Continuously Practice with Passion
“Don’t only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets; art deserves that, for it and knowledge can raise man to the Divine.” — Ludwig Van Beethoven
When I was stationed in Southeast Asia, I had a few friends who were what we called “gym rats”. I mean these guys didn’t just go to the gym; they knew the gym. They knew how to use every single machine. They understood the human anatomy. They knew the proper stretches and proper form… They new what every chemical in every pre and post workout did and when to take it with what food. Oh yeah and they were Jacked!
After I read Arnold, I understood the fascination.
I wanted to become a gym rat. I wanted my gut to look like a washboard. I got my friends to share their secrets… I slowly started emulating the things they did. I quickly started seeing results. Then I got orders elsewhere.
I told myself I was going to keep at it. I was going to the gym 5 days a week. Slowly that turned into to 4 days.
Then 3 days…
2 days…
Once a week…
Once a Month…
Every now and then…
My results slowly faded. My little gut returned and I jumped back into my routine.
But that’s just life right? WRONG!
I saw one of my friends before I left the military… They were more jacked than ever before. They had just participated in an amateur bodybuilding competition and did really well.
The passion I emulated couldn’t be maintained because it wasn’t authentic. I was chasing after something I saw in a book and wanted the result without all the ingredients. The results that Arnold and my friend had were from years of being passionate to the craft. Once my “passion” faded, so did the results. It was a classic case of “use it or lose it”, and I had totally lost it. Meanwhile my friends maintained their commitment for years and were still reaping the benefits of their hard work.
There are things that you will be passionate about. Hold onto that passion and push yourself forward. Don’t do it because you like the results or what the guy on TV is telling you. Do it for yourself. Love it for the sake of whatever it is. Find joy in every single hard part. Get pumped about what you are doing.
