GRIND
Grind: A word representing the repetitive actions taken in order to make the character stronger. The grind is also a substitute for normal life functions. Sleeping, eating, drinking and being social are not important, when it comes to grinding. (urbandictionary.com) The two most important words in this definition are repetitive actions. We’re talking day in, day out, no days off. No matter what your goal is, the grindis what gets you there. When you reach your goal, the grind not only sustains your success, but it takes you to the next level. Many people think that because they work hard, they’re grinding. They’re wrong. Grindingisn’t about working hard, it’s about working harder until you’re working the hardest. True grinders take the time to eat for sustenance only, because their real hunger is about satisfying their appetite to achieve. Every second you are not making moves, putting foot to pavement, foot to ass if necessary, you are neglecting your grind, and you will pay for it until you make up for it. There’s no time for partying. Even when you celebrate your success, do so humbly in a forward facing position. With success comes complacency. You can’t grindstanding still. There’s no time for self-doubt. You can’t reasonably expect to progress if you doubt how far you can go, and it’s counterproductive to limit yourself. Doubt stops you in your tracks. Don’t stop, grind until you die. There’s no room for self-loathing in your grindeither. It’s perfectly natural to be hard on yourself when you encounter setbacks, even when they could have been avoided. Grinding is not about perfection, it’s about continued pursuit. So be hard on yourself, to a point that you are motivated and conscious enough not to make the same mistakes in your grind. But don’t be down on yourself; there’s a difference. When things don’t go as you’ve planned, you can’t afford to waste your time crying about it. So don’t boo hoo...that’s for ghosts and owls. Learn from it and keeppushing. Everything that doesn’t enhance your grind hinders it, and hindrances are only distractions. It’s true that some distractions are more severe than others, but maintaining your grind through the distractions is a matter of how important your goal is to you. After all, the goal is what’s important. That’s what the grind is all about. Whatever your motivation is, whatever you are trying to accomplish, you will only get there through perseverance. Perseverance equals grinding. Grinduntil you succeed, and then grind some more.
FEAR
Fear: a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc, whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Fear, more than just a word is an emotion that finds its’ company among trepidation, panic, and horror. Kin to terror and adversary to courage, fear can be crippling. It stifles dreams and the potential to succeed by regulating its’ victims into compromise and complacency. Past experiences validate our fears while current challenges develop and perpetuate new ones. Fear is real. We’re talking about emotional blocks in the construction of barriers impenetrable to the average will to overcome. We would all like to rise above our fears, but it can be considerably less challenging to those hindered by it than to those paralyzed because of it. Grind: A word representing the repetitive actions taken in order to make the character stronger. The grind is also a substitute for normal life functions. Sleeping, eating, drinking and being social are not important, when it comes to grinding. (urbandictionary.com) The two most important words in this definition are repetitive actions. We’re talking day in, day out, no days off. No matter what your goal is, the grindis what gets you there. When you reach your goal, the grind not only sustains your success, but it takes you to the next level. Many people think that because they work hard, they’re grinding. They’re wrong. Grindingisn’t about working hard, it’s about working harder until you’re working the hardest. True grinders take the time to eat for sustenance only, because their real hunger is about satisfying their appetite to achieve. Every second you are not making moves, putting foot to pavement, foot to ass if necessary, you are neglecting your grind, and you will pay for it until you make up for it. There’s no time for partying. Even when you celebrate your success, do so humbly in a forward facing position. With success comes complacency. You can’t grindstanding still. There’s no time for self-doubt. You can’t reasonably expect to progress if you doubt how far you can go, and it’s counterproductive to limit yourself. Doubt stops you in your tracks. Don’t stop, grind until you die. There’s no room for self-loathing in your grindeither. It’s perfectly natural to be hard on yourself when you encounter setbacks, even when they could have been avoided. Grinding is not about perfection, it’s about continued pursuit. So be hard on yourself, to a point that you are motivated and conscious enough not to make the same mistakes in your grind. But don’t be down on yourself; there’s a difference. When things don’t go as you’ve planned, you can’t afford to waste your time crying about it. So don’t boo hoo...that’s for ghosts and owls. Learn from it and keeppushing. Everything that doesn’t enhance your grind hinders it, and hindrances are only distractions. It’s true that some distractions are more severe than others, but maintaining your grind through the distractions is a matter of how important your goal is to you. After all, the goal is what’s important. That’s what the grind is all about. Whatever your motivation is, whatever you are trying to accomplish, you will only get there through perseverance. Perseverance equals grinding. Grinduntil you succeed, and then grind some more.
FEAR
So what do we fear? Is it religious persecution? Does a Muslim in this post 9/11 era shy away from donning their traditional garb for fear of the reaction to it by the greater public? Perhaps children are our best examples. Consider the child who runs away because survival on the streets is less terrifying than the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse endured at home. Some of us fear change, or venturing to extend our comfort zones. This fear of the unknown can quell our desire to conquer and achieve. What if we’re not triumphant in our explorations? Should we then resolve to not explore? When faced with this particular dilemma, it’s important to acknowledge not only that we are afraid, but that failure is what we fear specifically. Failure, as much as success, is a possibility in all that we do in life. Failure provokes in us and in others a feeling of disappointment. It means that we are inadequate in our attempts to advance and pursue progression in our lives. As a result, many of us choose not to pursue that which we have the potential to fail in, retreating into mediocrity. Some would say that mediocrity is not an option, but it’s certainly a more palatable alternative to inadequacy.
Here we find ourselves at the proverbial fork in the road. One the one side is the easy road, or the path of least resistance. This road keeps us in our place, controlled by fear. There are no challenges, no failures, and no disappointments. We learn nothing about ourselves, or what we are capable of, and are content with our cowardice and lack of character. The opposite road is the path of courage, and can often be perilous and frightening. Along the way are detours which we must endure to discover alternate paths to our destination. Inevitably we will encounter setbacks disguised as failures, but if we follow the twists and turns of these learning curves, we will eventually arrive at the end of this road less traveled. We will be stronger and more confident than we previously knew ourselves to be. Only when we persevere through fear will we uncover the true substance of who we are. Rather than fear what we cannot accomplish, we should be fearful of not knowing what we can.
