“Yet it is in this ceaseless striving that we unlock our highest potential, our best selves. This is where we are most alive, and isn't that the whole point?” - Joe Loomis

Reflection 5

Sometimes we get kicked to the curb and we feel like we’ve lost it all. When circumstances strip us down to bare essence, therein lies a raw, unfettered opportunity. A hard reset, while merciless in its unfolding, is a rallying cry for the soul. It is in this desolation that we are granted a chance to rebuild our foundations, not as they were, but stronger, more resilient. To reassess and refine our priorities and principles from the ground up is an undertaking fraught with pain and hardship, yet it is precisely this arduous path that forges our greatest selves, the newness of possibilities eclipsing the sting of loss.

I recall thinking to myself, at times, If I could go back to when I was living alone in a cabin, I would stay there, learning and earning until my net worth was X before moving or marrying. Following a difficult and unexpected life change, I now get the opportunity to replicate that solitary endeavor, additional challenges in tow so as not to reclaim the past but surpass it. I am forced to define and adhere to self-imposed rulesets for the purpose of attaining and becoming what I desire. The pressure dials in my management of time, money, and relationships, forcing mastery where mere participation may have previously gotten by.

The human condition is fickle, and our resolves are tested at the whims of our changing emotions. This is where the strength of our commitments is proven and hardened. In the clarity of our chosen mindset, we make decisions that define us – investing over spending; learning over indulging; meaningful connections over fleeting encounters. This is tied to self-identity and “being” goals. In this binary existence, where actions are either in alignment with our core principles or not, there's no room for half measures. To say "I don't drink" instead of "I'm trying to drink less" is to draw a line in the sand, to declare with unwavering certainty who we are.  Another extension of this is projection - what habits do you adhere to as the future ideal you? In practice, we are not merely attempting to “do” our principles; we are embodying them. This is not an act of trying but a testament to being.

The journey of rebirth from the broken remains of loss or defeat is an odyssey without end. I suspect the cycle continues long after our bodies have run their course. Yet it is in this ceaseless striving that we unlock our highest potential, our best selves. This is where we are most alive, and isn’t that the whole point?