‘Nobody is born a warrior in exactly the same way that no one is born an average man. We make ourselves into one or the other.’ – Carlos Castaneda
Think of 3 famous names. Not infamous, but mainly positively famous people. I’m going to pick.. Nikola Tesla, Donald Trump, and Lance Armstrong. (These people are nearly polar opposites, and that’s intentional.) You’re probably asking what the hell a scientist, a business man, and an athlete have in common?
Good question.
None of them accepted what was normal. They all questioned the status quo and defied it. Their motivation for doing this isn’t important, but they all had the tenacity to stand up and say, ‘This is all just shit and I will achieve more’
Remember when Lord Kelvin said, 'Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.' Okay, probably not. Dude lived in 1985. But if he was still around, boy would he feel like the horses ass!
I’m guessing that, throughout their lives, people have told them that what they are doing is foolish. ‘No one has done that before, it’s impossible’ and had these men listened to the nay-sayers, then the nay-sayers would have been right.
The nay-sayers will always be there. Fuck them. They’ll still be telling you, ‘You’ll never do that,’ from the misery of their mediocre and complacent lives years after you’ve shown everyone that you’re not limited by their negativity.
Do you think any of these men, or any of the 3 people you’ve picked, are special in anyway? Right now, yes they are, because they have achieved a great deal, but before those achievements – Do you think Lance Armstrong was born with more muscles, guts, or determination than you?
I’d argue that he was not born with any special circumstances. The defining factor is that he refused to accept the normal path, and desired more from his life. So he reached out and grabbed it. I’m not saying that this is easy – far from easy. The normal path is ‘easy’ because it is well-beaten – the default choice of so many people. Heading out in your own direction and challenging the status quo is going to be the most difficult thing you will ever do.
But it’s fucking worth it.
'There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there.. A man must constantly exceed his level.' - Bruce Lee
So the question becomes, do you want more out of your life? If the answer is yes, then rely on that feeling you get when you think about your life of ass-kicking, name-taking, jaw-dropping excellence when you are faced with adversity. Rely on that when you feel overwhelmed by a challenge. Rely on that when someone tells you that what you’re trying to accomplish is impossible.
Few things are truly impossible – the problem is that no one has had the grit to give it a try.
Will you continue along the easy, normal path – or will you choose to kick ass, blow minds, and create a life that people tell stories about?
The only obstacle is you.
What normalcies are you defying and refusing to accept? Inspire us with your stories!
Featured image provided courtesy of Shinez. I had to get a photo of some sick seung fei toi (double toe kick for those who do not understand Mandarin) cause to train kung fu hard enough to get this kick looking that good, you’ve got to be a damn warrior!
