Persistently Consistent

The inspiration for this one goes out to a good dude I have met in the Stacks community, Phosforus.btc . He is the co-host of the AIRDROPshow btw, this is good information if you want to learn about NFTs, and trust me...you want to learn about NFTs. So follow Phosforus and the AIRDROP show.

Lets get down to business shall we?

Talent will only take you so far

This is a lesson that I have learned as a father, literally from watching my own children develop. Over the years I have watched my children try many different things in life: musical instruments, visual art, dance, performance art, martial arts, etc. Some things they pick right up, and others are difficult from the start. It is reasonable to think that the things that seem to come natural, and therefore are easier because of some latent talent. So you watch these little people progress and eventually they wind up advancing to the point where things get challenging. This is where things get interesting, or as my Dad used to say "nut cutting time" (miss you pop). It is at this point where the child would either put their nose to the grind and continue to improve, or they would gradually give up/stay at that level of ability.

The fact of the matter is talent alone is no substitute for hard work. I would go even further and say that if you find yourself gifted in a particular activity that you have an obligation to your Creator as well as your ancestors to develop this talent to as far as humanly possible.

Men have a blind spot

We tend to believe that we are naturally good at manly things. We believe that we are strong, good fighters, competent with firearms, good lovers, etc. We believe that of course until we are in the presence of someone who has been training for strength for the past 10 years of his life, or a BJJ purple belt, that is when reality starts sinking in. You might have some natural gifts, but your gifts pale in comparison to the ability of these people who have persistently practiced for years of their lives. The illusion of competence shattered in the presence of true dedication. So what do we do with this information?

First thing is to humble yourself.

When I was a young man I loved lifting weights. I started with some concrete plates, a cheap bench, and some cheap bars. Before long I had my own gym membership, and after a couple of years I had the privilege to get to know the gym owner, Bill. He supplemented his income by training people, and he was great at it. Not only was Bill an amateur body builder, but he was also a regional bench press champion in his weight class. I was far too young to be able to afford what he charged, but in return for helping out in the gym he would train me. Bill always wore baggy clothes, I didn't think much of it because that was the style for bodybuilders back then. I had a habit of wearing tank tops in the gym, and one day Bill told me to stop doing that. It didn't make much sense to me, I mean I had built up a decent physique before I met Bill, and after training with him I was just blowing up. I looked good. He must have read my expression, and before I could even say anything Bill told me "Jack, you are a big guy, but there is always someone bigger". I haven't worn a tank top to the gym since. I always think of Bill when I see these young guys, full of themselves for no reason, and I chuckle.

You aren't as awesome as you think you are, and even when you do have natural gifts you didn't earn those. You don't get to take credit for shit you didn't earn. Life doesn't work that way.

The second thing that you need to do is decide to get serious about the things you want to do and grind. Consistency is key. You have to make this endeavor a part of your life, there is no way around it. Everyone knows that a mostly reliable way to support yourself is through education, but I find most don't talk about building skills. I won't get too far into this, as guys like Mike Cernovich and even Scott Adams have discussed skill stacking for years now. You never know what kind of opportunities that your skillset will bring you. If what you love to do coincides with what you are naturally talented at, the grind will be enjoyable and you will likely surpass most of your peers in these pursuits.

The unexpected result

Confidence. Real confidence, not false bravado or delusion. Confidence earns admiration from men and women. Confidence makes you interesting. You have trouble attracting girls? You are likely wracked with insecurities, want to change that? Get good at something. Confidence is like catnip to women, and most can smell a fake from a mile away. Confidence is the most powerful life changer that I can think of to be honest. The only way you are going to get this kind of confidence is through putting in the work. Time to spend less time with your waifu and more time building your skills.

Start with something you love, if you haven't figured that part out yet then start with something you have always wanted to do. Every day you wake up is the first day of a new life if you do it right. That's all I have to say for now, thanks for reading as always. Until next time, Jack.

The NFT featured in this piece is #35 from the Mars Woman collection

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