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You are a raw block of marble.

Feb 09, 2024

You are a raw block of marble.

Yes, the starting shape of the block of marble that you are will be influenced by pre-determined factors.

Genetics. Luck. Environment.

But these influential factors are just that, influential. 

They impact your starting point, your advantages and disadvantages - but that’s it, they’re not determining.

Most people will let these factors rule over them their entire life, keeping their raw block of marble as just that - a block of untapped, uncarved, unrealised potential.

They’ll slip down a path of distraction, cheap pleasure and unearned rewards only to complain about how unfair life is, yet they do nothing to take life into their own hands.

And maybe they’re right.

Life is unfair.

But that doesn’t stop you from realising all you could be and doing the damn best you can with the hand that you’re dealt.

Because in life, there are only 2 options;

  1. You let influential factors control your life

  2. You let determining factors control your life

Influential factors influence, they make an impact.

But that impact is tiny compared to that of determining factors.

So what are the determining factors of your life?

Well, really there’s only 1.

And that’s you.

It’s what you decide to do with every moment of your life.

Do you slip into distraction and comfort, running from the work and creating excuses?

Or do you lean into challenge, meaningful work, and earned progress?

Remember, you are a raw block of marble and you can carve yourself into anything you want to be.

And everyone wants to be better, everyone wants to be a block of mastery and excellence in some domain - we all grew up with big goals and aspirations but for many, over time as they went down the path of least resistance they forgot, or maybe purposefully banished their dreams out of the shame of not living in accordance with them.

They let influential factors determine their life.

My friend, you can be anything you want to be, you can be ALL you could be, but you have to make a choice;

1. Live a life of challenge, meaningful work, and earned progress

2. Live a life of distraction, cheap pleasure, and unearned rewards.

Only 1 option will carve the raw block of marble you are now into a sculpture of excellence and mastery.

Of course, path 1 is the right path.

But what does it look like? What’s the road map and the game plan?

  1. Create a life vision

  2. Set goals that line up with that vision

  3. Turn those goals into daily tasks

  4. Build momentum and self-respect (through doing the work)

  5. Show up daily, learning from your mistakes and implementing what you learn

But most importantly, if you want to turn the raw block of marble you are now into a statue of mastery and excellence, you have to chase 1 thing;

Self-Mastery.

I want you to ask yourself a question;

Why aren’t you making progress toward who you want to be and what you want to achieve?

Is it because you don’t know what that looks like?

Is it because you avoid the work and problems that stare you in the face?

Is it because you get distracted with cheap pleasure?

Is it because you struggle to make the sacrifices you know are necessary?

Is it because you can’t show up consistently?

Is it because you lack an understanding of the meaning behind the pursuit?

What you have to understand, is that influential factors, which do just that, influence, are uncontrollable.

But the determining factor, that determines your damn life is controllable.

To control it, to sway that factor in your favour, to get out of your own damn way, you have to master yourself.

The pursuit of anything meaningful - anything worthwhile (because that’s what meaning makes it) - requires more effort, sacrifice, energy, time, consistency, patience, knowledge, skill and grit than most people can imagine.

It’s why we grow up with all these wild dreams yet somehow never actualise them into reality.

You don’t expect success, in any definition of the word, in any field of life, to be so damn hard, to be so damn demanding - because nobody ever tells you it is.

So when you mindlessly go through life without consciously taking the time to consciously understand the meaning behind your goals, you never subconsciously realise the importance of everything that’s necessary to achieve them, so when you come face-to-face with the work and the effort and the sacrifice, you run.

The only way around this is to master yourself.

You have to pursue the mastery of your mind, actions and craft  - the art of becoming all you could be.

The eternal game of improvement and progress that allows you to understand the meaning behind your goals, the meaning behind the work and the meaning behind taking path 1 to turn the raw block of marble you are now into a statue of mastery and excellence.

And most importantly, it’s game that allows you to do what you know you need to do.

Whatever your problem, whatever your roadblock - Self-Mastery is the answer.

- Ross

PS: if you want to achieve Self-Mastery so you can Build Discipline, Master Your Life And Become All You Could Beclick here to check out MasteryOS.

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