"Stop being your own enemy." What the fuck is that supposed to mean? " I only wish the best for me!", you could say. Then why aren't you doing everything that's best for you? We all have things we know we should be doing, yet we always somehow manage to find some sort of bullshit that's more important than our own well-being. If you aren't going to go all out for your desires and goals, who the fuck do you think will?

Now, there is a main way you can sabotage yourself, and that is by the way you think. To some degree, we cannot choose our own thoughts, yet patterns can be created. As the coward facing an adversity thinks to himself "I cannot do this", the brave one believes that "I can overcome any obstacle that comes my way, and if not, I shall be at peace with myself because I've done my best". Now, what could you do in order to stop worrying about dumb shit that will probably never happen? Think of your brain as a muscle. How do you strengthen a muscle? You train it. How do you train it? By constantly practicing healthy habits for your mind, taking gratitude for example. Next time something doesn't go according to plan, always remember how far ahead you are compared to most of the people, and how blessed you are for having a bed to sleep in and having food to eat. You'll see how many problems you consider to be major become so insignificant compared to what issues others have. Walking to work becomes a pleasant thing when you consider the fact that about 19.4 million people cannot walk more than a quarter mile.

Your thoughts influence your actions and vice versa

Every single person that has accomplished something great during their lifetime had an idea in mind, and a desire to put it into practice. The whole process of materialization is what stops most of us from achieving our goals. Good news is, in 99% of the times we have the power to make it work, be it getting the body you want or mastering various skills. Bad news is, every meaningfull thing takes months, probably years, and it also requires consistency. Lots of it. And that's where most people get lost. "Why the fuck does this whole consistency thing make it so hard? " Because of your thoughts. Let me explain:

There are an infinite number of possibilities for you to fail, yet only one way to succeed. You know it. Need to get that promotion? Put in the work. Wanna learn how to play the guitar? Put in the work. Seems like putting in the work solves most of our problems, and it pretty much does. The problem is when you stop trying to better yourself.

Lack of action starts where doubt begins. "What if I'll never make it?" is a question that usually makes most of us stop the pursuit of greatness. Let me tell you something: It's all risky. Every single action you take is risky, be it fucking, eating, or going grocery shopping. In fact, life is so fucking risky that none of us will make it out alive. So, don't be the slave of your own mind. See, the brain wants you to survive, not to thrive. Usually at the first sign of distress, you'll tend to abandon ship. And that's exactly when your growth will take place, and it's exactly when you shouldn't quit. Next time, change all those doubts and negative thoughts with a simple "I'm going to get through this". Repeat it religiously, and embody it. Soon, you shall see how powerful your thoughts are and how important they are for your well-being. Whenever you feel the dark thoughts coming, force yourself to think for the better. Why? Because we can never know for sure what the future has in store for us. A good example for this would be Socrates. While being in jail, sentenced to death by the dikasts(people chosen as jurors), a couple of his friends tried to rescue him. When confronted with the opportunity of running away, the great philosopher said that he does not want to escape. Death didn't scare him. Why? "Nobody knows what happens when you die, and that's why I choose not to be scared of it. It could be the best thing to ever happen to me." This is an extreme example, yet I find it to be the most significant. You can either stress the fuck out of yourself, or empower yourself, being your own master, independent and fearless in front of an unknown future.

We are what we repeatedly do

Ever heard of the Snowball effect? It's a metaphor used for a process that starts from an initial state of small significance and builds upon itself, becoming larger and gaining importance. That's pretty much how our habits are created. The longer we do something, the harder it begins to stop doing it, basically becoming a routine. Now, we have the ability to choose them, and unless you make them beneficial to your cause, you'll soon find yourself in deep shit. A really cool guy called Aristotle once said "We are what we repeatedly do", and I tend to agree with him. You make a habit of being greatful and thinking in a positive manner? You'll live a happier life. You make a habit of going to the gym? You'll live a healthier life. Same thing goes for the opposite. Most of us feel discouraged by the thought that it takes hundreds of hours to build a good foundation of customs, and it sure seems to be like a hell of a mountain to climb. Don't look at the mountain, look at the steps in front of you. Don't look at the multitude of exercises you need to do, just look at the following rep at the bench press. Basically, don't look at the following year, not even the following month. Focus on today. Try giving as much as you can today, as if there was no tomorrow. Make a plan for today, and hold onto it no matter what. Need to work for the next hour? Don't contemplate about how hard it will be to also go to the gym afterwards. Simply face the present, because that is the only certain thing in our life. Face it and do your best. Don't accept failure, nor excuses for not doing what you told yourself you'd be doing. It's simply a matter of priorities, and you ought to make yourself a priority. We cannot predict our future, yet we can influence it to some degree. And it's our duty to make the choices that benefit our own self.