It seems that it is not only athletic folk who deal with maintaining consistency and the pursuit of excellence. I've received emails from many different people from many different walks of life, telling me how these articles on excellence have affected them. There is certainly a common vein that exists in all of us. We want to excel. We want to be great. But no one ever tells us how. I truly believe that each of us has our own path to greatness, and it is impossible for anyone else to understand it. We can begin to grasp the idea or the notion, or see the accolades of our peers and appreciate those accomplishments, but we don't get to see what's at the true core of someone else. And we don't get to gauge how different or similar our thoughts and ambitions are.
Maybe we get to read some Tony Dungy book and hear a motivational story, but we weren't there for those billions of tiny victories that lead to his greatness. Those stories are ours, and ours alone. I can try to translate it into words, but my journey remains inside of me, just as your journey resides inside of you. You know where it is, and what it is. You know your calling. You hear it. But there are so many obstacles. Too many unknowns, uncertainties. You may have to take a leap to chase your dream. You may have to take a leap to figure out what your dream is. Maybe right now, that is your path. You must find your dream. Finding it may be the hardest part. But once you know it, and embrace it, and live it, and breath it; you are simply following your path. That's the easy part.
So now what?
Have you found your dream? Now you have to become excellent. You have to become excellent in every way. Every atom of you must exude it. This is how you shift, and re-position We are talking here of metamorphosis, in the truest sense. We are talking about letting out whatever greatness dwells inside of you. We are talking about tearing and ripping through layers of skin that were past versions of you. We are talking about splitting, emerging, and rebirth. We are talking about an entirely different life. A new life-force. A new outlook, perhaps. Whatever it is, it is new, and it is refreshing and potent. It is dangerous. It is scary, but beautiful and awe-inspiring all at once.
I've seen a glimpse of it. I've seen some distant version of me, living out my dreams and my destiny. I've already seen it, now I'm just chasing it down. I'm being excellent in every way that I can, knowing that my excellence will propel me toward that version of myself.
It's ok to look back at past versions of yourself too. In fact, it's essential. Whatever it was, five years ago ten years, last month, yesterday. Whoever that past version of you was at that particular moment is an opportunity to learn and grow. It is a holy glimpse at metamorphosis in action. Look back at your past mistakes and regrets. Pull them out of that dark corners of you memory. View every detail. Hear every sound. Extract it, relive it, and be done with it. Extract those good memories too, and experience them again. Let them rejuvenate you.
I remember hearing about some Buddhist way of thinking some years back. The idea was to let any thought, feeling, or emotion, penetrate you. Let it enter you. Hold it inside of you for as long as need be. Then let it pass through you. This mentality has saved my life. I'm a stubborn son of a bitch. I like to think of it as stoic, but let's call a spade a spade. I can hold a grudge from Wednesday to Armageddon. I can hold a curse for years and years. You know when you are being eaten up by some something. You feel it grow and fester inside of you. It is nothing short of a tumor. Let it enter. Experience the feeling or emotion. Then let it pass through you. Let it be done, and seek your next feeling or thought. This is how you evolve and keep moving forward. This is how you remain in motion, and not get stuck in some leeching black hole, that sucks your life force.
Watch the movie of your life, positives and negatives, from the past. View all these moments from prior versions of yourself, and let them penetrate you. Experience them, and then let them pass right through and let them fizzle off into space. Let go of any baggage you are holding on to. Be done with it. It's time.
My soul cleansing took place a couple years ago when I finally confronted the heaviest piece of luggage in my possession. My addiction to chewing tobacco was sucking away my life force. Looking at it now, that version of me was barely even there. I was hanging on by a tread somewhere inside, but it was just a shell of me, brittle and fading. I held that Demon inside of me for eleven years, far too long, and once I finally allowed it to penetrate me completely, and leave my body, I was given a glimpse of my true nature as a man. I saw the man I was at that time. And I saw the man that I knew I could be. Once I quit, and wasn't sitting around spitting brown juice into empty water bottles, I realized I had a lot of work to do, and had a long way to go until I became that final version of myself, that perfect version. It seemed like such a daunting task to even attempt a change of such magnitude. But slowly I learned to start knocking off small victories. Slowly I learned that the secret is to be excellent in every way that you can, and in every area.
This notion needs to be repeated daily so that you understand how vital this is, and how it is nothing short of magic when applied correctly. Start now. Start winning small victories with yourself. When that voice in your head is telling you to do something, and your body decides it doesn't want to, fight back! Go do it. You know you should do those dishes before you go bed. The old version of you lets it slide. "Do it tomorrow" it whispers. Win that small victory. Scrub a dub dub, get in there. You won. Start small. Make yourself go for that run. Make yourself do those pushups. No one really wants to, maybe because it is hard or maybe because it is boring. But if that voice is telling you to get off your ass, then you should probably listen.
Cook that healthy meal. Read that book you've been meaning to crack open. Start writing that story you thought of the other night. Go kiss your lover on the neck. Go say you're sorry. Go say I love you. Go apply for that job. Go do some research. Go make that phone call. Go get what you want. Quit smoking. Quit chewing. Slay whatever demon you've been carrying around. I promise life is so much better without it. You just have to have faith that it will be. Start chasing it down. It's the snowball effect. Once that avalanche is rolling down the mountain, it has the power to uproot even the thickest trees of fault and folly. It can reshape any landscape. It can save your life. Changing your way of thinking can save your life. It's the only way to save your life, as far as I'm concerned.
Start your change. Be excellent always. Start with the smallest victory. Win it, and keep it going.
I won victories today. Here some of them:
I woke up and the first thing I said was “thank you”. I said it out loud. I don't know who I was thanking, but I meant it. The second thing I said was “I'm going to be excellent today”. And I repeated this about a million times. I finally got around to shaving my head and my beard. I had been procrastinating for a few days. I was excellent at practice today. I cooked. I cleaned. I wrote. I didn't have a place to write. Doll was in the room watching Dance Moms. My roommate/teammate was in the living room strumming the guitar. I needed peace and quiet. The resistance came and whispered in my ear that I should just write tomorrow and watch some TV. Then my roommate asked me if I was going to watch the Presidential debate. I weighed my options in my head, knowing that I should write. If I want to be a writer, I have to write. I heard him say something about reptilians and double eyelids. I went to my dresser and put on wool socks, a wool Wisco flannel, sweatpants, and my winter hat. I went out on the patio and made my own office, under the stars, on a crisp October evening. I can't feel my fingers, but I feel excellent.
So now what?
Have you found your dream? Now you have to become excellent. You have to become excellent in every way. Every atom of you must exude it. This is how you shift, and re-position We are talking here of metamorphosis, in the truest sense. We are talking about letting out whatever greatness dwells inside of you. We are talking about tearing and ripping through layers of skin that were past versions of you. We are talking about splitting, emerging, and rebirth. We are talking about an entirely different life. A new life-force. A new outlook, perhaps. Whatever it is, it is new, and it is refreshing and potent. It is dangerous. It is scary, but beautiful and awe-inspiring all at once.
I've seen a glimpse of it. I've seen some distant version of me, living out my dreams and my destiny. I've already seen it, now I'm just chasing it down. I'm being excellent in every way that I can, knowing that my excellence will propel me toward that version of myself.
It's ok to look back at past versions of yourself too. In fact, it's essential. Whatever it was, five years ago ten years, last month, yesterday. Whoever that past version of you was at that particular moment is an opportunity to learn and grow. It is a holy glimpse at metamorphosis in action. Look back at your past mistakes and regrets. Pull them out of that dark corners of you memory. View every detail. Hear every sound. Extract it, relive it, and be done with it. Extract those good memories too, and experience them again. Let them rejuvenate you.
I remember hearing about some Buddhist way of thinking some years back. The idea was to let any thought, feeling, or emotion, penetrate you. Let it enter you. Hold it inside of you for as long as need be. Then let it pass through you. This mentality has saved my life. I'm a stubborn son of a bitch. I like to think of it as stoic, but let's call a spade a spade. I can hold a grudge from Wednesday to Armageddon. I can hold a curse for years and years. You know when you are being eaten up by some something. You feel it grow and fester inside of you. It is nothing short of a tumor. Let it enter. Experience the feeling or emotion. Then let it pass through you. Let it be done, and seek your next feeling or thought. This is how you evolve and keep moving forward. This is how you remain in motion, and not get stuck in some leeching black hole, that sucks your life force.
Watch the movie of your life, positives and negatives, from the past. View all these moments from prior versions of yourself, and let them penetrate you. Experience them, and then let them pass right through and let them fizzle off into space. Let go of any baggage you are holding on to. Be done with it. It's time.
My soul cleansing took place a couple years ago when I finally confronted the heaviest piece of luggage in my possession. My addiction to chewing tobacco was sucking away my life force. Looking at it now, that version of me was barely even there. I was hanging on by a tread somewhere inside, but it was just a shell of me, brittle and fading. I held that Demon inside of me for eleven years, far too long, and once I finally allowed it to penetrate me completely, and leave my body, I was given a glimpse of my true nature as a man. I saw the man I was at that time. And I saw the man that I knew I could be. Once I quit, and wasn't sitting around spitting brown juice into empty water bottles, I realized I had a lot of work to do, and had a long way to go until I became that final version of myself, that perfect version. It seemed like such a daunting task to even attempt a change of such magnitude. But slowly I learned to start knocking off small victories. Slowly I learned that the secret is to be excellent in every way that you can, and in every area.
This notion needs to be repeated daily so that you understand how vital this is, and how it is nothing short of magic when applied correctly. Start now. Start winning small victories with yourself. When that voice in your head is telling you to do something, and your body decides it doesn't want to, fight back! Go do it. You know you should do those dishes before you go bed. The old version of you lets it slide. "Do it tomorrow" it whispers. Win that small victory. Scrub a dub dub, get in there. You won. Start small. Make yourself go for that run. Make yourself do those pushups. No one really wants to, maybe because it is hard or maybe because it is boring. But if that voice is telling you to get off your ass, then you should probably listen.
Cook that healthy meal. Read that book you've been meaning to crack open. Start writing that story you thought of the other night. Go kiss your lover on the neck. Go say you're sorry. Go say I love you. Go apply for that job. Go do some research. Go make that phone call. Go get what you want. Quit smoking. Quit chewing. Slay whatever demon you've been carrying around. I promise life is so much better without it. You just have to have faith that it will be. Start chasing it down. It's the snowball effect. Once that avalanche is rolling down the mountain, it has the power to uproot even the thickest trees of fault and folly. It can reshape any landscape. It can save your life. Changing your way of thinking can save your life. It's the only way to save your life, as far as I'm concerned.
Start your change. Be excellent always. Start with the smallest victory. Win it, and keep it going.
I won victories today. Here some of them:
I woke up and the first thing I said was “thank you”. I said it out loud. I don't know who I was thanking, but I meant it. The second thing I said was “I'm going to be excellent today”. And I repeated this about a million times. I finally got around to shaving my head and my beard. I had been procrastinating for a few days. I was excellent at practice today. I cooked. I cleaned. I wrote. I didn't have a place to write. Doll was in the room watching Dance Moms. My roommate/teammate was in the living room strumming the guitar. I needed peace and quiet. The resistance came and whispered in my ear that I should just write tomorrow and watch some TV. Then my roommate asked me if I was going to watch the Presidential debate. I weighed my options in my head, knowing that I should write. If I want to be a writer, I have to write. I heard him say something about reptilians and double eyelids. I went to my dresser and put on wool socks, a wool Wisco flannel, sweatpants, and my winter hat. I went out on the patio and made my own office, under the stars, on a crisp October evening. I can't feel my fingers, but I feel excellent.
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