In case you don't want to read the rest of the article, it's about adaptability.

Now that I've added a clickbaity subtitle, let's finish this. I've been someone who has always operated in extremes. I've been extremely lazy, extremely active, extremely irritable, extremely calm, extremely emotive, extremely emotionless, extremely focused, extremely lost, extremely creative(according to me because ego), extremely non-creative (also according to me, and a few others)' you get the idea.

When I started my training in martial arts, I was trying to fulfill my dream of acquiring the skills to be fight-ready. Mind you, I had NO PLANS to teach, or become a fighter, or anything like that. I just wanted to learn. And I was drawn to the discipline of it. Over time, I was obsessed with it. I just wanted to get better. I wanted to be the best and I forgot that getting better is a process. Now, typically, if you are putting in the effort but you're still not getting anywhere, it's usually because you're not paying attention to how far you've come in the path. So when I hit that block of, 'I'm not getting better'(which also had other factors ' job, relationships, health) and hit the proverbial rock bottom of life, a friend of mine told me to 'let go'. So after much effort, I did and there began my journey into understanding self-care. Over time, I came to the understanding that contrary to my limited understanding, letting go of control does not mean letting go of discipline.

If you're like how I was, you would think that discipline and letting go of control are completely opposite things. Imagine realizing how they're both essential components of self-care and basically, living!

I know a lot of you are probably thinking, 'well, this makes no sense'. I would like to highlight a few things that'll make this clear. If you've heard or looked at anyone who's considered highly successful, and I do not mean this in the net worth kind of way, they'll tell you that they focused on effort, let go of the outcome and only focused on what gave them a deep sense of fulfillment and happiness. They all live by the statement ' The struggle is guaranteed, the success is not. But it lets you have, is the power to love learning and love uncertainty. Why uncertainty? Because it's not in your control. No matter how much you may think that you control the outcome of something, you really really don't.

'So why bother trying? And what about the people who made it? How can you say they didn't have control of the outcome?'

Well, I'm saying they let go of the outcome of the effort, but they had the discipline to continue making the effort. Understand that letting go requires discipline as well. It's understanding that the subtle balance between making a consistent effort and at the same time, being detached from the outcome of it all leads to adaptation. It allows you to adapt to the present moment and make the change you need to in order to move in the direction that you ultimately want to and experience all of it to the fullest possible extent because what is life if you haven't experienced it all? So if there is one thing you take from this story, let it be this ' Be disciplined enough to make the effort and let go of the illusion of control. Be comfortable in the uncertainty. Experience the highs and the lows rather than being scared of them because ultimately, the only thing that stays with you the experience and that is what defines your life.