Thoughts to Ponder:

"No great thing is created suddenly." ~ Epictetus

There is a saying that it "takes 10 years to become an overnight success." There's a lot of truth to that, and perhaps something misleading as well. Perhaps it doesn't always and literally take 10 years, but you still have to do the work regardless of the time it takes.

I recently published an article discussing the "10,000 hours to mastery" principle that addresses this type of thing in the context of jiu jitsu. Even when it seems like "the stars aligned" or "lightning struck (twice)"; I am not convinced of coincidences, luck, or magic. Nevertheless, when opportunity and preparation collide many will call it just that, luck.

"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate." ~ Carl Jung

At a bio / neurological level, our conscious mind only retains a fraction of what the data that is passively (pre/unconsciously) perceived by our senses. With that the body keeps score, and the heart always knows what the mind tries to protect itself from.

What's more is that there is exponential amplification of these forces when we interact with another person; and obviously orders of magnitude more in groups of people. At any rate, we should take heed of our non-negotiables. The things we "just don't buy" or "just can't believe" are in all likelihood the very things that are holding us back from being better humans.

What's On My Mind:

I got a kick-start planning my goals and things I want to accomplish in 2022; not wanting to wait until the first, and wanting to already having a plan in place. That said, I was at a gathering with friends that reminded me to, not necessarily "slow down", but to make sure I'm enjoying the ride. Mindfulness and / or presence isn't really the issue, but remembering to allow space for perspective to develop (and sometimes change) can be.

Always looking for how you can push yourself to the "next level" (in whatever facet you'd like) with relentless discipline, of course, has many benefits. Though, that precise focus and the energy to do so, implies it's narrowing. In other words, you may be accomplishing great things, but missing other great things as well.

Savage Zen Athletics

Unconscious Luck and Perspective