You are not what you think

(Your thoughts).

You are not what you have.

(Your body or your possessions).

You are not what (you think) you belong to.

(Your family, your tribe or your community)

You, first and foremost, are an awareness.

(Very much like a beast in the wilderness)

You are an awareness that has two things at its disposal.

A mind, a powerful tool to think, analyze, plan and do other intellectual tasks. A tool to interact with the imagined reality created by other beings.

(An imagined reality like this post that you are reading.)

A body, to move physical objects, to interact with nature and the real (physical) world.

(Like your everyday activities)

When one trains, moves or performs a task, it is an expression.

In fact, any movement at its very basic level is an expression.

It is an expression of the mover (that is, the being performing the movement)

But what part of the mover is expressed?

It is one's intent (or motivation) for the movement that is expressed.

Hence, it is the intent that determines the quality of the expression.

It is the intent that determines "success" and "failure".

The intent is the deepest rooted source, that ultimately determines all qualities of the movement.

If one looks around they would notice that the intent for most is their drive, ambition and goals.

And if they dig deeper, they will notice that these "qualities" are either ...

Innately available to some "by default"

Or are the products of one's active thinking (thought process).

Why is that the case?

Is it because these two are the most "natural" way of going about things?

Or is it because "evolution" has made us these hyper-competitive beings that see no other way?

NO

It is because both of these are lauded by the society, culture and the "circle" one is surrounded with.

Society and culture have been hammering such lessons so deep into one's consciousness that the resultant "nurture" makes one totally forget their true nature.

On top of this when most professional and amateur athletes back these reasons on all kinds of media,

the innocence and purity present in one's true nature, are engulfed by the flames of a never-ending cycle.

The cycle of chasing goals, failing or achieving and then chasing again.

But why do almost all pursuits end up being like that?

Why cannot, for once, one see the cycle for what it is?

Why cannot, for once, one shine the light on to themselves?

Why cannot, for once, one not think of or for themselves, but see who they've become?

And why do the rare few, who miraculously find a way out and try to pull others out, mostly fail?

I don't know.

Perhaps this is how it has been. And how it will be.

Perhaps this why there are "Gave his all" and "Made it look easy" performances.

Perhaps this is why there are Winners and then there are Legends.

And perhaps everyone is repelled by the truths around modern training so much that they would rather live a life of escape, centered around lies.

Using your head to train or lift is like not training at all.

Leveraging your ego to approach your training is akin to being a slave throughout one's career.

Using planned PRs and other goals to fuel one's training is dramatically low-balling one's true potential.

And it invites unnecessary fear of failure, a higher risk of injury and emotional pain.

(All of which make for great post career memoirs, however!)

But what good is a best-seller memoir if one has to go through a tumultuous and painful career marred with emotional roller coasters and injuries?

So then, what is the intent that produces ultimate outcomes?

And what motivations allow for one to really express themselves with their training?

Let us take a look at nature ...

Ever see a gentle summer breeze caress the leaves of a tree on a fine warm day?

What's the intent behind it?

There is none. It's not done out of any desire to succeed or get high.

It is not done out of any sense of insecurity, duty or a fixed goal

Ever see a tornado uproot a massive tree?

Is there any raging desire or anger involved in that violent of an act?

(To the onlooker, it may look violent and devastating.)

Again, no, the answer is it is done for no reason.

Things happen in nature for no reason.

If in order to train one has to "sacrifice",

the relevance or need of that which is sacrificed, must be questioned.

If in order to train one needs a "reason",

one must further question that reason ...

Until one arrives at "no reason".

For when one pursues something for no reason, one has reached the source.

Because that behind which the intent is "no reason", is natural.

And that which is natural, is flawlessly expressed.

Every. Single. Time.

Thank you.