- Sep 20, 2021
- 3 min read
"Life is internal conflicts masquerading as external conflicts."
Embrace the Within.
If you’re spending a lot of time struggling with external conflicts, then you’re ignoring the real work you need to accomplish. External conflicts aren’t going to get you any closer to your goal. The internal conflicts, the self ownership, the personal responsibility, the embrace of the within . . . Working on you is the only important change you’re going to make.
Sure, it would be great to change the world. It’s more important to change your world first. Live the life you want to live and then live that example. You can’t talk about something you’re not doing and facilitate change.
Yesterday I talked about folks walking around showing their BUTs. I had a lot of BUTs to deal with on this journey. A lot of my BUTs had to do with what I thought I wanted out of my life. It was much easier to talk about being free than it was to put in the work. It was much easier to pretend I was healthy than actually getting healthy. It was much easier to read philosophy and theory about how life should work than going out and living the life I wanted. And it’s still true. I dropped out of a lot of things I thought were important for getting me free because they weren’t.
I thought it was important to argue my beliefs. I don’t argue with people anymore. I can quickly assess that my thoughts are not important to them. I can quickly assess that they aren’t ready to be free. I can quickly assess that they are comfortable with where they are. I can quickly assess they are content in living with their BUTs.
I used to think it was my job to fix their BUTs. You have undoubtedly seen past conversations of me trying to do just that. And that was a waste of my time that I will never get back and I will never fall into again. I was trying to use an external conflict to spark an internal conflict in a person that wasn’t ready to change. There is absolutely no point in that. This is why I walk away from explaining or arguing on social media or in conversation. It’s not that I agree with most people, it’s just that I can’t help anyone that doesn’t want the help. I am still open to dialogue and conversations but I’m done with trying to save people.
Folks need to start saving themselves. And it all starts with knowing you want to change.
So, if you want to change. If you want to be better today than you were yesterday, know you’re not alone. There are very few of us surrounded by folks that just wash, rinse, and repeat. Folks that do the same thing every day and get the same thing every day. Folks that are content.
But, if that’s not you, then know I’m cheering you on. I have your back in this. If you need a word or fifty of encouragement, then I am there for you. I want to help you be better too. I don’t have to have the same goal. I don’t have to have the same journey. But I understand what it means to want something more. I understand what it is to work on being better every day. I understand your perspective on change.
Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.