Too often we’ll hear people talk about their desire to join a group or get involved with activism, but when asked what they’ve done already, the overwhelming response is “nothing.” People get so anxious and fired up to jump right into something that they negate the process of refinement. The process is there for a reason because through the process one is shaped and molded into their purpose.
Oftentimes, we get so set on reaching the mountain top that we just wish to be transported instantly there. However, we fail to realize that those who get to the mountain top by climbing are not only worthy of its glory, but have been transformed through the process and now have the tenacity to hold their ground.
“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.” When you go through the process of climbing up the mountain, you’ll value the position. You’ll say, “I’ve struggled too hard, I’ve sacrificed too much, I’ve endured too long. I have sweat, I have bled, I have gone without food and sleep. I have suffered much for this victory” and THEN no one will be able to take that from you. It’s not just about getting to the top, it’s about becoming the conqueror.
Alexis Carrel said it this way, “Man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor.”
A great example of this is the military. A guy joins the military and says, “Ok I am ready for war.” He is a fool. Ambition alone does not win wars. He must be broken down and built up. He becomes a new creation through the process. And, after he has been covered in mud, soaked to the bones in icy rains, forced to the point of exhaustion and then beyond, perfected his use of his weapons, skilled in his duties, confident in his abilities, sure of his resolve; then, and only then will he be able to be of use to his unit and indeed himself.
Therefore, welcome discipline, embrace struggle, surrender to the process.
So, what does this mean for you now? The answer is the basics. If you are not exercising regularly, eating healthy, reading books on history, philosophy, science, anything that expands your mind and gives you the knowledge and wherewithal of how to be a better you, if you’re not honing your skills, avoiding things and people that would mislead you or hinder your progress, if you’re not focused on becoming the best version that you can be and are not dedicated to your own discipline, then you are not ready for anything else. You will be weighed, you will be measured, and you will be found wanting. A group is only as strong as its weakest member. Is that what you want to be? The weakest link? Or do you want to be one of the elites? Then get to work on yourself.
It starts with you.
-By Woden
O I’m a good old rebel, now that’s just what I am. For this “fair land of freedom” I do not care at all. I’m glad I fit against it, I only wish we’d won, And I don’t want no pardon for anything I done.
