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Machine
09-06-10, 9:06 pm
I know I have spoken many times on the topic of what men fear and what they desire...but it just applies to almost every decision we make in life. They almost all boil down to what we fear and what we desire. What are you prepared to go through to attain your goals? What is the thing which you fear most?

Most people will automatically respond that the only thing they fear is failure; fear of not attaining the goals they set for themselves personally, professionally, or athletically. Let me call bullshit on that one right out of the box; while I certainly believe that people are aprehensive about the prospect of not attaining their goals, I know that the real fear they harbor deep inside is the fear that they wont be able to sustain the effort necessary to become preeminant. Let's face it; that is truly a fearful thought...

How will I continue in the face of pain without relief?

How will I convince myself to do it all again with the rise of the sun everyday?

Will I even want to do it anymore once I understand what it will take to sustain greatness?

Do I possess the mental apptitude to transition between the seemingly hollow machinations of the iron lifestyle...and the "normal" life lived by those around me?

In life; I have come across many men who seem to vasilate between positions; but I always had a well developed understanding of my life's trajectory. I am no better than any man; I simply understand the importance of coming to grips with my fears and desires.

Maybe I am totally off base here...but it will be interesting to find out how you feel about this topic.

The Misfit
09-07-10, 7:33 am
That is an awesome post.

I've always had it in my mind, my greatest fear, would be not to accomplish/attain my goals. However after reading your post, it makes sense and is very true of that;
"the real fear I harbor deep inside is the fear that I wont be able to sustain the effort necessary to become preeminent"

Thank you Machine for putting things in perspective.

Machine
09-07-10, 8:54 pm
The true self is what drives all of our actions...to deny that fact is to be a slave to fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of the known, fear of everything. Most people practice Great White psychology...if they stop moving (in this case movement refers to talking) they will die (in this case death refers to submission to fear). If all I do is speak, I never really listen, the modern world seems designed to proliferate unhealthy dependence upon the acceptance of others. It seems we are meant to spend all of our lives within the mental clutter and constant state of interruption of our natural thought patterns potentiated by being constantly in the presence of people...never a moment alone to consider our course. Solitude is almost illegal in this modern world...strange.

MACHINE

Ironfreakshow247
09-07-10, 11:15 pm
I know there are many things in life, but the one that haunts me is myself. I have the ability to be great to do great things when dedicated. However I often find myself with the scare of the beast inside me exploding outward. Almost know one I know truly understands my inner demons, Is that the point? Is it the point of life to hide all about ourselves in which we find despicable or do we openly express everything that which is true to our nature. Is it more human to be honest or to blend in with the crowd. I battle this everyday, I know I am different from almost any man I cross. Someday this great inner battle will end one way or the other, I can only hope it is for the better.

Machine
09-08-10, 9:03 pm
I know there are many things in life, but the one that haunts me is myself. I have the ability to be great to do great things when dedicated. However I often find myself with the scare of the beast inside me exploding outward. Almost know one I know truly understands my inner demons, Is that the point? Is it the point of life to hide all about ourselves in which we find despicable or do we openly express everything that which is true to our nature. Is it more human to be honest or to blend in with the crowd. I battle this everyday, I know I am different from almost any man I cross. Someday this great inner battle will end one way or the other, I can only hope it is for the better.


Hard to believe you are only 20...I will offer you this advice. Please do not wait for people to understand you, bring who you are and what you are to a boiling point by confronting your "demons" every chance you get. But as you make these confrontations understand that your actions have consequences, just as your inactions do.

Remember that there is a real difference between price and cost..."price" is what you are willing to quarter to obtain your desires in the now. "Cost" is what you are forced to surrender as time goes on in order for you to sustain all you acquired in the past...funny how that works. You will get everything you want, but are you sure your going to want everything you are going to get?

Believe this brother...you cannot hide anything about yourself for long...life is like sandpaper and shaves the candy coating off everyone...and we are ultimately left bare and exposed for all to see.

It is human to be dispicable, honest, dishonest, good, evil, pretty, ugly and everything else in between, but if you blend in with any crowd do the oppositte of whatever they do and you will err on the side of caution.

Good luck.

MACHINE

Ironfreakshow247
09-08-10, 10:24 pm
Hard to believe you are only 20...I will offer you this advice. Please do not wait for people to understand you, bring who you are and what you are to a boiling point by confronting your "demons" every chance you get. But as you make these confrontations understand that your actions have consequences, just as your inactions do.

Remember that there is a real difference between price and cost..."price" is what you are willing to quarter to obtain your desires in the now. "Cost" is what you are forced to surrender as time goes on in order for you to sustain all you acquired in the past...funny how that works. You will get everything you want, but are you sure your going to want everything you are going to get?

Believe this brother...you cannot hide anything about yourself for long...life is like sandpaper and shaves the candy coating off everyone...and we are ultimately left bare and exposed for all to see.

It is human to be dispicable, honest, dishonest, good, evil, pretty, ugly and everything else in between, but if you blend in with any crowd do the oppositte of whatever they do and you will err on the side of caution.

Good luck.

MACHINE
I know the route I have to take. It's gathering the balls to take the leap into the abyss of unknown. I've spent enough time pretending to be something i'm not, all in fear of what? backlash, anger, not being excepted? I'll pay the "price" and the "cost". The terms in which you have laid out these factors really brought everything into perspective, being the prettiest, personal, appeasing and PC individual does not get us where were destined to be. I've always needed to find someone who could "break it down". Thank you Machine

TigerAce01
09-08-10, 10:41 pm
I actually had a conversation with my fiance a couple of nights ago. We have some of the greatest and most stimulating conversations I've ever known, and this one revolved around our true fears. Not phobias or frightening objects, but true fears that keep us up at night.

In the past six months, I have relocated over 1,000 miles from my last location, I've become engaged to the love of my life, I've gotten the news I'll be a father in March, and I've gone from being financially supported to being the head bread winner of the household. Through all of it, I've never been scared...I know I'm going to be the absolute best husband, father, and role model I can possibly be.

What truly scares me is simple...I do not want to give up my lofty dreams in order to remain secure.

I want my child to know what it means to never let go of a dream...no matter how out of reach it may seem. I have worked out perhaps 5 times in the past six months...I miss it so much it drives me insane on some days. I live across the street from a gym, but because bills must be paid not only for myself, but for my family...I throw my luxuries under the bus. I wonder what is better...simply becoming a point of security for my family, or still attempting to achieve my dreams, perhaps even failing and causing hardship for the ones I love and care for.

-Ace

Howitzer
09-08-10, 11:03 pm
Fears huh. Bullshit on fear of failure? Alright. I'll dig deeper Machine. I've struggled on and off with a fear of death since I ran my first Dead On Arrival 4 and a half years ago. It was a messy one, but I'll leave that shit buried for now. I've struggled with my own mortality. I'm a paramedic and a firefighter, and I'm hoping to be a Doc one day. I bring myself into contact with the sick and the dying (active and otherwise) on a regular basis. It's hard sometimes. You gotta be compassionate and not think about your own worries as you're caring for them, otherwise it gets in the way (and you gotta be business on those serious calls if you have any self respect).

It's this struggle, however, that has made me realize that even though I'm about to turn 24, my time is set. I have a very finite amount of time to do what I want. My desire is to maximize my potential. I want to be able to look back and say "yeah. I did good." I want to be able to be proud of my past, and go without worrying.

I want to be like a select few of my patients. Most of them, if they are very sick and at all elderly, have multiple chronic health problems that come from not caring for yourself on the most basic levels. But about ten times a year I get an elderly person in my ambulance, always very well mannered, well kept (no matter how poor they might be), and they have a palpable sense of self respect. These folks, who are always in their mid eighties or nineties, will not have seen a doctor in twenty years, because they took care of themselves and "felt fine. Why would I visit a doctor if I'm not sick?" So here I am, to care for them on their first day of infirmity in twenty or thirty years.

I want to be one of those. They're calm, they're polite, and they've all got a wonderful sense of accomplishment about them. That's a grade A desire to have in my book anyway. Fuck my fears. I don't need to go big, but I do want to go out with my sense of accomplishment. That's all I need.

AntoineV
09-09-10, 12:46 am
You won't be afraid to lose if you know you gave your all..

Machine
09-09-10, 8:50 pm
Fears huh. Bullshit on fear of failure? Alright. I'll dig deeper Machine. I've struggled on and off with a fear of death since I ran my first Dead On Arrival 4 and a half years ago. It was a messy one, but I'll leave that shit buried for now. I've struggled with my own mortality. I'm a paramedic and a firefighter, and I'm hoping to be a Doc one day. I bring myself into contact with the sick and the dying (active and otherwise) on a regular basis. It's hard sometimes. You gotta be compassionate and not think about your own worries as you're caring for them, otherwise it gets in the way (and you gotta be business on those serious calls if you have any self respect).

It's this struggle, however, that has made me realize that even though I'm about to turn 24, my time is set. I have a very finite amount of time to do what I want. My desire is to maximize my potential. I want to be able to look back and say "yeah. I did good." I want to be able to be proud of my past, and go without worrying.

I want to be like a select few of my patients. Most of them, if they are very sick and at all elderly, have multiple chronic health problems that come from not caring for yourself on the most basic levels. But about ten times a year I get an elderly person in my ambulance, always very well mannered, well kept (no matter how poor they might be), and they have a palpable sense of self respect. These folks, who are always in their mid eighties or nineties, will not have seen a doctor in twenty years, because they took care of themselves and "felt fine. Why would I visit a doctor if I'm not sick?" So here I am, to care for them on their first day of infirmity in twenty or thirty years.

I want to be one of those. They're calm, they're polite, and they've all got a wonderful sense of accomplishment about them. That's a grade A desire to have in my book anyway. Fuck my fears. I don't need to go big, but I do want to go out with my sense of accomplishment. That's all I need.

Absolutely fantastic...you are living a real life...thank you for your insight, your bravery, and you willingness to share your life with us.

MACHINE

ripria091708
09-09-10, 8:53 pm
my biggest fear for the last 2 years has been myself....of what I could do if I didn't control myself. But now I have goal, something that I can strive for that isn't part of the monotony of life, something that doesn't allow my mind to wander to the past or to what if's. Lifting is what keeps me sane and keeps me grounded...it gives me a purpose and something to grab onto when I'm down/struggling.

Howitzer
09-09-10, 9:12 pm
No doubt Machine. I'm looking forward to what the other animals and animalettes bring to this thread. There's going to be some good shit here.

Nick101
09-09-10, 11:23 pm
Dam man, u hit the nail on the head there. getting to the end of my life and looking back and being proud of the way ive spent my time. People ask me everynow and than what do i believe in, in other words am i religious, my response is always the same and ill give it to you all. I dont neccessarily believe in God... but i do not believe that god should be the reason to do good deeds. I try to live my life with honor and dignity because at the end of the day noone has to look at me in the mirror except me. Knowing i can face my past with pride gives me that much more courage to face the future.

Nick