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Crawling thru a sewer pipe filled with sh*t: Why it matters.

MJ DeMarco

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You're in prison and your MEANING/PURPOSE is to escape to FREEDOM.

dufraine.jpg

You're speaking to a fellow inmate, Joe, and he says...

Joe: Hey man, we've discovered a way to escape this shit-hole and FREE yourself.

You: Yea? How?

Joe: In shitter number three, in the west bathroom, the bricks behind the toilet are all lose and you can crawl out behind it. Behind the wall there is a sewer pipe and freedom will be as simple as crawling through a sewer pipe filled with shit. You want in? We're going tomorrow.

You: Crawling through a sewer pipe filled with shit? That sounds disgusting, not to mention I have bad knees and shouldn't be crawling.

Joe: What? Have you heard anything I said? WE CAN ESCAPE THIS PLACE.

You: Yes I heard you, but crawling through a sewer pipe into freedom isn't how I expected to free myself. I don't like how that sounds and it kinda nauseates me. I'd rather wait until a more pleasing opportunity comes by. It be really nice to escape hiding in a bin of freshly laundered sheets.

Joe: But all the laundry is done onsite here at the prison, you'll never escape because that opportunity will NEVER come.

You: Oh well, I guess I'll remain a prisoner for the rest of my life. Besides, we get free food here.

Story by MJ DeMarco (Please attribute if sharing!)

Moral of the story?

Your refusal to embrace discomfort and unpleasant actions (crawling through a sewer pipe filled with shit) is what keeps you in prison. No, your dream opportunity of escaping in a stack of freshly laundered sheets isn't going to happen. Do the damn dirty work or remain a slave.

This story came about as I was reading in another thread where someone had mentioned that their meaning/purpose was quite simple: FREEDOM: To be free from SCRIPTED bull-shit and to do whatever they wanted.

In my opinion, that type of MEANING/PURPOSE is the BEST because not all meaning/purposes are the same. Some, in fact, are detrimental to your success.

Why?

Because some meaning-and-purposes are all inclusive of action, behavior, and opportunity. The more generalized your purpose, the better it will be in helping you conquer the world. Like our prison example, "freedom" is very generalized and suddenly ALL ACTIONS are considered, even crawling through a sewer. Yet, the more specific your purpose, the worse it probably is.

(Note: We're assuming ALL actions here are ethical and legal.)

So when you confine your meaning and purpose to specific *things* -- say, I want to be the best race car driver on the planet! -- you RISK confining your action to a limited set of actions and opportunities. When the sewer opportunity floats by, you dismiss it. Meh, not sure how that will help me become a great race driver.

In other words, you will refuse to pursue other opportunities because it falls outside of your limited scope of purpose and vision.

So I'll leave you with this...

What is your MEANING and PURPOSE in life?

Is it general, such as "FREEDOM?" Or is it SPECIFIC and perhaps, hindering?

And if it is a hindrance, what can you do to REFRAME it so you'll take advantage of freedom-making opportunities, discomforting actions that might resemble crawling though a sewer pipe filled with shit?


 
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CDM

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You're in prison and your MEANING/PURPOSE is to escape to FREEDOM.

View attachment 18820

You're speaking to a fellow inmate, Joe, and he says...

Joe: Hey man, we've discovered a way to escape this sh*t-hole and FREE yourself.

You: Yea? How?

Joe: In shitter number three, in the west bathroom, the bricks behind the toilet are all lose and you can crawl out behind it. Behind the wall there is a sewer pipe and freedom will be as simple as crawling through a sewer pipe filled with sh*t. You want in? We're going tomorrow.

You: Crawling through a sewer pipe filled with sh*t? That sounds disgusting, not to mention I have bad knees and shouldn't be crawling.

Joe: What? Have you heard anything I said? WE CAN ESCAPE THIS PLACE.

You: Yes I heard you, but crawling through a sewer pipe into freedom isn't how I expected to free myself. I don't like how that sounds and it kinda nauseates me. I'd rather wait until a more pleasing opportunity comes by. It be really nice to escape hiding in a bin of freshly laundered sheets.

Joe: But all the laundry is done onsite here at the prison, you'll never escape because that opportunity will NEVER come.

You: Oh well, I guess I'll remain a prisoner for the rest of my life.

Moral of the story?

Your refusal to embrace discomfort and unpleasant actions (crawling through a sewer pipe filled with sh*t) is what keeps you in prison. No, your dream opportunity of escaping in a stack of freshly laundered sheets isn't going to happen. Do the damn dirty work or remain a slave.

This story came about as I was reading in another thread where someone had mentioned that their meaning/purpose was quite simple: FREEDOM: To be free from SCRIPTED bull-sh*t and to do whatever they wanted.

In my opinion, that type of MEANING/PURPOSE is the BEST because not all meaning/purposes are the same. Some, in fact, are detrimental to your success.

Why?

Because some meaning-and-purposes are all inclusive of action, behavior, and opportunity. The more generalized your purpose, the better it will be in helping you conquer the world. Like our prison example, "freedom" is very generalized and suddenly ALL ACTIONS are considered, even crawling through a sewer. Yet, the more specific your purpose, the worse it probably is.

(Note: We're assuming ALL actions here are ethical and legal.)

So when you confine your meaning and purpose to specific *things* -- say, I want to be the best race car driver on the planet! -- you RISK confining your action to a limited set of actions and opportunities. When the sewer opportunity floats by, you dismiss it. Meh, not sure how that will help me become a great race driver.

In other words, you will refuse to pursue other opportunities because it falls outside of your limited scope of purpose and vision.

So I'll leave you with this...

What is your MEANING and PURPOSE in life?

Is it general, such as "FREEDOM?" Or is it SPECIFIC and perhaps, hindering?

And if it is a hindrance, what can you do to REFRAME it so you'll take advantage of freedom-making opportunities, discomforting actions that might resemble crawling though a sewer pipe filled with sh*t?


This shit sucks.

Seriously.

I keep setting money on fire trying to find the right audience to market to, the right messaging to use, the right offers to make, ways to make my product more valuable...

I get up 1,2, even 4 hours early some days so I can study and code and set up ads.

I’ve learned how to code, how to market on various platforms, how to copyright etc. I’m not claiming to be good at any of these things yet.... just that I spend a lot of time trying to learn them and get better.

Then I get dressed and go to my shitty job. Sure it pays well. But it’s drab, and dull, and a waste of my energy. I grit my teeth through meetings and conference calls and web trainings which could all be short emails. I work on my business 50% of the time I’m at work.

I won employee of the year. It feels like I won slave of the year. I keep that shitty plastic award that probably cost $2 to make on my desk at home to remind me how badly I need to escape. It brings me zero pride. It took very little effort.

When I’m done with my work day I come home and eat. I play with my son for a bit before he goes to bed.

Then I work out and /or I work on my business some more.

I’ve been doing this for 4+ years now. Some days (today) I feel like I’m going to have a mental breakdown.

Again... this shit sucks.

But I know it’s better than another 40 years of mindless meetings that could be emails.
 

MJ DeMarco

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WJK

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why 30s is too late? It's not too late, It's just harder. In this mathematical equasion to get $=energy*time. The older you are the less energy you have, I think this is about 2% per year. The older you are the less time you have - your obligations increases (children, family, work) - all this things are against your success (not always! sometimes having a child and family is great motivator). But working is huuge disadvantage. Your biggest energy levels are at hours 7-14. Take some time and read "One thing" - Garry Keller. So if you work - your projects takes 50% more time to be finished.
edit: it's not impossible, you can still make huge things at that age - see Arnold Schwarzenegger biography - but you need to be the Terminator ;)
I'm a lot older than you guys in your 30s. I'm 64 and I totally disagree with you about declining productivity due to age. I have some young people around me who spending their time, using a lot of energy, and they get nothing important done. They sometimes look up and ask me why and how I get so much more done than they do.

I've had the time to create some hacks for a lot of chores, challenges and problems. They are routine and easy for me after all of these years.

I have a lifetime of good habits -- I thought through all these issues years ago, and decided how I wanted to live my life.

I have a wonderful base to build on for most things I want to do. I seldom run into something for which I have no knowledge or experience.

I am happy to be my age. I wouldn't go back to being young for anything. My youth was painful and messy. I'm happy to have left all that behind. These are my most productive years!
 
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S.Y.

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R-E-L-A-X, people!

@CDM, if you feel you are near a breakdown. Reduce your workload for a bit, recharge and get back to it - without forgetting what you are after. Grinding is great. Doing it to the point of having a mental breakdown might not be wise.

I do think the disadvantage of "working" is overrated. Say you spend - per week - 50 hours at work (40hours + 10 hours of commute), 7 hours for hygiene and stuff, 56 hours sleeping; you still have 55 hours unallocated. Constraints can be a good thing. They force you to be effective.

And I do agree with you @gileneusz, there is two paths:
- doing the heavy lifting as a one-man team
or
- assembling the resources (people or asset) to see a vision through.

I will much more do the latter, but to each its own.

This story came about as I was reading in another thread where someone had mentioned that their meaning/purpose was quite simple: FREEDOM: To be free from SCRIPTED bull-sh*t and to do whatever they wanted.

This. For a long time I felt guilty of not having a "bigger" purpose, you know: solving cancer, reducing poverty, etc... My purpose was right in front of my eyes, yet I wasn't seeing it. Funny enough, it hit me while I was on my computer reading about A.I and Machine learning.:

Him: Daddy never wants to do anything with me
His Mom: And how do you feel about it?
Him: Sad

Him being my son. Since then it has been crystal clear: I want FREEDOM, but not only for me; but for my son too.

Thanks for this post @MJ DeMarco. Really, thank you.
 
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CDM

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Maybe. But maybe you only know a fraction of the story?

And I’m not dying anytime soon. If this mountain proves to be too much, then I’ll find another. And I’ll be better prepared.

Who are you again? Are you a skilled mountain climber? Are you familiar with my mountain?
I don't know your story and I'm not a skilled mountain climber, I'm rather a guy who discovered MF 10 years too late on my 30s. All I can say is that this is superhard and MJ seems not to mention this in his book enough. But math is simple - rather you join to sth successful or make sth successful yourself. If you want to make sth successful, you need to be better than other successful people. And this is superhard. No easy ticket here (if you are not a child of Donald Trump)

...and that's why I'm still on the mountain.

We don't climb mountains because they are easy or small.

We climb them because they are big and difficult. We know the rewards of getting to the mountain top are better than just looking at the mountain from a distance.

And yes. It sucks.

It's windy and cold and this pack is heavy.

But it's still more fun than looking at the mountain from a distance.

I'm in my 40s btw. Not sure why you think 30+ is too late?
 

CDM

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I guarantee in 10 or 20 years when things are better, you will look back on this time with fondness.

I know.

And I doubt it will take 10 years.

Furthermore, it doesn’t really suck that bad. You just caught me on a bad day.

One gets used to the shit smell, here in the sewer (or the cold on the mountain, or whatever other metaphore you want to use).
 

Kak

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maybe you have choosen too big mountain to climb - If you want to make sth alone - you need to do this quickly - otherwise you will die at the desert of desertion

There is no such thing as too big of a mountain. This is called being a pussy. And why do you keep typing “sth”, what does that mean “sth”?
 

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This is gold. Could you give any details of your steps during your journey? I don't ask for a long text, just few milestones or rock-solid advices. It reminds me playing video game (HOMM 3 ;) ) When I started playing it, it was complicated and hard, after few months I was fluent, now when I start over after many years of not playing it - I can set difficulty on "impossible" and win without any problem.
It's back to the old standard -- it takes about 10,000 hours of practice to get good at anything. And to be really good, it takes multiple sets of skills and expertise -- so that's 10,000 hours for each different aspect.
I have gone to the expense and effort to educate myself, both formally and through self education. It primes the pump.
There are 5 levels of expertise:
1. You don't know that you don't know.
2. You know that you don't know and start to pay attention.
3. You can do the skill with difficulty. Generally, at that level you'll hate the whole thing.
4. You can complete the skill OK. It still takes effort and carefully following the steps.
5. You can do the skill so naturally that everyone thinks they can do it too. You make it look so easy. You are an expert.

There are no short cuts that I know of in this process. There are no magic bullets. There are no 4 hour work weeks -- until you get to the expert level. Only on that level, you become poetry in motion. You own that little slice of the world!
 
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Longinus

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Quit my job last week and already fell with my face flat in some shit.

Had an accident with my gf's car.
Mechanical problems with my car with +€1000 costs.
Supplier problems for my products.
Problems with Chinese embassy for my visa.

After years of almost no problems, I have it all at once, right after I quit! It's like I'm in that sewer trying to catch a breath and suddenly hundreds of people take a shit RIGHT NOW.

Anyway, I see it as a test. Just have to make more money.
 

Kak

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I started my journey few months ago and this seems to be 10x harder than I previously thought.

It will get 1000 times harder than you previously thought if you have only been at it for a few months.
 
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keith4444

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It's back to the old standard -- it takes about 10,000 hours of practice to get good at anything. And to be really good, it takes multiple sets of skills and expertise -- so that's 10,000 hours for each different aspect.
I have gone to the expense and effort to educate myself, both formally and through self education. It primes the pump.
There are 5 levels of expertise:
1. You don't know that you don't know.
2. You know that you don't know and start to pay attention.
3. You can do the skill with difficulty. Generally, at that level you'll hate the whole thing.
4. You can complete the skill OK. It still takes effort and carefully following the steps.
5. You can do the skill so naturally that everyone thinks they can do it too. You make it look so easy. You are an expert.

There are no short cuts that I know of in this process. There are no magic bullets. There are no 4 hour work weeks -- until you get to the expert level. Only on that level, you become poetry in motion. You own that little slice of the world!

Many of you will have seen this before but this reminds me of the 4 stages:
Unconscious Incompetence
Conscious Incompetence
Conscious Competence
Unconscious Competence

Like when we learn to drive a car, we think we know how to drive a car, we've watched other people drive cars - cant be that hard can it? This is Unconsious Incompetence

When we satart to learn how to drive a car we realise HOW HARD it really is! This is Conscious Incompetence

When we've had many lessons and pass the driving test. This is Conscious Competence

Now after several years we can get in and drive that car without even thinking of how or when to change gear etc - Finally this is Unconscious Competence
 

MoneyDoc

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But MJ, I don't want to do the hard work :( I just want the freedom...

Nothing pisses me off more than a person who literally complains 24/7 about how life is unfair, how capitalism is cancer, how the 1% are evil, how the only way to get rich is to do something illegal or have connections, yet, have the audacity to spend their bi-weekly paycheck on fine dining, clubbing, and designer bags in one weekend.

Great post MJ!
Wow... how time flies by.

I'm sorry but I had to quote myself guys... It's almost March 23 2019, 1 year after I made this post. I LITERALLY crawled through shit. I don't remember going out one weekend from this post to today. I don't remember watching TV, playing games, wasting time on useless crap.

I DO remember the countless sleepless nights.

I DO remember the amount of times my family was on the brink of bankruptcy.

I DO remember the amount of times I would watch my mom literally drive to work crying because she didn't want to go.

I DO remember the tears I would hide from all the distress I was in.

I DO remember the sports gambling problem I had.

I DO remember the times I just wished everything would end.

I DO remember telling myself "You're NOT a quitter. You're NOT meant for average. You WILL make it."

The result? I'm in a 100x better position than I was last year.

Thanks for the bump @MJ DeMarco - you brought back so many feelings. Wow.
 
Last edited:

Rabby

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Love this. I've crawled through sewer pipes, and would do it again. No doubt I will crawl through several on the way to the next level.

Notes:
  • The pipe is of indeterminate length, but usually about twice as long as I assume it will be.
  • At random intervals, there are flush-ports that dump you back in prison if you don't swim up-stream through crap for roughly 17 hours at a stretch to get away. Well, depending on who designed your prison, and how convoluted you made your escape plan.
  • Every so often other prisoners will attempt to break your legs and deliver you to angry prison guards. For some perverse reason these types hate escapees and love prison guards in a rather creepy way.
 

MJ DeMarco

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Bump, since discomfort is becoming more of a common theme here.

Looking back, boy did I have to climb thru some shitty sewer pipes.

@MTF might be a good story to put into your newsletter on slow content days.
 

RogueInnovation

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Ha awesome I love Shawshank
Damn, so true
My journey was ugly
So ugly that a few close friends of mine were like "dayum, that is terrible"

But hey my view of it is like this
If you have to go to that place to get where you wanna go
Who has the right to stop you
And why should you stop yourself?
You shouldn't, cuz if you are willing to battle it out, good on you
Be proud of who you are you know?
 

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But MJ, I don't want to do the hard work :( I just want the freedom...

Nothing pisses me off more than a person who literally complains 24/7 about how life is unfair, how capitalism is cancer, how the 1% are evil, how the only way to get rich is to do something illegal or have connections, yet, have the audacity to spend their bi-weekly paycheck on fine dining, clubbing, and designer bags in one weekend.

Great post MJ!
 
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MJ DeMarco

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I just sent this to like 6 people. This is GOLD.

Thank you for the shares, but please attribute to me. I don't need any bro-marketers stealing it and claiming it their own! ;)
 

MJ DeMarco

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gileneusz

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this is f%cking awesome!

there is no easy way here. I started my journey few months ago and this seems to be 10x harder than I previously thought. But from my new point of view - when I'm watching scripted people now - they are screewed and they living in their dreamworld - "one day I will become", and attending conferences like "the future of something" and thinking that attendence at these conferences and this ONE great idea will make them rich and famous. NO FREAKING WAY! Starting just a stupid website is a lot of work, and they want to run next Facebook or Linkedin. Okay - and of course they will not write the code themselves. They are saying "Why are you coding? You loose a lot of time, just hire someone to code it". Then I answer them - by coding yourself you are reducing risk a lot. "Meh" is their response ;)
 
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Kak

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This sh*t sucks.

Seriously.

I keep setting money on fire trying to find the right audience to market to, the right messaging to use, the right offers to make, ways to make my product more valuable...

I get up 1,2, even 4 hours early some days so I can study and code and set up ads.

I’ve learned how to code, how to market on various platforms, how to copyright etc. I’m not claiming to be good at any of these things yet.... just that I spend a lot of time trying to learn them and get better.

Then I get dressed and go to my shitty job. Sure it pays well. But it’s drab, and dull, and a waste of my energy. I grit my teeth through meetings and conference calls and web trainings which could all be short emails. I work on my business 50% of the time I’m at work.

I won employee of the year. It feels like I won slave of the year. I keep that shitty plastic award that probably cost $2 to make on my desk at home to remind me how badly I need to escape. It brings me zero pride. It took very little effort.

When I’m done with my work day I come home and eat. I play with my son for a bit before he goes to bed.

Then I work out and /or I work on my business some more.

I’ve been doing this for 4+ years now. Some days (today) I feel like I’m going to have a mental breakdown.

Again... this sh*t sucks.

But I know it’s better than another 40 years of mindless meetings that could be emails.

Rep+++++++++

I’m convinced every successful entrepreneur has been there and experienced something similar.
 

MJ DeMarco

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...and that's why I'm still on the mountain.

We don't climb mountains because they are easy or small.

We climb them because they are big and difficult. We know the rewards of getting to the mountain top are better than just looking at the mountain from a distance.

And yes. It sucks.

It's windy and cold and this pack is heavy.

But it's still more fun than looking at the mountain from a distance.

I'm in my 40s btw. Not sure why you think 30+ is too late?
why 30s is too late? It's not too late, It's just harder. In this mathematical equasion to get $=energy*time. The older you are the less energy you have, I think this is about 2% per year. The older you are the less time you have - your obligations increases (children, family, work) - all this things are against your success (not always! sometimes having a child and family is great motivator). But working is huuge disadvantage. Your biggest energy levels are at hours 7-14. Take some time and read "One thing" - Garry Keller. So if you work - your projects takes 50% more time to be finished.
edit: it's not impossible, you can still make huge things at that age - see Arnold Schwarzenegger biography - but you need to be the Terminator ;)
 

CDM

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@CDM, if you feel you are near a breakdown. Reduce your workload for a bit, recharge and get back to it - without forgetting what you are after. Grinding is great. Doing it to the point of having a mental breakdown might not be wise.

I had a shitty morning and probably shouldn’t have used the phrase “mental breakdown.”

That being said, I do plan to chill for a day or two.
 

Edwin Fernandez

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Joe: Hey man, we've discovered a way to escape this sh*t-hole and FREE yourself.

@MJ DeMarco Thanks you for this gold nugget of wisdom. In this story, you'd be the guy who made it out a while back; returning to the prison boundaries risking his own freedom, once again, trying to get one time former inmates out, sneaking in the escape plans, your books.

Thank you for your courage, thanks for caring. You words inspire true, non-fake hope.

(***humbly, and quickly cowers away with head bowed…***)
 
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LuckyPup

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You're in prison and your MEANING/PURPOSE is to escape to FREEDOM.

View attachment 18820

You're speaking to a fellow inmate, Joe, and he says...

Joe: Hey man, we've discovered a way to escape this shit-hole and FREE yourself.

You: Yea? How?

Joe: In shitter number three, in the west bathroom, the bricks behind the toilet are all lose and you can crawl out behind it. Behind the wall there is a sewer pipe and freedom will be as simple as crawling through a sewer pipe filled with shit. You want in? We're going tomorrow.

You: Crawling through a sewer pipe filled with shit? That sounds disgusting, not to mention I have bad knees and shouldn't be crawling.

Joe: What? Have you heard anything I said? WE CAN ESCAPE THIS PLACE.

You: Yes I heard you, but crawling through a sewer pipe into freedom isn't how I expected to free myself. I don't like how that sounds and it kinda nauseates me. I'd rather wait until a more pleasing opportunity comes by. It be really nice to escape hiding in a bin of freshly laundered sheets.

Joe: But all the laundry is done onsite here at the prison, you'll never escape because that opportunity will NEVER come.

You: Oh well, I guess I'll remain a prisoner for the rest of my life. Besides, we get free food here.

Story by MJ DeMarco (Please attribute if sharing!)

Moral of the story?

Your refusal to embrace discomfort and unpleasant actions (crawling through a sewer pipe filled with shit) is what keeps you in prison. No, your dream opportunity of escaping in a stack of freshly laundered sheets isn't going to happen. Do the damn dirty work or remain a slave.

This story came about as I was reading in another thread where someone had mentioned that their meaning/purpose was quite simple: FREEDOM: To be free from SCRIPTED bull-shit and to do whatever they wanted.

In my opinion, that type of MEANING/PURPOSE is the BEST because not all meaning/purposes are the same. Some, in fact, are detrimental to your success.

Why?

Because some meaning-and-purposes are all inclusive of action, behavior, and opportunity. The more generalized your purpose, the better it will be in helping you conquer the world. Like our prison example, "freedom" is very generalized and suddenly ALL ACTIONS are considered, even crawling through a sewer. Yet, the more specific your purpose, the worse it probably is.

(Note: We're assuming ALL actions here are ethical and legal.)

So when you confine your meaning and purpose to specific *things* -- say, I want to be the best race car driver on the planet! -- you RISK confining your action to a limited set of actions and opportunities. When the sewer opportunity floats by, you dismiss it. Meh, not sure how that will help me become a great race driver.

In other words, you will refuse to pursue other opportunities because it falls outside of your limited scope of purpose and vision.

So I'll leave you with this...

What is your MEANING and PURPOSE in life?

Is it general, such as "FREEDOM?" Or is it SPECIFIC and perhaps, hindering?

And if it is a hindrance, what can you do to REFRAME it so you'll take advantage of freedom-making opportunities, discomforting actions that might resemble crawling though a sewer pipe filled with shit?

Get busy living. Even if it means living in shit for awhile.
vjB.gif
 

MJ DeMarco

I followed the science; all I found was money.
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Bump for all the people avoiding Crawling Thru A Sewer Pipe Filled With Sh*T at the moment.

What about all the people who are in the middle of the pipe!?

We need a bump too! ;)
 

ZackerySprague

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If it has to be feces I have to crawl through, so be it. At least I can shower at the end of the day somewhere.
 

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