#303 Why you do what you do

An aspiring writer who doesn’t believe writing is a valuable skill in our current society and focuses on building a traditional career instead.

An aspiring runner who doesn’t believe running is a good use of their time in our current society and goes out for drinks every night.

An aspiring classical musician who doesn’t believe society will ever appreciate their art – and goes into pop music instead.

If you want to turn aspirations into achievements, you’ll have to decide for yourself what’s valuable, even if it goes against what society and tradition prescribe.

So to make writing a valuable skill, write.

To make running a good use of your time, run.

To make the world appreciate your classical music, practice classical music.

To make anything worthwhile, show that it’s worth your while.

Because going against the mainstream is not just necessary to achieve your aspirations – it’s what makes your aspirations valuable in the first place.

You kind of want to run a marathon.

You kind of want to eat better.

You kind of want to move more.

You kind of want to feel better.

And everything kind of stays the same.

Only when “kind of” becomes “absolutely” and “want to” becomes “choose to” change happens.

I absolutely choose to write.

I absolutely choose to run a marathon.

I absolutely choose to eat better.

I absolutely choose to move more.

I absolutely choose to do whatever it takes to feel better.

Because there is no other way.