Hello friends!
Over the course of the last few years, I have found either by pure luck or divine intervention (perhaps there’s no difference between those two; think about it) a handful of online mentors that I look up to. Guys like Joe Rogan, Russell Brand, Jordan Peterson, and Jocko Willink are just a few names that initially come to mind. I’ve often idealized and projected my own shit onto these men, seeing them as near superheroes, capable of conquering distant lands and pillaging villages with love instead of rape and violence. But were these men always like this? Thankfully for you and me, the answer is no.
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It’s easy to see your mentors as uniquely special.
They were born this way.
They’ve always been this disciplined.
They’ve always been this articulate.
They’ve always been this successful.
I found myself making some of these assumptions with nearly all of these brilliant people. It wasn’t until I began to look into their past that I realized how wrong I was.
Russell Brand, an intellectual, hyper-articulate spiritual ninja (my words, not his) was addicted to cocaine, heroin, alcohol, sex, and on the verge of suicide.
Joe Rogan, perhaps the greatest podcaster and conversationalist of our time used to interrupt, interject, and stumble his way through hours of dialogue.
Jordan Peterson, labeled “The most influential public intellectual in the Western World” used to overdo it with partying, drinking, and smoking during his college years.
Jocko Willink, the incredibly popular former Navy Seal, known for his in-depth understanding of leadership, had a proclivity towards aggression and violence from the earliest stages of his life.
The point being:
None of these men were born great.
They transformed.
They worked.
They disciplined themselves.
They studied.
They sacrificed.
They focused.
So what does this have to do with you and me?
I’m glad you asked.
Seeing hyper-successful people can simultaneously be both encouraging and discouraging. On one hand, you’re encouraged by the fact that these superhumans are actually just humans who’ve worked really hard for a really long time. On the other hand, you’re discouraged because you question your own ability to be as disciplined, intelligent, or focused as they’ve been able to be.
I would encourage you to consider looking at hyper-successful people through a lens of positivity. Be happy for them that they’re successful, not mad at them for being successful, something much more common than you might think. Be glad that they’ve put the effort in, studied, and focused day in and day out to become who they are, not envious of the position that they’ve earned their way into. Be encouraged by their transformation, it’s more proof that you yourself can transform as well.
All ideals are a judge.
This is something I learned from the intellectual phenomenon himself, Jordan Peterson. When someone is, let’s say, much further down the road than you, so for example, they're more financially successful, more confident, more self-aware, more whatever it may be, it actually judges you. It reveals to you your own inadequacies. This is painful. But this is good!
If we thought everything we did was perfect and were completely satisfied with who we are as people, we’d stop growing and begin to shrink. We’d become complacent.
These feelings of inadequacy can actually be used as our guide to personal growth. Use them! Listen to them!
Our ability to transform is quite remarkable. There seems to be no limit to what humans are capable of. If you’re out of shape, you can get in shape. If you’re financially struggling, you can become financially stable. If you’re undisciplined, you can become disciplined. If you feel disconnected from the transcendent, you can surrender into a meaningful relationship.
No one is born great.
Remember:
Our ability to transform, as far as we know, is limitless.
Speaking of remarkable transformations, have you heard my new song Tonight It’s All You. Talk about a banger. But seriously, you can grab it on iTunes or listen to it for free online. Thanks.
If you found this article helpful and you’d like to directly support me, the best means of doing so is by going to Patreon.com/TrevorOhlsen, signing up, and then maybe sharing this newsletter, my music, or Patreon with a friend.
It’d be much appreciated.
Until next Monday, friend, keep on transforming.
Trevor