Kobe Bryant recently gave a speech about how the people on stage weren't up there because of talent+ability. They were up there because of 4am.

This got me thinking about how swallowing the red pill has brought me to be able to conquer something that, for the duration of my 30+years on earth, I've never been able to conquer: early mornings.

I've always slept in and made excuses. I've blamed it on being born a night owl or whatever dumb shit helped me rationalize away this weakness.

Since swallowing the red pill (and it's still on it's way down - not a smooth descent), I've recognized that I am the only one standing in the way. Nobody or nothing else is. Only me.

I saw a guy with a shirt that said "conquer thyself" as a teenager and thought it sounded cool. Now that shirt has deeper meaning. I have the mindset now to handle waking up when it's pitch black and below freezing and drive to the gym 6 days a week, feeling great the entire time, knowing I'm on the path to greatness.

My wife has seen me go on plenty of kicks over the years, all lasting a week or so. It's dawning on her that this ain't no kick. And it's also dawning on her that I'm doing this for me, not for anyone else. The attraction is building. But no matter where it leads within my marriage, I'm not letting up. This tastes too good.

Conquer thyself.