The Strongest Version of Yourself.

“If everybody was satisfied with himself there would be no heroes.” – Mark Twain

I’ve recently learned a great lesson. Satisfaction is completely in my hands.

I’ve spent a lot of my life being hypocritical. I am consistently annoyed by people who base their life’s worth on what their life means to other people. Yet, I too found myself concerned with gaining acceptance and approval. All to often I measured my progress by comparing myself to others, and in a sense idolizing others. However, my successes and failures did not affect these people; they only affected me. Furthermore, my picture of success was skewed. It was not drawn by me, but in the reflection of what others had done or were doing. I could not give myself a sense of worthiness, I needed it to come from the mouth or actions of another. In acting this way I was never fulfilled. I was constantly moving towards something that did not exist. As a result my many successes had no positive impact on my life, or my self esteem.

Stop looking for approval from others. If you need to dress yourself up and go out to get positive feedback from the opposite sex to feel better, you’re weak. If you need to perform lifts at the gym in front of people who will tell you how strong you are, you’re weak. If you can’t complete a task to the highest caliber knowing that only you will know the work and time that was put towards it, you’re weak.

“Hero-worship in the sense of expressing our unbound admiration is one thing. To obey the hero is a totally different kind of worship. There is nothing wrong in the former while the latter is no doubt a most pernicious thing. The former is man’s respect for which is noble and of which the great men are only an embodiment. The latter is the serf’s fealty to his lord. The former is consistent with respect, but the latter is a sign of debasement. The former does not take away one’s intelligence to think and independence to act. The latter makes one perfect fool…” – B.R. Ambedkar

I’ve learned this lesson, and I am continually defining who I am. I no longer strive to be like anybody else. I only push to be the strongest version of myself. I respect many individuals, and yet I do not concern myself with trying to mirror their lives or their accomplishments.

How many times have you been asked who your heroes are? You probably scanned through a list of people in your head who have accomplished great things, and who overcame great obstacles.

Why aren’t you ever on that list? Have you not achieved anything or overcome any adversity? Or do you not embody the same qualities of character that these men and women do? If it’s the latter then make the change.

Respect an individual but never try to be them. If you measure your successes against someone elses you are weak. If you cannot celebrate your own victories, you are weak. If you cannot recognize your own heroism, you are weak.

Control that which you can control. Your character, your choices and your actions. Take pride in everything that you do. Accept yourself, impress yourself and continually work on becoming the strongest version of yourself.

In regards to what you do in the gym, this life lesson has tremendous carry-over. Train for yourself. Always try to best yourself. True strength comes from progress both mentally and physically.