerous way to think. It hinders any kind of advancement above the average level, and makes it so much more difficult to excel at something.
Only by realizing that being average is not the same as being good can we shed our lives of mediocrity, and reach for our full potential.
Always strive to improve
In order to stand out from the crowd, you must keep going even when you've climbed higher than most people. Simply thinking "But I'm already better at this than the others, there is no need for me to improve any further" will prevent you from reaching anywhere near your full potential. Sure, you might be slightly better than everyone else at something, but why settle for that if you could reach even higher? Why settle for being good, when you can be great?
Ask yourself if you're currently living up to your full potential, or if you've lowered your standards to fit in with the average level of the masses. Are you living life at your very best, or are you holding back your A-game?
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