Living in a Distracted World
Living in a Distracted World
Today's world is full of noise, which leaves many of us distracted from that which is important in life. What is important, you might wonder? For every human, it is building a bulletproof skill set. Why is this necessary? Because the same is true today as it were for our ancestors, whose primary aim was survival. Skills meant that you provided shelter for yourself, your mate, and your tribe. This was done by means of hunting, fishing, building, and fighting.
While this day and age does not demand such extremes in order to survive, the lack of necessity to focus on surviving above all else has led to an unclear mission for the generations to come. Our current state of affairs does not require boys to become men rapidly but rather delays, if not cancels, it.
It is not to say that all men must become hunters and soldiers, but rather that they strive towards being a source of strength and value that uplifts their families and communities. A pillar, if you will, that acts as a foundation. The alternative is a nanny boy who run amuck following a path that leads only towards pleasure over sacrifice. A taker, rather than a giver who’s purpose is to pursue worldly passions and obsessions.
The men of old did not live a lifestyle based on satisfaction but rather what meant survival of their tribe. This meant selflessness and willingness to work hard for the greater good. The need for survival meant dedication to one's craft which outweighed material needs and what car you drove to impress a girl or a cute outfit you got from H&M... Rather, it meant making decisions that often involved certain death. If you were not a successful farmer, your family starved. If you were a poor fighter, you joined the fallen in the halls of Valhalla. If you lacked the stealth and cunning of a great hunter, you came home empty-handed. Failure to achieve excellence meant little to no security for your mate and children.
Gritty men of old who mastered the seas, fighting, building, and creating led to the discoveries and creations we have today, such as the lightbulb, the printing press, discovery of America we know and love. It didn’t require anything special but knowledge of a man’s purpose which correlated directly to one’s self and public worth. A learned hardworking man meant good relationships, a wife, a house, children and often financial or material gain. In a nutshell, today’s generation looks for the cart before the horse. What I mean by that is that rather than living minimally to achieve greatness through a bulletproof skillset that will earn what the current generation desires (money, fame, respect). Men are being led astray by their desires. As a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, I have learned over time that there are no secrets or shortcuts, success on and off the mats is only built through sweat, and that a man’s wealth is built within. Your ceiling for achievement lies with not in your values. Life’s realities are only crafted the foundations of honor, valor, family and respect. Those who lack such values are lying to themselves. This also presents a need for abuse of drugs, alcohol and relationships to feel as if they are some sort of king in their mind. When really their lack of dedication towards mastery is their ruler.
The question I ask young aspiring “men” is, “Would you be comfortable losing everything today?” Your true value will mean that material wealth is of little consequence to your future due to the sweat equity only built on decades of late nights, early mornings, working, and learning while putting personal wants aside for the greater good. That is how legacy is built, knowing that you can die today and your impact will ripple through the community knowing they have lost a dying breed, a good strong man led by his purpose. Despite the ever-changing norms of society, there will always be a need for the strong, especially in a world of distracted men.