Health
3 Mental Demons Everyone Should Battle For A Fearless Outlook on Life
It’s too short to be afraid, so don’t be one of the ones who are.
Have you ever thought about what you fear?
I can say that at one point in my life, I was afraid of my inability to defend myself (it was non-existent). I never even had to, yet I lacked confidence, stature, skill, and more. I avoided the potential for violence like the plague.
I wanted to cure myself of these inner doubts.
I knew what it would take. I’d have to make sure I was ready to battle these mental demons:
- I’d have to get out of my comfort zone (and stay out of it)
- I’d have to face my fear of pain (and not shy away)
- I’d have to challenge my lazy habits (and actually maintain discipline)
If you’ve ever had to deal with mental demons, don’t suppress them as I did. Let me help you by sharing exactly how I faced mine head-on and gained the courage for a fearless outlook on life.
Mental Demon #1: The Comfort Zone
As you know, everyone has their comfort zone.
As you also may know, people tend to stay inside that comfort zone. I stayed in mine for quite some time until I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The more time I spent on the mats the more comfortable I became with the uncomfortable, which proved to give me a huge advantage.
As I ventured farther out of my comfort zone I magically began to notice several benefits in my daily life.
The feeling of accomplishment was like a drug — After every hard-fought training session, I feel like I come out a better man. 2 hours of mental and physical exhaustion brings about a clarity that I always take the time to appreciate. I long for that feeling of accomplishment.
I stood taller with more confidence in myself — Now that I continue to train and get better, it makes me proud. That pride allows me to maintain the perfect mixture of humility and confidence on and off the mats. Being confident is important, but it should never be confused with arrogance.
More opportunity fell onto my plate — After a solid 8 months into my training, I was so inspired by and infatuated with Jiu-Jitsu that I began to write about it. That quickly lead to other topics and only 3 months later, I began earning for my words! It opened doors I never thought would appear!
Mental Demon #2: The Fear of Pain
I think most people would agree with me saying this:
Pain is scary.
The other day I needed surgery for a Jiu-Jitsu-related injury. I had a severe case of cauliflower ear and the initial efforts from the doctors were not enough to resolve the issue. I was afraid, to say the least, given that this was going to be the first surgery I’ve ever had in my 22 years of life.
Here’s what I did to fight fire with water (and an entire syringe of numbing medication) when it comes to taking the pain.
- Embrace pain as a part of life — You can’t feel good if you've never felt bad. Think about the runner’s high you had when you needed to run the mile for gym class. It was dreadful during, blissful after.
- Time passes at a constant speed — “Are we there yet?” I’m sure you’ve heard that before. Maybe though, you were the one saying it. Either way, when it comes to pain (or painfully long car rides) it’s important to remember that time passes at a constant rate. Even if it feels longer.
- Strength is born out of suffering (pain) — It may sound barbaric, but it is still true. The more pain you go through, the more ready you will be to take on the world. You’ve heard the phrase (or song) “what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.” Katy Perry was actually onto something!
Mental Demon #3: Lazy Discipline
The most talked-about trait on the internet: Discipline.
It’s also the hardest to obtain (and maintain). I won’t call myself Jocko Willink yet, or even David Goggins, but I will say that my discipline has improved over recent times. Here’s the one and the only key you need to unlock discipline:
Start
Starting is half of the battle, which can be difficult to accept. That’s the major issue that I initially encountered when I tried to summit the mountain that is discipline.
It’s easy to fall off the cliff, feeling like you have to start all over again.
In the words of Marcus Aurelius,
“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength.”
I think this quote could be broken down for centuries. That’s often what could be said about the historic philosophers. This specific phrase, Illuminates the truth in so many ways.
Here’s one: The mind controls the body.
You have the power! As long as you can start, the rest will come easy, and just as Marcus Aurelius said, “you will find strength.” I’ve experienced it myself in the academy.
You can experience this for yourself…
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