Life Is a Battle. Will You Win?
You Must
Hi friends. Welcome to the YouTopian Journey. Today’s issue discusses why you must win in the battle that is life.
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THE BATTLE THAT IS LIFE
“I don't quite know what we're doing on this insignificant cinder spinning away in a dark corner of the universe. That is a secret which the high gods have not confided in me. Yet one thing I believe and I believe it with every fibre of my being. A man must live by his lights and do what little he can and do it as best as he can. In this world goodness is destined to be defeated. But a man must go down fighting. That is the victory. To do anything less is to be less than a man.”-Walker Percy, The Moviegoer
The clock is winding down.
Not just on this quarter.
Not just on this year.
But on our lives.
This is a sunset that will not have a dawn.
All we have is now. All we have is the battle.
Years ago, I introduced the concept of the Time Eater, the Chronophage, the beast that stalks us all.
This is just one of the many villains we face. Yet this figure serves as the memento mori of not just YouTopian Journey, but of our existence.
And is the primary villain that we must all fight.
Including you.
Understand that your time is fleeting. It will slip through your most protective defenses and easily become harvested, never to return. Most never even make an attempt at having such defenses. What should be protected by high walls and impregnable defenses is left wide open and given freely. The multitude lose their most precious resource and have little to show for it except old age and regret.
This is the battle.
And you must not lose.
YOU MUST NOT.
“I can feel guilty about the past, apprehensive about the future, but only in the present can I act. The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.”-Abraham Maslow
You must set your goals and go after them. You cannot become trapped in the endless cycle of distraction.
You are more than capable of fighting such a battle. Even more encouraging, you are more than capable of winning. So many people have fought the very same battle, going against the opinions of their peers, the obstacles in their path, and the distractions and obligations that seek to rob them of their time.
They have emerged victorious.
You can emerge victorious.
The future we desire is legitimate. Our goals are legitimate. But it requires acting in the present, at this very moment, to bring that future to reality. It requires an acceptance of the battle that must be fought.
And you must fight it!
So many understand this yet fail to act on this understanding.
They refuse to fight the battle and lose the war. They put off to tomorrow what needs to be done today. They engage in meaningless tasks in order to have the illusion of meaning. The busyness and sameness of everyday life replaces the inner striving and inner conflict that is required to not only fight the battle, but win.
It is far easier to boast, brag, and fake your life than to fight the required battle. This is why social media is so harmful and yet paradoxically so popular at the same time. It shows people a life they could have without the blood, sweat, tears, effort, and sacrifice that is required to obtain that life. Much better and easier to avoid the fight, take a selfie, find an inspirational quote, and live for the moment.
Not act in the moment, but live for it. These are two different concepts.
“Since “the society” has no future, it makes sense to live only for the moment, to fix our eyes on our own “private performance,” to become connoisseurs of our own decadence, to cultivate a “transcendental self-attention.”-Christopher Lasch, The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in An Age of Diminishing Expectations
Living for the moment only postpones the inevitable. Before you know it, your time will be gone, and your existence with it.
But acting for the moment allows for a reaction to take place. Action results in action, leading to new paths being forged and new opportunities discovered. It is only by acting in the present that you can have the future that you desire. This is how you will achieve your victory. Not by avoiding the battle, but by seeking it, acting upon it, and moving forward.
Cowards flee from the battle while the anxious put it off for another day. Yet the person who acts has the initiative and the power. The person who takes action for their future takes a role in shaping it.
Be that person.
Be the person who has a desire, a dream, a fantasy that they want to bring to reality. They know the battle that awaits yet they press forward.
Be the person who knows their time is limited and that every day must count.
Be the person who wants to look back on where they started and marvel at their own achievements, which were hard fought and hard won.
Be the person that can be the role model that this society needs.
Take action today and I promise you that you will have a better tomorrow, despite the obstacles and difficulties that lay in your path.
You deserve that future in your mind and we deserve you.
Prepare for battle!
Set aside the distractions that plague you. Remove yourself from the various news feeds that command your attention. Silence the notifications and alerts. Unplug yourself from a culture that demands your binging rather than creating. Focus on what is important. Win the battle within and I promise you that your future will be one full of promise and reward.
“Your battles inspired me-not the obvious material battles but those that were fought and won behind your forehead.”-James Joyce
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I promise you that there are people who need to read this and win the battle that they are fighting. By sharing this, you can support them in their journey.
Shaun