I haven't been in this game for very long, but I've seen some highs and I've seen some lows. Style mentions in his email correspondence that "you are only as good as your last sarge" and "it never stops getting difficult. it never stops being a challenge. Your self-esteem is always on trial". A lot of us can certainly understand this sentiment because we all want to succeed and none of us want to fail.

What I've learned over time is that you learn just as much from your successes as you do from your failures. During the rough times, a lot of us crash and burn and look for that one thing that will help us get through the "wall" separating us from the next level of PU artistry. During the smooth times, we scrutinize our performance to the greatest extent in order to figure out how to capitalize on that success from that point forward.

So what I have taken from this introspection is that the results of a sarge should not be determined by your number of #closes, *closes, or even !closes. It's about how much you learn as a result. Also, do a field report. It's a great form of catharsis and it will give you some time between you and your inner critic. Once your thoughts are on paper (or screen), you can leave it be and drive on. It won't be fresh on your mind anymore. When you need help or inspiration, you can look back at your old field reports later on when the details aren't as fresh in your mind.

Most importantly in regards to performance and inner state, I found something in a Carlos Xuma e-book that really helps. He suggests that there are two types of people in the world: externally validated and internally validated. External validation comes in the form of various closes while internal comes from just the excitement and feeling from going out there and trying your best. I agree with this 100% because PUA's all around the world are doing what AFC's are not. They're approaching sets and constantly calibrating their game while AFC's stand in the shadows and wonder "what would it have been like to talk to HB10?". We should feel validated based upon the fact that we are putting forth the blood, sweat, and tears in order to become successful with women.

Any thoughts?