Mastery: The Single Most Dangerous Enemy In Our Lives

Issue No. 10 | March 6th, 2023 | 3 Minutes

Happy Monday Everyone!

Throughout our constant pursuit of success, we are repeatedly met by one enemy. An enemy that affects each and every one of us and is one of the leading factors that pull people away from their ultimate goal.

It makes you rationalize and even has you beginning to believe that you no longer want what you've been after all this time.

This enemy I'm referring to is

comfort.

Throughout our endeavors, we're met with a continuous onslaught of difficulty and hardship, so whenever we're presented with an opportunity of relaxation, we succumb to it's grasp thinking it's only temporary, when in all actuality it's the beginning of contentment with your current life. 

Comfortability will make us change our perception and make us believe we deserve this "break" because of what all we've been through up until this point. But it's those moments where you're considering to take a step back when you need to step up and do the task at hand. 

And once we fall into these lies we feed ourselves, we instantly stop growing because no one has ever grown in the comfort zone. 

It's the obstacles in life that strengthen our mind and create a mindset that prepares us for a difficult future. 

Epictetus, an ancient Stoic Philosopher says that in order to achieve your true potential, we must live a life free of distraction. He understood that comfort is inevitable, but we must never give in to it's charm. At one point throughout his lectures, he compares our lives with that of a traveler. . . 

"People act like a traveler headed for home who stops at an inn and, finding it comfortable, decides to remain there. You've lost sight of your goal. You were supposed to drive through the inn, not park there."

Meaning it's okay to relax and succumb to temporary relaxation because if we don't, we'll only come to see ourselves burn out due to the constant pursuit of more. 

But it's the contentment and the conscious decision to stay in this comfort zone that kills our dreams and prevents us from ever pursuing them again.

Acknowledge the enemy of comfort for what it is and understand that it can be controlled and maintained with a disciplined mind, but it can also be the death of us if we give in for a single moment. Use them as a lesson to strengthen your mind and use the enemy to your advantage.

"So you see, those inns were not without value, but your goal lay elsewhere" 

— Epictetus

Until next time,

Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I'm Currently Reading -

I'm now reading How To Fight A Hydra by Josh Kaufman, I'm actually reading this book for the second time now because it's a wonderfully written fictional story on how to face our fears and be persistent in our ambitions.

• If you'd like to see my notes pertaining to any of the books I have previously read, then check out my websiteisaiahctaylor.comto view my entire library of notes and summaries.

Quote Of The Week

• "Challenges are what make life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." — Joshua J. Marine