Don’t do yourself the disservice of googling “6 Minute Abs.” Somehow it leaks into your instagram ads and the world knows you’re ready to fall victim to their bullshit. Instead, google 6 Minute Lifestyle to come to this post anytime you need to feel a little more earthly and grounded. :]
Total Read Time: 6 Minutes
The Regal Yew
Do you believe a blade of grass sticking out of the ground
If it were to speak and announce himself as a regal yew?
Nonetheless, Do you step on his progress
And bury him back into the dirt?
Or shall you wait and see,
What burning questions the sun will serve,
What wine the clouds will weep for his thirst,
What earthen support will found his yearning roots
And when you move onto more exciting cities,
To one day return to the field of grass that raised you,
And see The Regal Yew,
Do you believe Yew grew rings upon rings,
To convince you he could?
Do you think he would speak,
or let his stature do the talking,
And convince you did too?
Sustained Effort
Maybe we all know better. Maybe I’m not breaking the foundation of the 6 minute abs series on YouTube. Perhaps we all understand abs don’t make you happy.
Why then, do you believe you’ll be happy with 1,000,000 followers and $1,000,000?
Applying the effort of positive reinforcement, over a sustained effort, will result in a lifestyle change that will emulate what you truly believe will make you happy: following your inner character.
That might be too wordy… let me break it down to fit into a 6 minute read.
Or exit this, and do a 6 minute ab workout.
Building Character
Pursuit of wealth and success is easier understood through negative reinforcement.
It’s the reason you’re not satisfied when you get what you wanted.
Motivation for wealth and success is not based on appreciation of what you already have, it’s the pursuit of what someone else has.
Pursuit of honesty and living true to your character is the arduous journey achieved through positive reinforcement.
It’s easier to understand through negative reinforcement: You don’t like feeling guilt and shame by lying, but it’s easier to lie or pretend to be something you’re not for short term satisfaction.
That is why it is easier to live in a negative, complaint driven lifestyle.
Instant gratification is born out of negative reinforcement.
Your short term feeling of winning is done through force of power. That power quickly runs out when everyone stops listening to you and your lies.
Positive growth, in this example, is made through building relationships with people where your driving force is your honesty and care for them. You have to honestly care, so that you produce the actions of a caring person. You can’t lie your way into someone’s trust, because you will expose yourself when it’s time to act upon the promises you make.
Expanding Honesty
Let’s simplify this with the 6 minute ab example.
The progress of your abs coming out is dependent upon you doing the 6 minute workout and then letting that feeling of health trickle it’s way into your whole week. The choices you make for your diet, your hobbies, and even the friends you surround yourself with.
6 Minute abs turn into a lifestyle, and then the abs show for it.
If your instant gratification focused mind believes it only takes 6 minutes to get abs, you might also believe that having a million dollars will make you happy.
Proposal
Try and put “the proof” of achievement on the back burner. Let the book deal, or the subscribers, or the paychecks all be frivolous byproducts.
Instead, focus solely upon your character, and follow the times in your life when you’ve felt honest with yourself, regardless of who’s approval was or wasn’t gained.
If you think of the product of your effort as short term, instant gratification then think of the lifestyle you want as long term gratification: thus being much harder to achieve and more worthwhile to savor.
If you’ve gotten this far, you’re the type of person I’d like to hear from.
Email
(Yes, I respond and read every one)
Andrey@andreystarostin.com
Instagram
a.o.starostin
Thank you
This post, inspired by quotes David sent me from Walden, by Henry David Thoreau and from Timaeus, by Plato.
