Beyond the Competition

A problem for many people, is motivating themselves when nobody else cares whether they improve themselves or not -- and it is more profitable for others, that they do not -- and so they “need” their help for that purpose. But of course, if one really improves, they will no longer require their help -- and so, a dysfunctional codependency is established for as long as it is possible to be maintained, or one simply no longer cares about such things any longer. That indifference more than anything else, is the reason people deteriorate and die.

So it is very important to retain that vital interest in everything -- because the time soon comes when there is no longer that caring, and without it, it doesn’t make a difference and matter what one does. That’s why many try to remain in “competitions” that somebody cares about for as long as they can -- but unfortunately, the time comes when there will be nobody to care other than oneself -- and so it is essential that one’s conditioning and education recognizes the need for self-validation and improvement, as the primary motivating force, which makes lifelong improvement possible -- even if nobody else cares.

Once that importance is recognized and cultivated, it is a relatively simple matter to effect -- but without that “caring,” nobody cares, and deterioration is what everyone is accustomed to seeing -- justifying it as the “natural “ and inevitable “aging” process. Mostly, it is about no longer caring, that produces that inevitable result. Caring is an organizing principle -- by which there is either improvement, or not caring that it matters anymore.

That’s why people often remain in the public eye -- as their motivation for keeping in top shape and condition -- to have somebody else provide that guidance. But there inevitably comes a time, when nobody else cares -- because there are those coming up, who are much more energetic, ambitious, and ruthless about hogging all the attention.

While one is youthful and naive, there are many organizations that will provide such guidance and preoccupation for the highly motivated in this way. Eventually, even the most dedicated and determined have to drop out -- because of the premature wear and tear on the body, especially the joints. At that point, all those joints are usually shot -- and so conditioning programs that use those same focal points of movement, are likely to result in “negative” conditioning until one ceases those activities entirely. That is the usual trajectory of an athlete’s career and participation -- unless he totally rethinks the requirements for fulfilling progress -- without which, most will be distracted onto other things as soon as possible.

Therefore, the psychological aspects of conditioning become much more important -- particularly in the understanding of the process -- beyond just doing what somebody else tells one to do, and even competing against oneself -- in which if one thinks about it, the more he wins, the more he also must lose -- in an escalating zero-sum game.

The key to improvement, should be measured in how well, rather than how fast, or how much, which are the usual buzzwords in such discussions. To go beyond that, to a greater understanding of effort and purpose, allows one to reach their goals of attainment, rather than always be left in that state of striving for an unattainable point beyond -- which of course, is always failure.