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Abstract

s. I want you to hunt down a crocodile. Grab it by its fierce, sharp jaws and incapacitate it. Crocodiles are apex predators in the jungle. So how can you hunt them down? Seems impossible right? That’s when you are mistaken. There’s a way you can hunt them down with ease. Simply, you seize the opportunities after they have devoured their preys and as they slowly enter a phase of “food-coma” and satisfaction, you pound upon them relentlessly and capture them.After his storytelling, the speaker questioned the audience,“So are you satisfied? Have you had a little success and now you are satisfied? Where was the hunger you once had?”Silence ensued. Those questions struck me deep down in my core.It made me question my current state of mind.Am I too comfortable or “satisfied”?Yes, I have achieved a few mini successes in life thus far. They include:<ul><li>100 followers on Medium as of March 2022</li><li>Had my first viral article on Medium</li><li>Picked up investing in 2021</li><li>Ventured into the realm of personal development</li><li>Made into Officer Cadet Course during my 2 years of National Service(only the top 10% of cohort ends up in this coveted course)</li><li>Made valuable friends along the way in my life</li></ul>Having achieved these feats, I do — sometimes — find myself feeling too complacent and comfortable with where I stand in life. It is normal to feel this way but I feel this is not the success I truly want in life. There are goals I want to achieve in life and I know I have a long way to go.That is when I had an epiphany.Without comfort, you will not feel satisfied. Without satisfaction, you will have the impetus to grind and hustle. Without hard work, the goals can’t be achieved.Hence, you need to have a system whereby it pushes you to feel uncomfortable.There’s a saying that goes,<blockquote id="563c">“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create go

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od times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” — G. Michael Hopf</blockquote>On the surface, it seemed like we are doomed, that we were subjected to this self-reinforcing loop of failure.However, there is one method that will pull us out of this trap.That is to subject ourselves to a constant state of hardships.Going back to the reason why I take cold showers.It’s not about the benefits it brings to one’s health.More importantly, it’s about the awareness that you are building discipline into your life and that you are adapting your body to embrace this drastic change of discomfort.Thereby, you hone your mind’s resilience and that is the mentality one should have and embrace if they want to attain success in life.Little things cascade and snowball into huge accomplishments.I have been showering with cold water for the past year. I still dread raising my showerhead to anywhere above my waist. I still feel tempted to turn on my shower heater. With utmost certainty, I still dislike the jolt I get once the icy-cold water drips upon my dry, warm body.But I’m not doing it for comfort.It will not be easy. This begs the question, should you do it?Well, the decision is yours to take.Are you willing to bear discomfort? Are you willing to make discomfort a norm? Are you able to live with discomfort?If the answer’s “yes”, you’ve got your answer :)Hope you enjoyed reading this piece! Do feel free to leave a response! I’d be more than happy to reply!If you enjoy reading stories like these and want to support me as a writer, consider <a href="https://chunhao01.medium.com/membership">signing up to become a Medium member</a>. It’s $5 a month, giving you unlimited access to stories on Medium. If you sign up using <a href="https://chunhao01.medium.com/membership">my link</a>, I’ll earn a small commission.</article></body>

Cold Showers: More Than Just a “Biohack”

More than meets the eye

Cold showers.

The number-one lauded bio-hack to one’s overall health.

Athletes hop on ice baths to facilitate recovery after an intensive training session.

Similar to Cryotherapy, both can relieve any forms of inflammation within the body and promote better blood circulation.

Certainly did not feel like that when you dive into a freezing pool of water…brrr…

One of my friends told me I was “torturing” myself by doing so. In all fairness, if you were to ask my 17-year-old self to shower in cold water, I would have said the same.

However, to partake in cold showers for a year now was a conscious effort — an effort made for purpose of personal growth.

To instill discipline within me.

To willingly let a cold stream of water trickle down on my neck, back, and chest when I could be relishing in a hot, steamy bath.

But why did I not do it?

The reason: Comfortability.

I came across a motivational clip on TikTok and it fully resonated with my idea and thoughts on comfort. It goes a little something like this.

Imagine this. I want you to hunt down a crocodile. Grab it by its fierce, sharp jaws and incapacitate it. Crocodiles are apex predators in the jungle. So how can you hunt them down? Seems impossible right? That’s when you are mistaken. There’s a way you can hunt them down with ease. Simply, you seize the opportunities after they have devoured their preys and as they slowly enter a phase of “food-coma” and satisfaction, you pound upon them relentlessly and capture them.

After his storytelling, the speaker questioned the audience,

“So are you satisfied? Have you had a little success and now you are satisfied? Where was the hunger you once had?”

Silence ensued. Those questions struck me deep down in my core.

It made me question my current state of mind.

Am I too comfortable or “satisfied”?

Yes, I have achieved a few mini successes in life thus far. They include:

100 followers on Medium as of March 2022
Had my first viral article on Medium
Picked up investing in 2021
Ventured into the realm of personal development
Made into Officer Cadet Course during my 2 years of National Service(only the top 10% of cohort ends up in this coveted course)
Made valuable friends along the way in my life

Having achieved these feats, I do — sometimes — find myself feeling too complacent and comfortable with where I stand in life. It is normal to feel this way but I feel this is not the success I truly want in life. There are goals I want to achieve in life and I know I have a long way to go.

That is when I had an epiphany.

Without comfort, you will not feel satisfied. Without satisfaction, you will have the impetus to grind and hustle. Without hard work, the goals can’t be achieved.

Hence, you need to have a system whereby it pushes you to feel uncomfortable.

There’s a saying that goes,

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” — G. Michael Hopf

On the surface, it seemed like we are doomed, that we were subjected to this self-reinforcing loop of failure.

However, there is one method that will pull us out of this trap.

That is to subject ourselves to a constant state of hardships.

Going back to the reason why I take cold showers.

It’s not about the benefits it brings to one’s health.

More importantly, it’s about the awareness that you are building discipline into your life and that you are adapting your body to embrace this drastic change of discomfort.

Thereby, you hone your mind’s resilience and that is the mentality one should have and embrace if they want to attain success in life.

Little things cascade and snowball into huge accomplishments.

I have been showering with cold water for the past year. I still dread raising my showerhead to anywhere above my waist. I still feel tempted to turn on my shower heater. With utmost certainty, I still dislike the jolt I get once the icy-cold water drips upon my dry, warm body.

But I’m not doing it for comfort.

It will not be easy. This begs the question, should you do it?

Well, the decision is yours to take.

Are you willing to bear discomfort? Are you willing to make discomfort a norm? Are you able to live with discomfort?

If the answer’s “yes”, you’ve got your answer :)

Hope you enjoyed reading this piece! Do feel free to leave a response! I’d be more than happy to reply!

If you enjoy reading stories like these and want to support me as a writer, consider signing up to become a Medium member. It’s $5 a month, giving you unlimited access to stories on Medium. If you sign up using my link, I’ll earn a small commission.