What most people don’t understand is why some people do things they don’t have to do.
What almost no one understands is why a few of those people even do things that are not only voluntary, but also uncomfortable.
- I get up at 6, even though I don’t have to be anywhere.
- I walk in the rain, even though I have an umbrella.
- I write every day, even though no one pays me for it.
- I take the stairs, even when there’s an escalator.
- I did the Nofap challenge for 200+ days in 2015.
- I didn’t drink for 2 years from 2014–2016.
- I took cold showers every day for 1.5 years straight.
- I quit coffee for 100 days in 2015.
There are plenty of reasons to do these things, like personal growth, learning, mastering your habits, making more money, becoming your own boss, and so on.
But most of all, I do it because I want more than what’s in the brochure.
Growing up is a bit like the world walking you through the catalogue of life.
“See, this is the high school graduation section, after which you’ll get a job. You can also check the college option for extra brownie points. Then, you’ll spend 40 years in the career section, but hold your horses, we haven’t even gotten to retirement yet!”
But what if I don’t want to sign up for Humdrum Life Tours™? What if I want all the options and then some?
If all you do is what you’re told, you won’t get more than what you were promised.
Sometimes not even that. The brochure might be glossy, but the hotel room could still be full of cockroaches.
What most people don’t get about me is that all these weird, risky, unpaid, unreasonable things I’m doing aren’t my lottery ticket. They’re my safety net.
So if you don’t find what you’re looking for in the brochure, give it a try. Maybe discomfort is for you too. And maybe it’s safer than you think.
