We live in a uniquely safe, risk-free, and good time.
Mortality rate is at an all-time low. Poverty is decreasing year over year. Diseases are treatable. You get to live longer. And technology makes life easier and safer.
Evolution is a beautiful thing (if you only look at the facts).
However, that’s not the full story. People are still miserable. Suicide rates increase. People have more depressions and burnouts. More and more people are on meds. I’m not going to flush you with all the hard statistics. It’s not pretty.
Life is complicated. And I find it fascinating that people tend to make it even more complicated by not thinking practically.
One of the things that we never think about is the way we think. We waste a lot of time trying to solve problems that are not even problems.
Have you ever considered that?
For instance, one of the questions that I get asked often is: “I don’t know how to distribute my time. There are a lot of things I want to do in life. What’s the best way to do everything?”
I think: Why do you even want to do everything? By wanting that, you’re fabricating a problem.
From a practical point of view, you can only do a few things with your time, and that also means you can only do a few things in a lifetime.
One of the main things I’ve learned about life is that before you conquer the external world, you have to master the inner world of your mind.
You might have all kinds of awesome goals.
“I want to buy a Lambo.”
“I want to feed starving people.”
“I want to fly to the moon.”
No problem. The enemy lies not in the outside world. It’s not money, people, or opportunity that’s holding you back. It’s you.
Legendary surfer, Laird Hamilton said it best:
“Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.”
Self-doubt creeps into your system at the weirdest moments. At times you don’t expect it at all.
And all of a sudden, you have a true inner war on your hands:
“What am I doing this for?”
“Is it really worth it?”
“Why, why, why?”
There’s a war going on inside your head. And you’re not even aware of it.
Here are 10 war strategies that will help you to win your inner battles.
1. See Yourself As A Warrior
First things first: You have to start looking at yourself as a warrior.
You’re in constant battle with yourself.
You have to realize that you’re the person who’s in control of your life. It’s not the economy, your family, spouse, boss, or anything else that you can possibly blame.
That means one simple thing: This is your life. Own it.
Robert Greene said it best in 33 Strategies Of War:
“When something goes wrong, look deep into yourself — not in an emotional way, to blame yourself or indulge your feelings of guilt, but to make sure that you start your next campaign with a firmer step and greater vision.”
Never blame yourself. That’s not what a warrior does. Instead, fight your inner enemy by not giving up.
2. Know Yourself
What makes you angry, sad, fearful? How do you make decisions? What’s most important in your life?
If you want to win your inner battles, it’s obvious that you have to know your enemy.
I used to be a chubby kid. Most people thought that was cute. But it got out of hand when was in my early teens.
At age 15 I weighed 230 pounds (105 kg). I was fat. Three years later, I weighed 55 pounds less and I was bench pressing my old weight.
The truth is that being overweight sucks. And if you want to change, you need a reason. At that age, I wanted to impress girls. So I dropped the weight. It was surprisingly simple once I put my mind to it.