The Adventurous Mind

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    The Power of Discipline: A Journey from Hedonism to Growth

    “I don’t feel like I missed anything as I pursued my dream. Rather, it’s my era of freedom and fun that I feel like I missed out on something.”

    A Tale of Two Eras

    1. The Dream Chaser

    I have lived two very different lives. One was filled with passion, intensity, dream-chasing, friendship, adventure, discipline, and enthusiasm. The other was filled with hedonism, parties, alcohol, escapism, lack of responsibility, and “fun”.

    When I was a young man, starting my freshman year at the University of Alabama, I was more disciplined and focused than I have ever been in my life. Out of the ether, a dream was placed in front of me, and I gave my all in that pursuit. I say that with no doubts.

    During that pursuit, I sacrificed many things. I gave up nights out with friends and indulgent foods. I gave up comfort and pleasure. My time was spent working out, often twice each day. I studied hard too, even reading my chemistry textbook on Saturday morning before football games because I was struggling in the class. I was on that grind, and I loved it. I loved it. Instead of going to the bars with my friends, I worked out. Instead of drinking, I studied at the library. Only once I had sufficiently put in the work I needed to do would I allow myself to have fun and let loose with my friends. And then that fun was earned.

    2. The Pleasure Seeker

    A few years went by. I tore my ACL. I got a girlfriend. Covid hit and I drank a lot. In a word, I got comfortable.

    For years, I partied every night I could. I drank to oblivion constantly. I stopped working out as hard. Online classes no longer required me to study as much. I ran away from any commitment. I graduated and lost my grip on reality. All I wanted was to escape from the world and live in comfort and pleasure.

    Looking back on this, I am saddened to see how far I let myself fall. But this period holds a goldmine of information.

    Between these two periods of my life, which do I look back on more fondly?

    Without a doubt, the disciplined and focused era.

    This is interesting though. Because in the second era, I was still having fun. Actually, I was having more fun than I had ever had before in my life. Parties, alcohol, freedom, and no responsibility. And yet, I was miserable.

    The disciplined and focused era is marked by memories of joy, laughter, love, relationships, adventure, and excitement. During this time, I gained so much self-respect. That then overflowed into all other areas of my life. It was a beautiful thing to witness.

    FOMO Is a Lie:

    Here’s the big takeaway from this study of two eras. During my era of hard work and sacrifice, I didn’t care about anything that I was supposedly “missing out on”. Even looking back on that time, I don’t feel like I missed anything as I pursued my dream. Rather, it’s my era of freedom and fun that I feel like I missed out on something.

    When I was fully and completely pursuing my best, the sacrifices were towards a higher goal, which made everything worth it. When I no longer made those sacrifices, and enjoyed pleasure and comfort, I lost all sense of meaning and life enjoyment, even though I was having more “fun” on paper.

    What I Wish I Could Tell My Younger Self:

    If I could go back, this is what I would tell myself during my era of hedonism and escapism.

    “You don’t need more freedom. You don’t need more fun. Life isn’t about parties. Nor is it about escaping responsibility. What you need is discipline. Discipline in pursuit of a dream.”

    “What you need is to sacrifice pleasure and embrace growth, even if it might be painful. Work when you don’t feel like working. Abstain when you don’t feel like abstaining. Get control over your body and mind once more. Stop running away from the world. Stop escaping into your vices of food, alcohol, porn, and video games. The life you’re looking for is found on the path of hard-work and sacrifice… not on the path of parties and pleasure.”

    “You think that by giving up life’s comforts, experiences, and pleasures, that you will miss out on the world. You think that by sacrificing your freedom to do anything, you will feel as if you’re being left out.”

    “But that’s wrong. You won’t ever regret sacrificing the things that are holding you back. Those momentary pleasures pass by in an instant. What lasts is the results that come from your discipline and sacrifice. What lasts is your confidence and self-respect that stem from your strength and hard work. That’s the wellspring of life. Not ease and comfort, but struggle and striving.”

    Beyond External Validation: The Internal Journey for Life

    It’s not about achievement. It’s not about external success. What I care about is finding that part of me that is alive each day. I care about reintegrating that piece of me that makes things happen. That pushes the envelope. That doesn’t escape from the world. I want to feed the part of me that lives deeply in the world, not the part of me which wears an inauthentic mask for the world to praise.

                The chasing of outward validation and success leads to self-doubt, loss of purpose, low confidence, and internal fragmentation. I desire to turn my gaze inward and overcome that self-doubt. I want to rediscover my manhood. I’d like to push forth into this world, boldly and courageously. I thought that I needed outward success to do this, but I remembered something…

                I remembered that the best years of my life came at a point when I had zero accomplishments to boast of. Instead of relying on outward validation for my confidence, I focused internally on my personality and set myself an impossible goal which I kept secret to myself. I made myself strong through focus, discipline, and consistent hard work. I turned myself into the strongest, most resilient, confident, inspiring, daring, adventurous, leader personality possible.

                At some point, I lost sight of what was actually important. I began to chase after worldly success, money, parties, and recognition from others, thinking that this would provide me with a return to who I once was at my best. I had forgotten that the deepest well of living water came from the internal pursuit. No matter what I achieved, what money I made, places I traveled to, businesses I started, etc. I never returned to the way I experienced life during my Golden Era.

                Life is not a waiting game, and yet, that is what I have been doing. I wait for Life to happen to me. Even when I make big changes, there is still something so passive about the way I live. I don’t extend. I don’t reach. I don’t challenge myself. I used to face my fears. I used to risk rejection. I used to lead others and inspire action. I ignited adventures. But somewhere along the way, I stopped lighting the world ablaze. I became distracted and lost my way.

                What must I do to return to that deep, deep life that I once lived? I must focus on the internal pursuit, regardless of external achievement. For me, I struggle with discipline the most. My weak side prefers hedonistic whims over hard work which sets me up for success. In order to change, I must hold myself to a standard. I must force myself to do things I may not want to in the moment, such as going to the gym after a long day of work, or even just working a full-time job, day in and day out.

                For years, I ran away from a full-time job. I still catch myself running away at times, but right now, a job like that is what I need. It forces me to be disciplined. It trains me in the art of hard work, doing that which I would rather not do. It hardens my mind and makes me confident. I find pride in myself, not because of the job itself, but because of the work I have done by grinding at the job day in and day out.

                In order to grow, I must humble myself and do the work. I must grow internally, hardening my mind and becoming strong enough to work consistently on something I may not want to. Even writing this is an example. I would rather watch a YouTube video now, but I’m making myself write this, and because of that, I will grow and view myself as someone stronger than I once was.

                This is how my confidence will return. This is how success will come my way. This is how I will better connect in my relationships. This is how I will impress a girl. This is how I grow closer to God.

    Discipline. Holding myself to a higher standard… and seriously hold myself to it. Not 6 days out of the week. Every day.

    The Journey of True Adventure: Commitment to Your Dream

    What is a true adventure? True adventure is the pursuit of something with no guaranteed outcome. The chasing of a dream, not knowing whether success or failure awaits. True adventure says…

    “I am going to give this everything I have. I will commit to following this path to its completion. I don’t know what lies at the end of this path, nor what will happen along the way, but there is no plan B. I know full well the unlikelihood of achieving my dream, but no matter. This is the path I have chosen to follow.”

    Ups and Downs of Adventure

    Adventure is then everything that happens along the way of that pursuit. It’s true adventure because no one knows what will happen. There’s no guarantee of success. Each day is spent striving forward, towards something that you have chosen. Towards something that you want.

    What is worth giving your all for? What is worth surrendering your plans and your security? What ultimate dream is worth the sacrifice of every other easier thing you know you could accomplish? What is worth that blind leap of faith?

    When you find the answer to these questions, sacrifice all else for the pursuit of that dream. Become all that you can be. Push yourself to be disciplined in the chase. Grind every day. Don’t take your foot off the gas pedal.

    Become obsessed.

    Adventure Requires Sacrifice

    Allow yourself to be fully swept away by the pursuit of your adventurous dream.

    This is no joke. It’s your life, and an adventure like this takes work. Don’t wake up 30 years from now with regret.

    To taste true adventure… you must martyr yourself to your dream.

    No matter the odds of success. No matter how unlikely it is to achieve. The magic of the dream itself lies in the chase, not in its attainment.

    Did I Choose the Wrong Dream?

    When the question of “should I have pursued something different?” arises, you can know that you are following the right path simply because it is what you chose to follow. It’s the right path because you made the decision to follow it. You chose it.

    And you have to choose something.

    You can’t bounce from thing to thing, doing whatever sounds fun and putting in poor quality work. No. That’s not true adventure. Adventure takes work. Putting in half-assed effort is weakness and a sign of running away from responsibility.

    That’s not chasing a dream. That’s not pursuing an adventure.

    Deciding to Follow an Adventure

    The time has come to decide on a path and follow it to its completion. When hiking a mountain, you choose one mountain to climb. If you bounce from trail to trail, and mountain to mountain, you get nowhere.

    You gain nothing unless you commit yourself to one path, regardless of its outcome.

    Only after following a path to its very end can you pack up with pride and return to follow another path. Only after reaching either a summit or a dead-end, can you then pursue the next adventure.

    I hope you find your adventure. And when you do, I hope you commit to it. I hope you chase after it with everything you have. That’s where the magic of life is. Genuinely.

    Let me know what you’re chasing right now! I’d love to hear what incredible adventures and dreams everyone has!

    Climbing the Mountain of Potential: The Holy Peak

    We are meant to expand to the very limit of our capabilities. In so doing, we reach upward, towards the divine.

    Who We Are Meant to Be

    It is my belief that each of us, at our core, has an ultimate potential that sits in front of us like a mountain to be climbed. Most people remain comfortably in the valley, living out their lives without ever pushing themselves beyond their easy life. Most people never dare to ascend the mountain, and in so doing, never discover who they really are. This is a terrible thing. The ascension of the mountain… the pursuit of the peak… is the purpose of life.

                We weren’t sent to this world to merely live comfortably and die. We weren’t sent to this world to remain in the valley with everyone else. We were sent here to become great… in order to discover what we are capable of. How do we do this? To start, we have to push ourselves. We must leave the valley of comfort and begin the ascent up the mountain, the mountain that is our greatest self.

    The Meaning of the Mountain

                What lies at the peak of said mountain? An image of ourselves at our absolute best. That angelic version of ourselves stands at the mountain’s peak, staring down at us, asking us to please make the ascent in order for that version of us to be made manifest in the world. For that ultimate version of us to become real.

                What does it mean to climb the mountain? To climb the mountain means to develop. To push ourselves and fill out our capabilities. In other words, we must train. We must train our bodies, minds, and spirits to be as strong and well developed as they can be. This takes a certain kind of discipline. The kind of discipline that enables us to forgo our desires for pleasure and comfort, and instead replace our vices with acts that make us greater.

    Actionable Steps to Climb Upwards

                Physical training. Pushing our bodies to the utmost every day. Changing what we eat to fuel our bodies with clean energy. Abstaining from drugs and alcohol. Abstaining from self-gratification, porn, and hook-ups. Abstaining from video games, tv screens, and getting lost scrolling through social media. In place of these comfortable fillers, read books about new topics. Study history, religion, philosophy, art, etc. Build a business. Improve at speaking and writing. Commit to creating a work, like a book, song, or piece of art. Chase down a dream.

    What Lies at the Peak of Potential? God Himself

                As we cut out the negative parts of life, and replace them with the training of our bodies, growth of our minds, and expansion of our spirits, we climb ever closer to that great summit. That peak of potential that calls us forth, begging us to discover who we could be if we gave our all. I think this is what each of us is meant to do in this world. We are meant to expand to the very limit of our capabilities. In so doing, we reach upward, towards the divine. Because perhaps what God is, is the ephemeral version of us at our very peak of potential that looks down at us from the mountaintop, judging our every action, guiding us forth along the path that makes us greater. When we pray, the answers we get are the answers that bring us closer to the full development of ourselves. It’s as if we are receiving answers from our ultimate selves, calling us ever upwards and ever closer.

                What is the peak of potential? It is the Kingdom of God. Eternal paradise. At the peak, we unite with divinity. We become one with God.

    Are you ready? Will you climb the mountain?

    Shed Your Skin: Reclaiming a Joyful Life By Removing Bad Habits

    And in that void I shall fill my time with habits that give my life an eternal flame. New habits that give me joy and excitement each day when I wake up.

    Habits of adventure. Habits of laughter. Habits of play. To be filled with excitement each day… that is my dream.

    Life Feels Different Than It Once Did

                For years now, I have felt as if life isn’t what it once was. It feels different. It feels emptier. As if the fire that once filled my heart has been put out, and the inspired look in my eye as I gazed upon the future has disappeared. I’m sure many of you feel the same.

    This is dreadful. How can I possibly accept this as my life from now on? How could it be that I peaked in life when I was only 20 years old? Is it just supposed to be all downhill from here?

    No. I refuse for that to be the case. But how can I return to the way life once felt? To the joy and intensity that once filled my life?

    This is an internal war. A war that’s not decided by external circumstances, but rather by overcoming myself in the pursuit of a better version of me. A version of me which I once was, but no longer embody.

    I have realized that over the past 5 years, I have developed certain habits that have inflicted damage upon the joyful and exuberant experience of life I once had. If I am to return to that deep well of vibrant, joyful life, I must address these negative habits and turn away from them. In other words… I must shed my skin.

    Destructive Habits Become Your Life

    Why do I say that I must shed my skin? Because these habits have become a part of me. They have ingrained themselves in my daily life, to the point where they are my life. These habits keep me from living deeply in the world. In order to move forward and change, I must rid myself of these destructive habits I once clung to.

    What are these habits which I developed over the past 5 years? What has held me back from the glorious experience of life which I once had? To name a few…

    • Video games
    • Binge drinking
    • Excessive tv shows and movies
    • Doom scrolling on social media
    • Overthinking and living in my head
    • Watching porn instead of chasing a real life girl
    • Spending way too much time shut away in my room
    • Watching an excessive amount of motivational videos

    These habits led me to an isolated experience of life. I withdrew from the world. I stopped pushing forward. I no longer met interesting people. I lost confidence in myself. I accepted mediocrity and gave myself permission to be less than I could be. I comforted myself with self-pity and pleasure. I stagnated, and down the path of stagnation lies destruction.

    Rebirth: A Return to Life’s Former Glory

    In order to overcome this numb existence, and return to the way of life I once had, I must rid myself of these destructive habits and replace them with life. Simply giving them up isn’t enough. I must fill the void with something, and that something must be in the pursuit of life at its most vibrant. I want to fill my life with experiences that chase after joy and love, depth and discovery, freedom and friendship. I want to spend my days laughing again. I want to feel emotions deeply once more. I don’t want to be numb any longer. I want to take risks and be daring. I want to go outside and LIVE!

    Back when my life was at its best, I lived in such a way that made me alive. I hardly played video games. I never lost myself doom scrolling on social media. Instead, I spent time with my friends. I dined with my family. I went to school and pushed my mind. I played sports and pushed my body. I explored new places. I built things. I took risks. I crashed weddings, snuck into movies, went pool-hopping, and lived deeply in this world. I didn’t rot away in my room.

    In the years since 2020, I have chased after all the wrong things and paid the price. My vibrant experience of life has been lost. But no longer. The time for change has come. It’s time to shed my skin and return to the person I am at my core. It’s time to move forward and let go of what has been holding me back. And in that void I shall fill my time with habits that give my life an eternal flame. New habits that give me joy and excitement each day when I wake up. Habits of adventure. Habits of laughter. Habits of play. To be filled with excitement each day… that is my dream.

    If I focus on living fully each day, could this become the best year of my life?

    Thank you for reading! Do you have anything you’d like to add? I’d love to hear what you think or what habits you’re incorporating into your life.

    Creating Life From Zero: Lessons from Blue Lock

                “A striker is someone who turns nothing into something.”

    Creating Soccer from Zero:

    I recently started watching the surprisingly good anime, Blue Lock. In an early episode of the anime, the mastermind, Jinpachi Ego, had everyone attempt to “create soccer from zero”. With the introduction of the rule where the highest scorer on the team would pass to the next selection regardless of team losses, the soccer pitch became utter chaos as each player began thinking only of themselves and their own goals. Chaos is the key word here. Without any order, soccer was reduced to “zero”. In this state, soccer no longer existed.

    In this state of Zero, nothing moves forward. There is no progress to be made or growth to be experienced. In this state of non-being, it takes something anomalous to break through and make a change. It requires something external to be added to the chaos.

    In the case of Blue Lock, this external anomaly was Shoei Barou and his singular goal at the start of the match. Suddenly, Barou’s team was able to organize around him and multiply the number of goals he scored. They were no longer creating soccer from zero, they were realizing their potential on the field of Blue Lock.

    Life Change Comes From a Single Spark

    This applies to life beyond soccer though. Right this instant, we’re living lives of complacency, stuck in the routine of who we’ve always been. We’re at zero. At the beginning of any pursuit however, we start at zero. We all have dreams; goals that lift our eyes above the mundane and boring world, yet we don’t chase them. Why?

    Because we’re at zero, and turning zero into one is the most difficult step. It’s so tough because it requires something extra. It requires the initial surge of effort that gets the ball rolling. Something must be added from the Ether, seemingly from nowhere. But as we discover in Blue Lock, as soon as that first spark appears, 1 can then multiply into 2, then 2 into 4, and so on. It’s the single spark that starts a flame, a flame grows into a fire, and a fire into an unstoppable inferno.

    This is the key to changing our lives, and Blue Lock is trying to tell us that. If we feel stuck in life, constantly trapped in the same routine with no end in sight, it’s up to our minds to provide that initial spark. We are required to be that anomalous addition that turns zero into one. Reality won’t provide it for us. We must change who we are with a massive surge of effort that pushes us onto an upward path, out of the pit where we have lain dormant and comfortable. By transcending our normal selves, by shedding the skin of who we’ve always been, we can turn nothing into something. We can make our lives into something amazing.

    Igniting Exponential Growth

    What Shoei Barou did in Blue Lock was ignite momentum. His goal was the initial surge that pushed the team and freed them from stagnation. As they unified around Barou’s success, the team as a whole became better, defeating Isagi’s team with ease. Barou’s goal was a catalyst for growth. With a spark like that, a team can grow from zero, to 10, even to 100.

    The same principle applies to a human life. If we are able to create something from nothing, using a surge of effort and discipline, our lives can begin to level up exponentially. We start at where we are now… at zero. But with conscious effort and a disciplined mind, our lives can become exponentially better.

    Decide on a dream to chase. Start training in the gym. Eat healthier. Improve social skills. Act confidently. Abstain from lust and pornography. Spend time writing and journaling. Cut out distractions like tv and social media. Stop wasting so much time on video games. Go on adventures and explore outdoors. Spend time with friends. Have meaningful conversations with family. Get a job and make money. Study and focus on grades. Dress nicer and look better. Get better at talking to girls. Practice a skill like a new instrument, sport, or language. Spend time with God and aim to remove sin. Read books and chase passions.

    If we work towards these ideals, how much would our lives improve in a year? We would be unrecognizable. And our growth wouldn’t be one-dimensional either. We would elevate in mind, body, and spirit. Our relationships would improve. Our futures would open up. Opportunities would present themselves. We would be filled with self-respect and confidence. Others would look to us for leadership and guidance. All in all, we would level up and become a version of ourselves we never thought possible.

    Listen to the wisdom of Blue Lock, and aim to emulate Barou’s anomalous goal. Turn zero into one. Be someone who can create something out of nothing. That’s what our greatest selves long for us to accomplish.

    Let me know how this relates to you and what turning zero to one looks like in your own life! If you haven’t watched Blue Lock, I would strongly recommend giving it a try. On the surface, Blue Lock is about soccer, but it goes far deeper than that and each lesson can be applied to life and striving towards our highest selves. Wishing you the best of luck in each of your pursuits! Aim high and don’t look back.

    The Magic of Ambition: Why Impossible Dreams Inspire Us

    “But the ideas and goals that lay on the outskirts of my capabilities, on the fringe of my potential, and on the edge of my imagination… these are the impossible dreams that fill life with magic.”

    What Is A Dream? What Makes A Goal Worth Staking Your Life On?

                For years, I have thought relentlessly about these questions. I know what it’s like to be filled with a dream. It’s similar to how I would describe a possession. A beautiful and wonderful possession. The feeling of being consumed by a burning passion and enthusiasm for some higher ideal is perhaps the greatest feeling known to mankind. But not everyone experiences this.

                Dreams are tricky. They are extraordinarily valuable and thus are exceedingly rare. If a dream is crushed, it becomes very difficult to find another. Finding a dream by searching for one is basically impossible. I believe that it’s not us who necessarily discovers a dream, but rather the dream which reveals itself to us. They whisper quietly, on the very edge of our awareness.

    What I’ve Learned From My Own Dreams

                In my life, there have only been a couple of genuine dreams that have possessed me. Here’s what I’ve found. My most foundational dreams are always things that seem impossible. Chasing after an impossible dream is the thing that fills me with the most enthusiasm. An impossible dream is the thing that makes life most worth living. The reason for this is that the impossibility of the goal forces me to become something more than I’ve ever been… or grow into something greater than I ever dared to think possible.

                At one point in my life, I chased the dream of playing football at the University of Alabama. Now I’m chasing the pipe dream of playing soccer professionally, even though I’ve never played competitively in my life. It’s this chase of something out of reach that drives me. It’s what inspires me. An impossible goal makes life worthy of a story. These seemingly out of reach ambitions are what make me excited for each day. They fill me with inspiration when my alarm goes off in the morning. I can only describe it as feeling like I’m a character within a story that’s being written. Overflowing with purpose.

    Aim Above What’s Easy

    If a goal is within my reach, it lacks fire. It lacks depth and passion. Who needs ambition and motivation for a goal that is easily achieved? There’s no growth in that pursuit. There’s no inspiration either. If it doesn’t require all of me, then I will never be motivated to expend the energy required to attain it. If it doesn’t require me to be greater, then it’s not a dream. It’s a lie. It’s fake. It’s a lure that will lead me away from my true dream and potential greatness.

    Traveling is within my reach, so it will never be my dream. Running a small business or working a cool job is within my reach, so they will never fill me with passion and inner fire. Simply dating a pretty girl is something I’m capable of and thus will never resonate with my soul in the way that a true impossible dream will. But the ideas and goals that lay on the outskirts of my capabilities, on the fringe of my potential, and on the edge of my imagination… these are the impossible dreams that fill life with magic. These are what turn life into a story filled with meaning and symbolism, depth and inner fire, purpose and passion.

    So what is your Impossible Dream? What is the thing that lights you up inside and provides your life with purpose? I’d love to hear what story you’re living and how it fills your life with meaning.

    Like this post if you got something out of it and subscribe if you want to read more! I talk about life purpose and chasing down our highest potential. Peace!

    How I Learned To Listen For God’s Calling In My Life

    “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will, but to do the will of him who sent me.”

    John 6:38

    What Does God Want From Me?

    I often struggle to decipher what God’s will is for my life. In today’s world, there are thousands of life paths that I could pursue. Does God want me to go back to school? Start a business? Travel? Move to a different city? Get married? How do I know what God wants for me? And how do I make sure that I’m not following my own flippant desires?

    The answer surprised me.

    God’s will for my life is not going to be something that I hate. His will isn’t going to be something that depletes me of joy or energy. His will should resonate with my heart and light me up inside. His path for me will ignite a passionate fire within me and fill me with enthusiasm.

    The word ‘enthusiasm’ literally means to be filled with the spirit of God.

    Filtering Out Distraction

    My issue for the longest time was that I wasn’t listening for God’s call. Instead, I filled my time chasing anything and everything that glimmered to me. For years, I kept myself utterly distracted. With constant stimulation, I never sat still and listened. I never listened for that still, small voice.

    That voice, His call, comes from deep within me. It’s felt as a deep desire that resonates with my soul. It’s felt as something that I want desperately and would sacrifice my hedonic pleasures to reach. I’m unable to hear this call if I’m distracted by the world though. If I’m living in sin, I can’t feel the tug on my heart. I have to purify myself. I have to quiet my world, remove distraction, and listen intentionally for the call to rise up.

    Through prayer and meditation, I’m able to distinguish between my own whims and the desire of Him of sent me.

    God’s Will Vs My Whims

    God’s will for me is one that calls me forward. His will demands growth and will be uncomfortable… but the journey will be so incredibly worth it. His call will fill my life with an eternal flame. His will is the thing that excites me at my very core. His will is the future that molds me into my highest potential.

    My own will is one that keeps me stagnating in comfort. It demands nothing from me. Rather, it entices me to be less than I am, or could be. I desire to get drunk and play video games every night, but a year of this and I’m filled with self-loathing and a lack of self-respect.

    God’s will for me is to get out of bed. My desire is to go back to sleep. God wants me to wake up. I want to remain unconscious. God wants me to write. I want to watch tv. God wants me to train. I want to scroll on social media. God wants me to find my girl. I want to watch porn.

    In order to hear God’s purpose for my life, I must remove the distractions from my life and do what I can to turn from sin. When life gets quiet, I am able to feel that poignant tug on my heart. The tug that can only be described as from God.

    When I feel this tug, what should I do? Drop everything, and go.

    What do you think God’s will is for you? I’d love to hear how this post might relate to your experience. Have you felt this tug on your heart?

    The Power of Time: Where Will You Be in a Year?

    Where It Began

    In college, I created a version of me that was beyond what I knew I was capable of. I was incredibly disciplined. I studied for hours everyday. I trained in the gym 5 times a week and trained for football. I was social, yet not distracted. I was the life of the party, but never allowed it to interfere with my goals. I had dreams which I chased passionately with my entire heart. During this time, I felt like I was the main character… the one Reality itself was watching.

    However, after tearing my ACL and getting a girlfriend, I stopped pushing myself to be my best. I accepted mediocrity. I didn’t work as hard as I could, didn’t focus on my diet enough, didn’t try to make new friends. I drank to much. I succumbed to lust. I had glimpsed my potential, but for some reason I stopped chasing it. This version of myself, of my mediocrity, was disgusting to me. I had no dream to chase… no vision of the future to pursue.

    For years, I considered myself a shell of the man I once was. I could not find my spark. I stumbled and wandered, searching half-heartedly for the fire that once consumed my soul. Instead of finding the fire, I drowned my soul in worldly stimulation and sedatives like alcohol, social media, parties, porn, and other distractions. I traveled and bounced from place to place, seemingly living an amazing life, but actually I was just running away from responsibility.

    I began to recognize that the spark would return during times where I sacrificed for a greater vision. My fire burned again when I was chasing an inspiring goal… one that resonated with me. If I didn’t have a vision of the future I was working towards, then I saw myself drift back into the habits that drowned the inner spark that made life so enjoyable.

    The Devil at the Crossroads

    Recently, I started working at a new job. It’s a lot to learn and has proven to be very challenging for me. It’s not necessarily a job that I enjoy either. When I first started, I had a moment of dread. I felt stuck already in a job/life that I didn’t want to be in. I saw myself hating the next 40 years of work as I saved up enough for retirement. I feared that this job would swallow me up and consume my fire forever.

    But then I spoke with my mom.

    She told me that this year will pass no matter what. The time will go by, whether I spend it productively or waste it away. So where will I be one year from now? What will my life look like when the time inevitably passes?

    Will I waste this year, doing the bear minimum at my job? Will I allow my spirit to atrophy because I never push myself? Will I continue to eat junk and drink as much as I please? Will I continue to succumb to those worldly sedatives, never working towards a great vision of the future?

    Or will I take this year and become someone unrecognizable? Will I find a dream for the future and chase after it with my whole heart? Will I rigidly stick to a healthy diet? Will I sacrifice things like alcohol, parties, and porn? Will I spend my free time writing and building this blog? Will I train at soccer and see just how good I could be? All of this, even when I’m tired and don’t want to? Will I take this year and suffer the overnight shifts that lie ahead of me? Will I build my money, grow in confidence, work on my social skills, and practice my leadership and charisma?

    These are two very different possibilities for my future. It’s very important to look at them both, understanding that this year will pass by no matter what. It’s passing by right now, this very minute.

    I can either stay where I have been these past 5 years, comfortable and numb, or I can shed my skin, transcend my past self, and grow to heights beyond my imagination through discipline and sacrifice. With intense dedication, I could even surpass my previous prime, and then my world really opens up.

    My Dream for the Future

    I allowed this message from my mom to sink in. It really hit home with me. It allowed me to breathe. I realized that I could take this year and grind. I could work towards a vision of the future. A future that would require all of my time and energy outside of work. Even if I don’t like the job that I have now, I won’t be here forever… not if I spend this time wisely.

    Through rigid discipline, sacrifice, and transcendent focus, I can build myself a new life… a magnificent life. Come the end of this year, I could set myself on a mythic path. A life of meaning. A trail of dreams.

    It won’t be easy. This will require a complete shift in my life. I can no longer do the things I once enjoyed doing. No more video games. No more drinking. No more chasing girls and hedonic pleasure. No more sleeping in and staying up late. My dreams are worth more than these things. The future rewards awaiting me at the end of this year, or 3 years, or 10 years, will be so incredibly worth the sacrifices demanded.

    As long as my vision of the future is inspiring and charged with purpose and emotion, I will sacrifice to become all that I can be. I’ve already begun down this path, and I know in my heart it’s the right path to follow. My fire has finally returned to me. I can once again burn brightly in this world.

    I’d love to hear what you think about this. Where do you plan on being in a year? What will you sacrifice this year in order to grow?

    My Thrilling Montserrat Adventure: Hiking and Running Down the Mountain

    A couple of years ago, my family and I ventured to Europe and spent 9 days exploring France and Spain together. While in Barcelona, we took a quick day trip to visit Montserrat and the monastery that sits at the peak of the mountain.

    Upon arrival, we took a cable car to get to the top of the mountain (if you’re not fond of heights, this would not have been enjoyable for you). Once we made it to the top, we were all in high spirits. We ate a good lunch at the dining hall, basked beneath the beauty of the monastery, took in the surrounding views, and ended our excursion with a delicious mango gelato.

    At this point, our train back to Barcelona was leaving in one hour, and my family was making plans to return via the cable car. I had different plans.

    I desired a challenge. So, I devised an ingenious plan to hike down… sorry… to run down the mountain. I had exactly one hour to make it down Montserrat and to the train station before our train left without me. I didn’t waver for a second.

    With adrenaline pumping through my veins, I began my trek downwards. The hike itself was stunning. I descended down jagged rock edges and rigid stairways. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. It felt like something out of a movie. I was running down a mountain in Spain, living freely, surrounded by immense beauty, with excitement in my chest not knowing whether or not I was going to make it down in time… nor what would happen if I missed the train.

    The clock continued to tick, but out in the distance, I saw the train station growing ever closer. With 15 minutes left, I really started to kick it into high gear. I ran along the dry dirt path and finally made it to the road in the valley. With cars flying past me, I continued to run at race pace along the side of the road. I had 7 minutes before the train, and my family, left me behind.

    I rounded the corner, and there at the end, the train station lay in waiting with open arms. I took off. I sprinted to it, clambered up the stairs, and with 2 minutes remaining, I reunited with my family. They didn’t think I was going to make it.

    The train showed up exactly 2 minutes later and we all boarded together. I felt a little bad for them though, because they then had to sit next to me for the entire ride back to Barcelona, and I was a tad sweaty by that point.

    If you’re interested in experiencing what this was like, I documented this hike and uploaded it to YouTube. Here’s the video.