Road to Self-dominance (Part 1)

Promises to myself:

1) Take care of yourself first. Then take care of those who depend on you. Then those who love and appreciate who you are. Look only to those who understand you, value your efforts and see the goodness in you. Ignore those who berate you and are indifferent and do not cherish your presence. Do not hate them, but let them go to fight their own battles. Fight only for yourself and the people who will want to stand by you.

2) Train not to show an impressive feat; train to show character, spirit, dignity and worthiness. You cannot ask for reputation and do not deserve it cheaply; train not just the physical and mental but also the intellect and the character by constant action, thought, reflection and deliberation. Remake, mould, sculpt, and redo to make new progress so that you're not only different from yesterday but better than following an aimless tomorrow.

3) Focus on a vision of where you want to be. You won't be there in 1 piece and you will miss the bull's eye but it's better to be 75-95% closer than far away from it. Distractions, in the form of politics, indulgences, unforseen events and unexpected persons (whether of little or major significance), will come by to test you, hence it will be due to an iron will and solid perseverance that you can go on. If you have bagge which you can't let go, bring them with you and fight with pride. Finishing a race with no strings or load attached is great but finishing it with a 100kg load is admirable and honorable.

4) Intrinsic motivation is the most powerful force there is. It drives you to do something, in fact anything, to desire and achieve. But it cannot exist nor last long if there is ignorance on the means to success and if there is misdirection and negative energy that affects it. To even believe in it, you have to harvest and harness it. Study yourself (most important), ask hard questions on the what's, how's and why's on motivating yourself to pursue those goals and surrender yourself to them. Be fiercely determined, blind to the sacrifices but not mindless to the reasons and the ways of your doings.

5) Own what you learn. Nobody can steal your knowledge, skills, spirit, character and self-worth. They can emulate, be jealous, slander or criticise but what you do with every second of your life belongs to you only. It also means taking care of it and not letting it go to waste; every moment is spent but not all of it is cherished and pushing you forward when it should. Every book you read, every skill you learn, every thing you pick up, every dialogue you engage in, find the meaning in it and change it if you must. Not every moment is perfect, struggle is real, find contentment with it, accept the reality and hardship life brings and own it.