The Reason You Must Push Yourself

The Challenge Contradiction And Why It Matters So Much

Read time: 2 mins

Welcome to the Brain and Body Warrior. A blueprint of lived lesson designed to help you understand your brain, conquer your body and develop your warrior mindset.

On today’s menu: The challenge contradiction and why it matters so much.

The Warrior

“What would have become of Hercules, do you think, if there had been no lion, hydra, stag or boar - and no savage criminals to rid the world of? What would he have done in the absence of such challenges?” - Epictetus, Discourses

I cannot think of a better word to describe humanity than a “walking contradiction”

Though perhaps, it’s not people who are to blame. It’s our biology and psychology that’s at fault (which is usually the case).

Nothing seems to accentuate this more than our relationship with challenges and struggle.

We are quite literally designed to avoid difficulties yet simultaneously require them.

Our brain wants to conserve energy for survival. Yet, that very survival is based largely on our ability to grow and adapt, which requires effort and struggle (i.e the expenditure of energy).

Isn’t nature wonderful?

Wonderful, or completely s***, as it may be, this is the software we are all programmed with.

Few of us ever want to do, or go through, truly hard things.

But in their absence, we cannot grow.

Struggle, toil and challenge are necessary to become the best version of you. We all know that, on some level at least. We know that adversity is the price for improvement.

But we also constantly give into our flawed base instincts and try to avoid challenge, discomfort and pain rather than lean into.

The simple truth is this:

You cannot be the person you are destined to be if you allow your brain to dictate what you do and don’t do. It will, almost always, take the easy road.

This is why pushing yourself matters so much.

It’s about flexing your willpower muscle and showing your brain who is boss.

The ice baths. The hard gym sessions. The struggle of showing up consistently to your work or family commitments. All of these things are providing you with the challenges that you need to get better, to improve and become your best self

(And it’s also preparing you for the hard s**t that life will throw your way regardless as a bonus).

But there’s another layer to all of this as well.

If you don’t challenge yourself, not only is there no real capacity for growth, but you also have nothing to celebrate.

This is it’s own form of serious danger.

Without things to celebrate, your brain will turn on you. It’s natural negative tendencies will lead it to question your worth, what you are doing with your life and label you weak, worthless or lazy (odd for an organ that actively wants you to avoid challenge!).

And these negative thought spirals will continue unabated, and only get worse, in the absence of hard work.

Is it any wonder that mental health challenges are rising exponentially when so many people avoid challenges and seek instant gratification instead?

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