Wednesday, February 23, 2011

feed me

My body is a machine. My mind is a ghost. Or they're all just made out of the same stuff. The mind-body problem is not my battle, not this time around, but it's tangentially related. That there is one of those nice little phrases that the internet has already turned into a cliche. I couldn't help but wear it out a little more. I watched The Fighter today. What a movie. It resonated with me for a few reasons. Many of which I will not share. Who reads blog posts for what they don't say? I am conjuring up Derrida's ghost, I know. Incomprehensibility is an art form. Enough with the ghost talk, let's discuss something more visceral, like fighting. How do I master my body? By mastering my mind. Each, regardless of their physical properties, is it's own unique animal, requiring sometimes delicate and other times brutal methodologies to extract their highest capabilities. The body needs fuel, so does the mind. I look at what I eat and I'm disgusted less and less. That front is being seen to by the finest troops that I can muster. My mind however does not receive enough of the type of inspirational input that I need to offset my natural melancholic equilibrium. I need motivation daily. I look at the masters, many were tenacious in demeanor and drive, few were moved by more noble intentions. Either way they found a way to keep going, to turn the screws, to keep fighting. I need reasons. I need a why, so that I can endure any how. The Fighter was inspirational to me. I need more of this.

6 comments:

Justin said...

You haven't got it yet because you keep forgetting. The film just reminded you. So the question for yourself is. "what will it take to not forget?" This is not a question to be taken lightly.

Justin said...

But before you anwser that question, perhaps maybe you forget because there is something else that is more important to you. If there is then, which thing comes first?

Loren said...

my why is i want to choose my own destiny instead of marching with the herd toward a shallow grave that will be quickly forgotten. I fear that ego is my primary motivating factor. I guess we all have to start somewhere.

Justin said...

Significance then. Besides that you could choose from:
Security, Variety, Love/Connection
Growth, or Contribution. Try to find at least one more that resonates with you.

Despite what you've said about athiesm being motivating, I'm convinced that a more eternal perspective has greater potential for generating motivation. It, at least, adds more weight to those last two factors in the list above.

I'm about to make a sweeping generatization here, but I get the impression that those who consciously adapt atheism have a pessimism overshadowing everything that they do (especially if they once held a religious/spiritual view), that isn't helpful for motivation. Any motivation they have seems to be self-focused.

If you can somehow get a motive that extends beyond yourself, that is bigger than yourself, and is constructive... then it's likely that your motivation will be stronger and more satisfying.

Justin said...

Having said all that - nothing motivates like success.

Loren said...

I have an epic reply on the way, it can't fit in the comments section, so it's going to be a blog post.