"There is no limit to the good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit."
~ General George C. Marshall~
I am often asked the question regarding where I get my motivation from...
"How do you get so much energy?"
"Do you drink a lot of coffee?"
As Quatro Deuce described at The Underground Strength Conference, I HAVE discovered my "WHY!?".
Many others, have not. Let me explain a bit more through this video.....
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xHrW_tk4Yc[/youtube]
Here is what I suggest you do today:
- Take a LONG walk or run in the quiet. Preferably through some trails or the local park. A place where all you can hear is your own thinking, the sounds of nature and the beating of your heart.
- Run / Walk MUCH longer than normal. Allow your mind to go into deep thought as you keep asking yourself "WHY?" over and over again. Let your emotions dig deeper each time you ask yourself "WHY?"
- Don't be surprised if you are overcome with emotions and begin crying. That is a GOOD sign and means that you are digging deeper and being honest with yourself about the DEEPEST meanings behind your training.
You will KNOW when you've discovered your "WHY?". This "WHY?" will evolve over time, but the bottom line is that you will have a very deeply rooted emotional reasoning behind WHY you train.
Perhaps now you will understand why I always tell you that The Underground Strength System and our various training programs are not all about bigger muscles. BIG muscles are one thing, a STRONG mind, body & spirit are a whole new world and will carry your motivation every single day of your life.
I've heard experts say "Motivation doesn't last, that's why we recommend doing it every day, just like showering."
Get out there and make it happen for yourself and those you love.
Live The Code, Advance & Conquer.
--Z--
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9 Responses
Great post Zach! That audio file changed my life the first time I listened to it. The second time.. yeah buddy! Good stuff!
Hellz yea, you need to keep listening over and over again!!
Zachhh,
Nice post! And i can relate. I discovered my “WHY?” several years ago during that weighted walk. I took comfort in being uncomfortable and KNEW that great men have to build themselves from the ground up. Working hard always pays off in the end, whether it be strength training, career-hunting, committing to your kids’ education—it all pays off in the end.
In my workouts, i always strive to work harder and harder, because I can! It builds me to be a better man every single time. And let’s face it, being strong….is just downright awesome, man. 🙂
Case in point—day after Thanksgiving (belly stuffed as hell), had a lot of backed up energy—what do I do? Time to put those calories to use, and CHALLENGE myself. I noticed a common pattern in my training. Anytime I overeat by a mile—I always find the need to challenge myself like no other. I did a volume workout. I brought with me a pair of 50lb dumbbells to my mom n pops. They laughed, of course.
I gave myself an Hour. DB Bench Presses supersetted with 1-arm rows. Nothing fancy. Just brutal hard work. The last time I tried this superset, I got
DB Bench: 84, 40, 40, 35.
Rows: 125. 50, 50, 50.
However, the challenge pushed me so far beyond what I thought I could do. I ended up getting, no joke,
DB Bench: 452 reps total.
Rows: 1000 reps total (500 each side).
All done with sets of 50 reps and 25 reps.
It makes me look back, am I pushing hard enough? Motivation is built from within.
It’s all a man needs to be great— motivation and commitment to ball-busting work.
HOLY SHYT!!! DW I can’t wait to meet you, bro, you’re a fucking Monster of a MAN!!!!
Zach,
Thank you for the kind words! Unfortunately, I’m not DW—–
i’m DM!
Yes, I know…it can be confusing, but you apparently have two beasts named Dustin. But the good news, at least ur meeting one of them real soon from my understanding! Dustin W will be there, bro.
Someday, we’ll have the opportunity to meet. One of these days, I’m going to follow through with my dreams and open up my own damn gym. You’ll definitely get an email! It’s too bad we do not live closer! Oh, you can COUNT on me and Scott (my bro in law) showing up for one of your certs—no doubt! Hopefully in 2013!
Now go….drink a cup of coffee and breed monsters. 🙂
Sorry but this is bullshit. Just the same as the billions of people in the history of the world who have committed suicide couldn’t just “decide” to be happy, and just the same as millions with depression have chemically corrected their serotonin and dopamine system and -not until then- became happy, a person cannot just “choose” to feel motivated. In essence, your message basically boils down to “You’re not trying hard enough.” I find that incredibly insulting. I have reached way down deep as you suggested, done lots of soul searching and when that failed, called on every single ounce of will power I possess. Yet I still have no motivation to do what I know I need to do. Motivation, just like all human processes, is chemicals in the brain and if you honesty believe in free will you are fooling yourself. In summary, I have three letters for you: D. N. A.
Nichole – I guess since you can’t find you’re “WHY?” then yes, it’s all bull shit.
It’s all DNA.
I wanted to approve BOTH of your comments but I found this one better, as your negativity is shown best here with your opening line.
I’ve seen MANY unmotivated people get motivated when they discovered their WHY – something deep down drove them and fired them up.
But, if it makes you feel better to say it ain’t so, go ahead.
You seemed highly motivated to make sure your comments got across.
I hope one day when you do find your motivation you can realize you were actually wrong.
Oh ok, I see you post that comment and throw away the one where I corrected it and was much more polite. Looks like you’re trying to win people over and make me look bad more than anything else.
I just have one last thing to say and then I am done. Some people will never accept the true nature of reality no matter how much evidence surrounds them. For some people believing that they have free will feels good and that feeling is all that matters. Anybody who threatens that ignorant bliss will be made to look “negative.” Not that it matters – smart people can see right through it all.
First, “many” isn’t all, in fact it isn’t even most. And yes, SOME people do get lucky enough to cure their chemical imbalances. You missed my point and that was that those few who are able to work it out on their own already had more ability to do so in the first place. For most people – especially the ones who find themselves asking google why they can’t find any motivation even though they are trying as hard as they can (and I’m sure every person reading this is trying as hard as they can, right?) – it is so bad that knowing exactly “why” they want something, isn’t nearly enough to give them the drive to do it. It all depends on where you start… dna… and how far gone you are from there. For example, even being the motivation expert that you are, you’ve probably never heard of Anhedonia. Is that right? It is a condition where you lose all ability to experience pleasure. No pleasure means no reward. No reward = no motivation. And I assure you, knowing why you want something is not going to cure this disease.
Granted, anhedonia is just a full blown extreme form of what everybody has to a lesser degree. All human’s dna is 99.9% the same, wih only tiny variations giving us different eye color, different skin color etc. That is why almost everybody has trouble being happy. Learn astrology and you will see how your energetic environment determines your dna storyline. Which in essence, is fate.
Just like depression, just like all the processes of thoughts and emotions, motivation is norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine – a delicate and complex working of neurobiology. Millions commit suicide every day. Anhedonia and sucidal depression are the epitome of suffering, and people with free will would never choose to suffer. If I am wrong, then so is the next person who is about to kill themselves. Go ahead and tell that person, right when they have that gun to their head, that they just didn’t try hard enough to find their “why.” If, as you so boldy proclaim, I am wrong, then I’m sure you won’t be afraid to post their response, right here for all to see.
Edit, I meant thousands.
Goodbye and good luck to you all.