Showing Up

Dear Journal,

I'm at a time in my life where life is easy. I'm single. I don't have any kids. I have a manageable, well-paying job, and I live with my parents. I have few responsibilities and no significant expenses besides my gym fees and student loans.

But I know that my life will not always be so easy. One day, I'll probably get married and have kids. One day, I'll lose my parents. The labor market will not always treat me and my skills so well. Unforeseen circumstances can take everything away from me.

So, today and every day, I have a choice. I can take it easy by spending my free time consuming media like video games, television, and movies. I can challenge myself by studying, working out, and practicing martial arts. I can find some balance in-between.

While I have an easy life, I choose to build my strength and resilience. I want to be physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as tough, capable, and confident as I can be. I want to believe that I can do and survive anything, so that I can decide what to do based on what is good rather than what I can or can't do.

There are few things in life where the work we put in has a direct impact on the results that we see. School, work, and relationships are not those things because they depend on other people. Studying, fitness, and martial arts, however, are some of those things. The more we show up and the more effort we put in, the better results we get. The more work we put in, the more we improve in all four dimensions, and the better we are.

I choose to show up every day so that I may be challenged, and so that I may grow stronger. The hardest part is showing up. Once I'm there, all I have to do is follow the routine, and it will take care of itself. I can trust the process to see progress. The progress will be there, even if it's small, but small progress is better than none, and it's often good enough because it compounds, like interest in a bank account.

I'm a little better today than I was yesterday. I'm much better today than I was six months ago. I'm way better than I was when I started. We can make the most of life by making the most of every day, and we do that by showing up.

Monday, 2024/02/19