Simple Strength

I was at MidValley today to have lunch with some old friends. We all grew up in a small town and now most of us have seen the wider world out there. Are we wiser, or are we just the way we were before?

Most of us do not change that much. Our basic character is determined mostly by our DNA--the environment merely allows or prevents it from finding its true expression. Plant a seed in a flowerpot, the plant will grow to only a fraction of what it is capable of. But if you allow it to grow wild with enough space, sunshine and soil, it will expand into a majestic tree, with a large canopy. 

The environment nurtures and constraints us in equal measures. Sometimes we move to better environments that allow us to flourish better. Sometimes we trap ourselves in a rut. Life is a constant battle between our innate nature and the environment. If we find the strength, we end up shaping the environment to suit ourselves. But strength is a quality that's determined mostly by our genes.

How do we find strength whenever we need it? There's no guarantee that we will always be strong enough to overcome difficulties when they arise, but we can build habits that make it easier for strength to be summoned. Show strength when it is easy for you to do so. That way, you help to strengthen its muscles. By repetition, any action can become a habit. Repetition is something within our control. Even though we still require some willpower to overcome the laziness of performing an act, it is still more doable than summoning strength in a moment of weakness.

Give yourself easy wins. Make small wins a habit and by doing so you slowly build a habit of winning over your weaknesses. Find monsters that you can slay easily and slowly progress to more powerful ones.  Start with something doable: push away the junk food; walk to the convenience store; turn off the television. These are all simple tasks that can lead to bigger things: you'll find pleasure in rejecting unhealthy junk food after a while and even feel proud about it. A walk to the convenience store is a pleasurable way to exercise and to also accomplish an errand. Turning off the television forces you to focus on a more productive task like reading a book.

I always tell myself whenever I start a new blog post: just write one sentence and the rest will follow. And true enough, I've summoned enough strength to finish another post. My writing muscles have been further strengthened. That's one small accomplishment for today and I shall move on to the next one.