The Discipline of Desire, Beginner's Paradox, & More
Today at a Glance
- Question: The barriers within you.
- Quote: The discipline of desire.
- Framework: The Beginner's Paradox.
- Image: The courage to try.
- Story: The tigers and the strawberry.
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Question to shift your perspective:
What are the barriers within you that need to be broken?
This is one of my favorite passages from the ancient poet, Rumi:
"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."
It offers a powerful reframe:
The things you want in life will come to you, but only when you are ready for them.
We say we want these things, but then our internal dialogue, our stories, and our beliefs build barriers that prevent us from finding them.
We self-sabotage.
Sometimes the most powerful growth in life comes not from becoming the new, but from unbecoming the old.
What do you need to unbecome in order to become?
Quote on the importance of discipline:
"The discipline of desire is the background of character." — John Locke
Discipline is the ultimate act of service to your future self.
In 10 years, you'll either be paid for your actions in the present, or you'll pay for them.
Framework to uncover your potential:
The Beginner's Paradox
"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." - Zig Ziglar
I recently came across a cartoon that hit me hard...
My favorite line: "I think it will start poorly, but who knows how it will end."
I think of this as the Beginner's Paradox:
You have to start poorly to end well.
Every expert started out as a beginner.
The most successful people I know love the feeling of being an embarrassing beginner. They thrive on that feeling of newness. They love diving into something with a child-like curiosity. The beginner’s embarrassment is actually a positive signal.
Your entire life will change when you start to embrace that embarrassment of being a beginner. The only way to accomplish something meaningful is to endure days, weeks, months, or even years of embarrassing failure. Those who embrace that feeling of embarrassment will eventually win.
Remember: You have to start poorly to end well.
Reminder on having the courage to try:
A message we all need to hear...
Short story on embracing the sweetness:
I love this Zen parable:
A woman is being chased by a tiger.
She runs as fast as she can, but the tiger is catching up.
She comes to a cliff and sees some vines hanging over the edge, so she climbs down them, knowing that the tiger will not be able to follow.
She looks down and sees another tiger waiting for her if she falls. She looks up at the hungry tiger above and notices a small mouse gnawing away at the vine she is holding onto.
She looks ahead and sees a bunch of strawberries in front of her on the cliff face. She picks a strawberry, puts it in her mouth, and enjoys it thoroughly.
This is a (slightly dramatized) version of your life.
The future is always uncertain—filled with the large, scary tigers of impending doom, or the tiny, annoying mouse threatening to derail your plans.
But there is always joy to be found in the present—the sweetness of that perfectly placed strawberry.
A reminder going into the weekend: Find your strawberry, live in the present, embrace the sweetness.
You can deal with the tigers on Monday.
