You ever wonder why some people just keep doing it? Doing what? You’re probably asking and well the answer to that could be just about anything. Why does a guy like Donald Trump (at least before he came president) still wheel and deal like he was an unknown real estate developer? Why do guys who are far past their prime still climb into the ring and give it a go with some far younger than them?
Why do guys who could sit back, relax, and watch the sunset for the rest of their days instead usually dive back into whatever got them into that place with renewed force? And so on and so forth. What drives a man to do these things? Why causes a man to get back into where the going is tough even though they have no reason to any more? Maybe they’re rich, maybe they’re accomplished, and/or maybe they’re happy yet they still want to dive into the fire.
One could say that it’s pride (both the good kind and the bad) and yeah that may have something to do with it but that’s not answering the entire question. One could say boredom and yeah maybe that’s a factor but still not grasping the whole thing. There are other areas as well, wanting to stay relevant, making sure they still “got it”, and so on and so forth. But still we’re missing the point.
What A Man Doesn’t Need To Thrive
The Creator made us in certain ways with specific functions. The closer we get to fulfilling those functions the happier that we get. That’s why creating a great work of art, fathering a child, or winning your first fight are all so much more fulfilling then filling out your taxes properly, successfully navigating the draconian rules of HR, successful completing diversity/sensitivity/neutering training and so on and so forth.
Some things are more in line with who we were created to be and who we are naturally than others. And sometimes much of what we pursue is not what we actually want. Give a man a million bucks and he’d be a lot less happy than you’d think. Now I’m not so foolish as to say that he wouldn’t be any happier to all (of course he would) or that money doesn’t matter (of course it matters) simply that he wouldn’t be ultimately fulfilled as many believe that they would.
No, man lives on more than bread alone. There is something more that the spirit (which is stronger than both the mind and the body needs) and while the mind and the body can be fulfilled and all temporal needs met (food/shelter/etc.) one can still be greatly unfulfilled and feel like it wasn’t even worth it there is something more to all of this. There is that “song in one’s soul” that I talk about (a deep and important topic, but also one for another time) and not what I’m talking about here.
What A Man Needs To Thrive
So with all that being said what am I talking about here? What is it that man needs? What is it that keeps his soul happy and “well fed” in a way? That thing is challenge. When man is functioning properly what he seeks out and wants to master is challenge. At least if a man is healthy and good news, the best to get healthy if one is not it seeking out and overcoming challenges. It is through challenge and mastery that man grows and becomes more.
It can be all sorts of different things. Look at the original focus of this site mastery of one’s own body, women, and money. But it goes beyond that. Skills and hobbies as well. Boxing, BJJ, painting, making speeches, writing fiction, and so on and so forth. Challenges to be overcome and to test one’s mettle, training, and strategy against. To understand deeper and grow larger because of.
That is what a man needs to stay truly healthy. He needs a battle to fight, a war to win, and above all a”profitable” direction in which to head. Without these things he starts to stagnate and ends up all sorts of places that he never wanted to be. And many of these places are hard to get out of once one is there (but again topics for other times). Seek out challenge, in doing so you will become stronger, better, and more than you thought possible. Maybe that sounds a bit cheesy but it’s a true statement. One you’ll have to experience for yourself.
Seek It & Propser
Seek out challenge. Be the first to meet the fight head on and figure it out. Work hard, work smart, be strong, and be wise. Seek out the many varied challenges that the world has to offer you and never let off from them. Doesn’t mean you can’t have periods of enjoyment and rest of course (balance is important) but still seek out the challenge and become sharpened and refined by it.
Keep seeking out that fire that will take you to that next stage of development. There is no permanent rest in this lifetime so make the most of it. Keep yourself sharp and keep improving. Never stagnate for that is death. Keep improving, keep learning, and keep moving forward. Seek out challenge for it is a blessing and is needed for true fulfillment. Seek it out and prosper.
If anything I said here interests you I’d highly recommend you check out The Ultimate Alpha Collection which is a compilation of 16 of my books for the price of 5. It covers everything from being a man to making money to getting the right mindset to getting girls to fighting and more and is a resource no man should be without. Pick up your copy today!
-Charles Sledge
