Benjamin P. Hardy: Mediocrity is a Virus. Here’s How to Banish it from Your Life.

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Apr 19

Mediocrity is a Virus. Here’s How to Banish it from Your Life.

By Benjamin P. Hardy

Little things become big things.

When you justify and allow even little things into your life which your intuition warns you against, you permit a virus to enter your life. It spreads to other areas.

When you introduce a change to any system, you simultaneously change the whole system. The other areas of the system will begin arranging themselves to better fit with the new.

Going against your higher intuitive voice is a slippery-slope. You don’t realize day to day how out of whack things are really getting.

Any small problem or indulgence cannot be viewed in isolation. It reflects something much bigger and much deeper. Sometimes it takes an intense wake-up call to become aware of the signals.

But once your eyes are open, and you’re in a place to hear your inner voice, it all becomes painfully obvious. You’ve known all along you were living against yourself, but you continued to justify.

The sickening reality is that you actually began to settle into the mediocrity, and convince yourself that you’re okay with it. Even when it shows itself throughout your entire life.

Your relationships are worse than they used to be. But you justify and adapt.

Your health is worse than it used to be. But you justify and adapt.

You’re more distracted than ever. Oh well.

Your thinking has become dull and polluted with the trivial and negative.

Your life is a garden. You can’t just cosmetically hide your problems. You must take them by the root and completely rip-them-out.

It’s the only way.

The virus must be removed.

If it is not removed, it will continue to infect your whole life and the core of who you are as a person will slowly and painfully die.
Image courtesy of Pixabay
What is Private Always Shows Itself Publicly

“A private victory always precedes a public victory.” — Stephen R. Covey

Nothing in your life is hidden. You may think it is, but it’s not.

I have a friend who is constantly dieting. Whenever he’s around me, he always eats healthy. Yet, he always seems to be struggling with his weight.

Although this friend will not show his demons in public, it’s obvious by his weight that in his private prison, he numbs himself in the comfort of food.

The same is true of all people. Every area of your life is on display. You’re not fooling anyone.

Words are weak.

Your life speaks for itself.
Changing Your Desires to Reflect Your Values

“When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.” — James Allen

The first step of evolution is to stop desiring the things that are stopping you from evolving.

Ascending to greater heights at anything involves making permanent, not temporary, improvements.

If you want to improve your finances, you have to change your desires about money. You can’t continue to enjoy spending money on the crap you spend it on. You can’t continue to be content always being stressed about money.

Your life and your environment are a reflection of your desires. When your desires truly change, you will adapt your environment to match your new desires. You will no longer justify what you once were okay with.

Until you really want to change, you won’t, even if deep down you believe you should.

Yet, once your desire shifts, changing your behavior is instant and effortless. If you no longer desire bad food, it’s not hard to “resist” it. Willpower is for people who haven’t made up their minds. Willpower doesn’t work.

If you no longer desire mediocrity, you won’t be mediocre. Herein lies a subtle and disarming truth — everything you have in your life is what you want. If you wanted something different, you’d have something different. As James Allen wrote, your circumstances reveal you.

Own it.

Until you own it, you’ll continue to be delusional. Once you own it, you can begin the process of change.
A Return to Consciousness

Authenticity and integrity are rare traits these days.

Most people conform to whatever environment they are in, even if that environment directly contradicts their value-system. Few people have the guts to speak-up or to simply leave. For instance, when people start gossiping, do you join in?

Few people have the courage to own their value-system these days.

Most people are too concerned about what other people think to be their true selves.

When was the last time you had completely uninhibited self-expression?

In his book, Spartan Up!, Joe De Sena talks about how he often does burpees during down-time, even in public places. His wife and kids are sometimes embarrassed by the strange looks Joe gets while doing burpees at airports.

But Joe doesn’t care what these people think. Firstly, he doesn’t even know these people. Secondly and more importantly, he wants to do burpees. What’s wrong with doing burpees? Just because it breaks a social norm?

If it’s normal, it’s average. If it’s average, it’s probably closer to mediocre than you really want to be.

Average is getting a C in class.

Average is being overweight.

Average is being negative often and positive rarely.

Average is living far beneath your value-system and your dreams.
Challenge

Here’s my challenge to you. If this post struck a nerve, make today the day you start living congruently. Point your life more directly toward your TRUE NORTH.

Remove anything and everything from your life that contradicts your highest values.

Make a private decision followed by a public commitment of what you intend to do. Surround yourself with the right people who will keep you accountable.

Organize your life.

Organize your relationships.

Take one step in the right direction. Then do it again. Productivity and success are not complicated. Success is taking 20 steps in one direction rather than one step in 20 directions.

One step.

Consistency.

Miracles and enormous results overtime. The compound effect.

You can do this.
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Go to the profile of Benjamin P. Hardy
Benjamin P. Hardy
Medium member since Mar 2017

Benjamin P. Hardy is a husband & foster father of 3. Pursuing PhD in Organizational Psychology. Get my 2 free eBooks (on productivity & blogging strategy) @ https://benjaminhardy.com/