Thought

I saw Jordan Peterson speak a couple weeks ago.

The thrust of his lecture was that humans don’t make decisions based on facts.

We exist inside of stories.

You see, stories are more powerful than facts in the realm of human action.

Your personal narrative is so powerful that it shapes the course of your life, how you perceive the world and even reality itself.

Your story is your destiny.

The wildest part about this is a person can be totally unconcious of the story they are living out.

When was the last time you examined the story you’re telling yourself?

Many people tell themselves the “I’m not good enough” story.

Another favorite is the “I’m a victim” story.

Neither of these are good stories with “happy” endings.

I believe one should reject any and all stories where the plot is sad and its protagonist weak.

Remember: your life is the plot and you are the protagonist here.

Life is tragic enough without you adding fuel to the fire.

I advocate you adopt a personal story that empowers.

Your story should make you as strong, tough, virtuous, capable and powerful as humanly possible.

If your story is making you a better man, how can it be wrong? What the hell would wrong even mean here?

A measure of correctness is utility.

If the story serves, it stays.

Keep it until you find an even better story to live within.

Tactic

One of the secrets to life is avoiding the nefarious vicious cycle.

A vice is an immoral or self-destructive habit, but it’s also the name of a tool used to hold things in place, and that’s exactly what a vicious cycle does, it keeps you fixed and arrests your ascent.

That’s exactly what the wrong story will do to you.

The real secret is to not only avoid the vicious cycle, but to find virtuous cycles to engage in.

A virtuous cycle is spiritual gold.

What I described in this week’s Thought is one such cycle.

It’s an infinite game that, when played correctly, will lead to you improving your life over and over again.

It’s virtuous because each win reinforces and accelerates you in pursuit of your next victory in the endless game.

Tweet

Tool

Tome

If you found this week’s edition valuable, forward it to a man who will benefit from this message.

Hint: every man will benefit.

May your T be ever increasing.

In Victory,

Alexander | Valor Disciple