Defeat Yourself

Many of us are defeated before we’ve even begun. We’ve subconsciously placed ourselves in the losers' circle because of the habits we’ve developed over time. Everyday things that we’re doing which ultimately result in our demise. The "cheat day" for our diets that happens at least three times a week, the thing you've always wanted to do but not until you research it and decide it's too much work, or the trip we've always wanted to take but instead end up spending that money on the clothes and morning coffee instead.

It’s the smallest details that go unchanged and ensure that we will forever remain stagnant. Those who do change these seemingly insignificant things are the ones who become their ultimate self. Leaving the rest behind to make excuses as to why they never made it or why they never stood a chance. Forever blaming their surroundings and never themselves.

We are entirely at fault for our own failures and our own demise. To say otherwise is to put your life in someone or something else’s control. In turn, however, we are also at fault for our own success. We succeed because we have earned it. Because we have done our best every single day at taking the small necessary steps to complete the larger task at hand.

"But I could never do that. It's just not the way I am."

Bullshit.

It's because our preconceived notions of who we are outweigh who we can become. We've told ourselves time and time again what we're capable of and that we're too shy or just not able to push ourselves past that boundary. But what if we already were exactly what we wish to be? What if you already are the extroverted go-getter? I'm telling you right now, you are.

The only difference between you and the person you could be are the actions you are taking right now. If you started doing things differently, you could become who you can be. You would become your ultimate self if you took the risk, stopped eating the bad food, knew that you are already enough, and stopped wasting time and money on the things you know don't matter when it comes to your dreams.

"But where do I start?"

Start by doing the things you've always said you would. Remember your New Year's resolutions? They're still there. These resolutions are a perfect example of you dying to be a better you and just not quite following through.

The truth is, we all know what we SHOULD do. Yet we fall short in deciding that monetary pleasures are more significant than long term struggle and dedicated work. We've told ourselves time and time again "tomorrow," but have you ever thought that tomorrow may never come? The only time we have is right now. Tomorrow will soon become today. Tomorrow never really comes. All we have is this present moment. Present is the perfect word for it, too; it is truly a gift.

We are naive to think that we have so much time to "get around to it." Unexpected death is most commonly used in describing the physically deceased, but unexpected death also happens to our dreams, souls, and fulfillment. Unexpected death happens when you let your truest desires go unmet and un-worked for for so long that they soon die without our knowledge.

As we age, we witness others living out what should have been our lives and say "that could never have been mine." That is the moment our dreams have died. The fire has been put out. We will live with those smoldering embers for the rest of our lives, still holding potential to ignite a flame once more, but instead letting the cold around them take over. Now is your wake up call... it's time to pour some gasoline on that mother fucker and start a forest fire!

If you think for one moment that you are not capable of doing so, than you're not. There are people in worse situations than you who are working harder for their dreams than you have done a day in your life. There are so many examples of people who have reached their greatest lives that started out much lower. They didn't say "woe is me" or even think for a moment that they couldn't do it. They fed their flames every day until the whole world saw what they created. You can be your best self. But if you keep making the excuse to say that you're not capable, than you've already lost the battle.

If you never decide to play, you will never even be a contender in the game.