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Nietzsche said:

“I know of no better life purpose than to perish in attempting the great and impossible. The fact that something seems impossible shouldn't be a reason to not pursue it, that's exactly what makes it worth pursuing. Where would the courage and greatness be if success was certain and there was no risk? The only true failure is shrinking away from life's challenges.”

In case you missed it, I recently posted a video on today's subject matter (you can watch here) that I'd like to expand on a bit.

I go into what happens to our muscles when we workout (we develop micro tears) and then what happens to them in the next couple of days (they build back bigger and stronger).

I used that as an analogy for life— because that’s precisely what life is about.

We face adversity (same thing our muscles face when we workout) and then we grow from it, we gain strength and resilience from our stresses and struggles.

What I didn’t dive into but I’d like to now is the the simple fact that there are also certain practices we must be partaking in so that our muscles can actually grow to the best of their ability.

For example, after your workout there is a small window you have to eat to begin the refueling process in order to give your body it’s best chances for optimal strength gainz and muscle growth. (That’s why I tell my clients the most important part of every workout has nothing to do with the actual workout itself but everything to do with what your post workout meal is— it needs to be consumed within 30-45 min post workout and must be high in protein)

You also have to get adequate sleep, you must drink plenty of water, continue to eat healthy, etc etc.

All these things go such a long way in determining just how conducive that workout will be to your goals. For optimal results you must be doing all the other things too.

Life is no different.

If you want to truly learn from and grow from your trials and tribulations then you must do the (behind the scenes) work!

YOU MUST FIRST:

1. 🧠Embrace a Growth Mindset: Believe in your ability to learn and grow from challenges. A growth mindset, as opposed to a fixed mindset, allows you to see difficulties not as insurmountable barriers but as opportunities for development. This one is critical and crucial for your growth.

2. 🪞Practice Reflection: Take time to reflect on the situation. What happened, why did it happen, and how did you respond? Reflection can provide insights into your strengths and areas for improvement. For you athletes out there, I like to refer to this specifically as “watching film” on yourself. You can never truly be fully self aware without self reflection and if you have no self awareness then how can you grow and improve?

3. 🤯Seek Learning Opportunities: Look for lessons within the adversity. Every challenge carries a seed of knowledge and growth. Identify what skills or knowledge could prevent a similar situation in the future or help you handle it more effectively.

4. 💪🏽Build Resilience: Develop your emotional and mental resilience by taking care of your physical and mental health, nurturing supportive relationships, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle.

5. 😎Adopt a Positive Attitude: Try to maintain a positive outlook. Positivity doesn't mean ignoring the difficulty of the situation, but it involves recognizing that adversity is temporary and believing in your ability to overcome it.

6. 📈Set Realistic Goals and Take Action: Break down the problem into manageable parts and set achievable goals for overcoming it. Taking proactive steps, even if they're small, can lead to significant progress over time.

7. 🤝Seek Support: Don't hesitate to reach out to friends, family, mentors, or professionals who can provide guidance, different perspectives, or emotional support.

8. 💙Be Patient and Persistent: Understand that growth is a process. It might take time to see the results of your efforts to learn and grow from adversity.

9. 💥Evaluate and Adjust: Regularly assess your progress. Be willing to adjust your strategies if something isn't working. Flexibility and adaptability are key to overcoming challenges.

Going back to Nietzsche’s quote, we mustn’t run from or hide from life’s challenges, nor should we run from that hard workout. That’s the only way to grow into the greatest version of yourself. Embrace it.

To really tie it all together, I'll leave you with a brilliant quote another brilliant(Stoic) philisopher, the great Roman Emporor Marcus Aurelius:

“Our actions may be impeded… but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

What stands in the way becomes the way. That tough ass workout you’re dreading IS the way to physical strength, that obstacle life just threw at you IS the way to your personal strength!

🔥Sometimes the only way around the fire is right through the fire!🔥

If you haven't yet, you MUST check out Ryan Holiday’s book, “The Obstacle Is The Way”. It was inspired by the above quote and I highly recommend every person who cares anything about anything should read it. So go read it!

Thanks again for reading!

And please never forget:

The key to true and long lasting self confidence resides in your ability to keep promises to yourself. READ THAT AGAIN!

Much love, mi gente!

- Mike O’Hara

PS

Thank you, again, for your continued love and support!

And as always,

YOUR FEEDBACK IS ALWAYS APPRECIATED:

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