Day 2 | Life: The Gift of Self Correction.

From my childhood stories, maybe similar to yours, you could see for the things I did want to do, I was fairly alright with paying the “disciplinary price”. For the activities I did not want to do but did, there was an additional layer of discipline, self discipline, which could be stricter than that of the adults. Based on these, we could deduce that there are things that are not good for you, that you might do, even though you did not want to do — even though you were lured into it by someone else (like your cousins). It’s one of our many gifts — the ability of self to override self. We, humans, are blessed with the ability to do something we do not want to do. Do you agree?

With getting older, gaining more knowledge of self, and understanding (though a very little bit of) what I think Life is all about — I’ve come to accept that humans were equipped with everything they require for a life in Godliness (to live life to the highest/purest form of living one can attain). We just have to pull it out. Actually, we have to pull it out and use it for its intended use, and that’s the big part.

The gift of self to be able to override self, can be a shining light or a self dug hole.

Let’s get into it.

I have spent the better part of the past month thinking about this concept of overriding self. Spend sometime as well, think on it. Your realizations would send chills to your bone.

This is because the whole concept of society is built on this one premise that a human can override themselves to do something whether they want to do the said thing or not. They — can — override — themselves. You do not have to drag them like a dog who doesn’t want to go for a walk. They can bring themselves to carry out the action, regardless of their “opinion” on the matter.

This is scary.

The whole concept of society is built on the understanding that you can override yourself.

Think of the military. A soldier is to carry out an order whether it goes against their ideology or not. Plain, simple. Any action contrary to obeying orders come with consequences.

I remember the video (from last year) of the DC soldier miming the words and chants of the protestors (this is where his heart was) yet he stood ready for action against the protestors — because that’s what he’s bringing himself to do, following orders. His mouth’s moving with the proclamations of the protest, yet his hands were mobilized ready to go against the same people his mouth supports. Do you see how conflicting self override could be?

His commander does not have to worry about the soldier siding with the protestors, he can mime all he freaking wants, as long as he continues to override himself to carry out his commands, it’s all good in the (Army) neighborhood.

The concept of employment rests upon the assumption that no matter what Sunday brings, you are highly likely to override yourself to come to work on Monday morning. Commerce (your rent, mortgage, lenders), Transportation (you expect the Pilot to override his drinking urge, override his emotions from his pending divorce, override his nap time to fly the plane without too many bumps), it goes on and on into the fabric of society. The expectation to override self. Because it is never acknowledged nor spoken of, makes it all the more powerful, like second nature.

“Why did you do that?”, “I felt like I had to”

Think about situations at your job when an override is necessary, it generally happens because the initial attempt does not qualify for execution based on previously set criterias, therefore the attempt gets denied. Until someone steps in to give an exception. This same principle happens in your mind, only a lot of us are engaged in constant overrides, one after another. So much so you don’t even know what your default setting is anymore.

This is why rich money is called FYou money. Because when you reach this height, you no longer have to override yourself continuously (not as you would without the money). Shoot, you don’t have to override yourself at all, if you don’t want to, people now override themselves for you!

But for majority of us who are yet to attain this height, overriding self is constantly expected. Knowing this, take some time, understand the life you want to live, review the different areas you currently override yourself, spend some quiet time pay attention to areas of your life where you fight with yourself, then begin to work your way to sanity. Understand how long you plan on overriding yourself, understand how you plan to preserve your original state so you do not lose your balance, understand overriding is all it is, an override, not an adjustment of who you are, make sure what’s temporary remains temporary.

Do you know what happens the first time a teen smokes a cigarette? The teen coughs. Eyes water. Remember? Awesome.
Do you know what happens the tenth time a teen smokes a cigarette? Nothing. >>\\Override successful.\\<<

It takes an override to begin a habit, it takes an override and a total configuration change to come out of a habit. So be very careful about overriding self for the first time.

Like Da Vinci said 520 years ago, “it is easier to resist at the beginning, than at the end.” See why a lot of people would never come out of a habit?

Know what Napoleon Hill wrote 84 years ago? Here: “when men first come into contact with crime, they abhor it, if they remain in contact with crime for a time they become accustomed to it and endure it. . .finally embrace it and become influenced by it.”

Be suspicious of anything that requires an override. There’s a reason your natural systems frown on certain actions, as long as your system’s (mental) healthy. Be careful not to turn the refusal of overrides as an excuse to become lazy or continuously unproductive. Yet do not become the happy jolly rancher who constantly knows no foundation, because everything is overridden.

If I’m headed in a direction but I do not know where I want my destination to be — am I lost?

Let’s move on.

Day 3: What Is Good For You.