If I had a dollar for the number of times I’ve been referred to as crazy, I could’ve visited every place in the world by now.
Here’s the thing, I’m a curious and obsessed person.
The best way to explain what obsession is, it’s like passion on steroids. Everyone thinks you’re crazy but this is the differentiating factor. I wanted to master and excel how far I could push myself for a cause greater than myself and teaching what I’ve learned along the way, which meant going to the utmost limit.
When you start thinking and ask more Why? questions, it’s likely your creativity will increase. It’s as if your brain begins tapping into unknown areas that will increase your fascination with everything. Who knows, you could be only a couple questions away from discovering a newfound love in an area you hadn’t considered before.
That’s what happened to me. It’s how I discovered my devotion to endurance for a greater cause and my obsession with resilience.
In 2014, I came across the lowest point in life, it was rock-bottom and I hit the ground bloody hard. It took some time to dig out of that rabbit hole, and once I surfaced to a brighter point, I promised myself to never go down that path ever again. I centred everything around on bettering myself to the point I could be the lighthouse to anyone struggling I’d meet along the journey. Pushing the limits for other people by impelling my mind and body and surpassing to greater extents. This created novelty with the uniqueness to create funds and/ or awareness for various causes.
Before I knew it, I had purpose and obsession to serve others, helping them become mentally stronger. This was a win-win.
The key to habit-building is to start small or it’ll feel overwhelming. Once you’re in a rhythm, you can maintain consistency and you’ll likely meet other like-minded folks.
YOUR VIBE ATTRACTS YOUR TRIBE
Known to many as the law of attraction, the brain will filter out any irrelevancy. That brand new car you bought? You’ll see it everywhere you go. When you become a parent for the first time, you’ll be attracted to other mums and dads.
I had a real glimpse of this during my rehabilitation process when I started running as therapy to get my health back on track. At first, it was a lonely feeling, but before I knew it, I met other runners, especially ones running for the similar reasons. This was my first true taste of immersion. It was such a pure feeling.
One thing led to another, marathons became 100-mile ultramarathons. The plan wasn’t to become a figure in the sport, it was to push myself for a greater cause. Not to mention the suitcase full of weight that shed off during this period.
There are millions of people like yourself who want what’s best for them and to transform their lives for the future. Ironically, we are running from our demons to propel us to the end. A 26-mile marathon may sound like a long time to be on your feet, but trust me, the adversity you’ve been through in life was way worse.
OVERCOMING THE DARK TIMES
If you’ve ever experienced the loss of job, a parent’s divorce, a relationship breakup, or a drug relapse, then you know can be very dark times. So, why not use those tough times to drive you through those mental and physical walls? I’d like you to realize that your past may have been a traumatic time, but if you can push through that situation, then completing something like a marathon is nothing in retrospect.
Unintentionally, I’ve acquired this no-excuses attitude to face fear straight on, but in a way, I’m not abashed from the process. If anything, it kind of gets me excited. Yes, every journey starts from somewhere; mine was rock-bottom. I didn’t let it get to me and I got on with what I needed to do to keep striving. I’m talking about a relentless mindset.
Tim Grover explicitly explains this in his book, Relentless. He states the distinguishing factor between a hall-of-fame player and a great player is their mindset and discipline. There’s a reason why Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time—because he dominated the sport.
If you learn to be a little more obsessed and curious, I can attest it will give you an advantage in standing out.
Enjoy.
Tofe