Poker, News and random rants about me, life in general and ... did I mention poker already?

Jul 5, 2012

The beauty of duty

Thursday, July 05, 2012 Posted by Unknown No comments

"If you don't do anything, don't expect that the circumstances will improve in your favor out of sheer luck. "

Whilst we "don't always get what we want", we often underestimate the side effects of our efforts along the way even if we don't fully succeed. It does not necessarily depend on what we do but rather the fact that we acknowledge an imbalance and take the necessary steps in order to improve. 

About 8 weeks ago, I started working out more regularly, not because I want to impress anyone but rather the fact that I didn't feel comfortable anymore. I was eating unhealthy, worked 10+ hours in front of a computer and drank a lot of coffee. Whereas the coffee is not necessarily bad and even reduces the risk of Alzheimer for example, it also symbolizes an addiction and the psychological necessity that we depend on something in order to succeed.

I am still working 8-12 hours per day in front of the computer depending on the urgency of things that need to be done, but I have also reserved 2-3 hours every day to work out and so far lost about 7 kilos. I am far from where I want to be and there is no must to lose a specific amount of kilos, but I can most definitely feel the improvement and simply feel better in general. From what I can tell, I have not reached the "inner balance" yet that I am looking for, but it's a start and takes some dedication and a certain will to punish yourself.

Being stubborn helps, discipline doesn't hurt either and it is always up to us to make things happen. There is no golden rule, but if we treat our body badly we will suffer in the long run and I hopefully woke up in time to avoid severe consequences. Eating more healthy is an integral part of the change and I haven't had any alcohol either for three months nor do I feel the need to have a coffee or a sugar-overdose in form of energy drinks to keep tight deadlines for work.

As a matter of fact, the confidence in the own abilities will grow if you set yourself reasonable goals that are not too weak and not too far out of reach. Not that I was lacking confidence before, but it's a nice re-assurance and reminder to get rid of the oh-so-ever mind-fuck "What if?". A regular activity schedule also keeps you busy and creates a comfort zone, where every little step is a milestone in the right direction. 

There is an interesting quote that I will always keep in mind:

"When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."

~ Alexander Graham Bell ~

If we wait too long, we may not get the same opportunity again and it is our duty to take responsibility of our actions. Of course it would be much easier to blame others, but who would have ever been at fault for me not working out or paying attention to eating healthy? I am old enough to make my own decisions ... and also realize when I was wrong. Hopefully I opened the right door and I am looking forward what it still has to offer as I didn't fully explore the new and unknown room yet. But there is always a first time for everything and with some luck I will be able to keep up the pace and see the kilos dropping and the inner balance growing.

As far as poker is concerned, I'd say I am a victim of my own work ethics because I barely get time to play anymore and have to take more responsibility for some of my work projects. I even turned down an offer because it would have simply not been possible to always be available to the fullest and provide the quality I expect from myself. The door is not closed yet though and another one may open in the very near future as well, the next two weeks should bring more news and I am already looking forward to another potential challenge.
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