Lessons Forged in Iron, Spirits Tempered in Fire

Working out hurts.

Working out hard hurts even more.

Your muscles burn and your body tires, your lungs heave and your breath comes in great panting gasps. And if you push the envelope further in search of your own personal limits, inevitably you ask yourself why you're willingly putting yourself through such torture.

The reason, of course, is for the gains. The answer is for the rewards.

Because the magic doesn't happen during the workout itself. That's just the catalyst that breaks down muscle and provides signals unto the body that it needs rebuild itself bigger and stronger.

But that process happens painfully slow. Rebuilding a body into newer and greater forms takes long months and years before you see substantial progress that makes others exclaim in surprise when they hardly recognize you.

Rebuilding a spirit takes even longer. For most, copious lifetimes need pass before they attain significant progress in improving the substance and quality of their soul.

Yet despite the disparate nature of those timelines, weightlifting and spiritual evolution have much in common.

Both require a plan. Both demand discipline. Both necessitate devotion of time and effort towards that goal.

And most of all--both require that you endure copious amounts of pain.

Weightlifting is the process of forcing your physical form to handle weights so heavy you can hardly complete the lift. It requires overriding every inhibitory instinct of the body and tapping into the true potential of the central nervous system so you can foist loads two, three, four times your bodyweight.

It requires dedicated motivation and effort to override the body's natural impulse towards homeostasis, which is the preference for biological organisms to maintain whatever their current state happens be. So if you're fat, the body wants remain overweight. If you're thin, same deal.

And the mind labors under similar restrictions. For the brain prefers blindly following the habits that already exist within its neurological structure.

So if you're habitually mean to people, the mind wants continuing being mean. If you're habitually rude, it wants remain rude.

So spiritual evolution is exactly like weightlifting, because you need override the default instincts of the mind and force it into compliance until you literally shock it into new forms.

And just like weightlifting, getting in the "gym" of reality and performing sets and reps of making yourself be nice, kind, compassionate, empathetic, and loving can be intensely painful in the present moment.

It hurts suppressing our preconditioned instincts. It takes effort to resist impulsively blurting forth or acting out whatever words or orders the brain insists you perform.

But for those willing to endure that pain, for those willing to work towards long-term rewards--both in the real gym and the gym of reality--miracles can happen. Because miraculous transformations will eventually occur.

In several months or years of overriding your muscles and tapping into the depths of your nervous system, you can train yourself to lift a ton of weight and look/perform so drastically better than you'll think you somehow woke up in a completely different body.

And in several years or decades of overriding your brain and remapping its habitual reactions, you can train yourself to the point where you cease having any unwanted or negative reactions to situations in the world around you.

You can literally make it so you're living inside a totally different mind.

Taoists believe that the universe is a giant cosmic forge where souls/spirits get tempered and refined unto perfection. And the brain serves as the cosmic hammer that beats down with incessant force with its habitual reactions and molds the spirit into new shapes.

If you have a brain filled with negativity and hate and cruelness and anger, your spirit will inevitably devolve into worse forms with each trigger of neurons and swing of that bludgeoning voice inside your mind.

If you have a brain filled with positivity and love and compassion and light, your spirit will invariably evolve into greater states with each occurrence of benevolent instincts.

Now here's the part that matters: You have complete control over that forging process--because you can override every preexistent instinct within your brain.

All it takes is discipline. All it takes it devotion. All it takes is time and energy put towards that goal.

And here's your plan:

From the point forward, refuse to succumb unto any negative impulses of the brain. Override it whenever it compels you towards birthing hate or rudeness or any adverse emotions into the world. Ignore it when it tells you to manifest additional darkness into this reality.

Then no matter how hard it seems or unnatural it feels, force yourself to spread nothing but light and love.

Just like weightlifting, at first this will be an exhausting war where your endurance soon wears out.

But after long spans spend in constant practice, it'll become second nature.

It'll start getting easy--because like the muscles of your body, your brain will grow into greater forms.

And just as you'll eventually be amazed at the weights you can hoist skyward, you'll be astonished at the amount of love you can spread into the world.

The only real difference is--where with weightlifting you can stand before a mirror and flex your newfound muscles and admire your hard-earned body, not until after this life will you get a chance to examine and admire your newly-evolved spirit.

But I promise you, if you act with discipline and devotion and invest your time and energy--if you're willing to suffer the psychic pain of overriding your mind until it transmutes into a new form--you'll be amazed at the results.

Your self-forged spirit will shine brighter than the sun.

Your new home will be in the heavens above.

All it takes is constant and persistent efforts. All it requires is willingness to absorb a little pain.

But the rewards it provides will last throughout eternity.

Remake your mind and spirit within the amazing gymnasium of this beautiful world.

Then when this life finally ends, enjoy an endless reward in paradise beyond.

originally posted by: Trachel
Working out hurts.

Working out hard hurts even more.

Your muscles burn and your body tires, your lungs heave and your breath comes in great panting gasps. And if you push the envelope further in search of your own personal limits, inevitably you ask yourself why you're willingly putting yourself through such torture.

The reason, of course, is for the gains. The answer is for the rewards.

Because the magic doesn't happen during the workout itself. That's just the catalyst that breaks down muscle and provides signals unto the body that it needs rebuild itself bigger and stronger.

But that process happens painfully slow. Rebuilding a body into newer and greater forms takes long months and years before you see substantial progress that makes others exclaim in surprise when they hardly recognize you.

Rebuilding a spirit takes even longer. For most, copious lifetimes need pass before they attain significant progress in improving the substance and quality of their soul.

Yet despite the disparate nature of those timelines, weightlifting and spiritual evolution have much in common.

Both require a plan. Both demand discipline. Both necessitate devotion of time and effort towards that goal.

And most of all--both require that you endure copious amounts of pain.

Weightlifting is the process of forcing your physical form to handle weights so heavy you can hardly complete the lift. It requires overriding every inhibitory instinct of the body and tapping into the true potential of the central nervous system so you can foist loads two, three, four times your bodyweight.

It requires dedicated motivation and effort to override the body's natural impulse towards homeostasis, which is the preference for biological organisms to maintain whatever their current state happens be. So if you're fat, the body wants remain overweight. If you're thin, same deal.

And the mind labors under similar restrictions. For the brain prefers blindly following the habits that already exist within its neurological structure.

So if you're habitually mean to people, the mind wants continuing being mean. If you're habitually rude, it wants remain rude.

So spiritual evolution is exactly like weightlifting, because you need override the default instincts of the mind and force it into compliance until you literally shock it into new forms.

And just like weightlifting, getting in the "gym" of reality and performing sets and reps of making yourself be nice, kind, compassionate, empathetic, and loving can be intensely painful in the present moment.

It hurts suppressing our preconditioned instincts. It takes effort to resist impulsively blurting forth or acting out whatever words or orders the brain insists you perform.

But for those willing to endure that pain, for those willing to work towards long-term rewards--both in the real gym and the gym of reality--miracles can happen. Because miraculous transformations will eventually occur.

In several months or years of overriding your muscles and tapping into the depths of your nervous system, you can train yourself to lift a ton of weight and look/perform so drastically better than you'll think you somehow woke up in a completely different body.

And in several years or decades of overriding your brain and remapping its habitual reactions, you can train yourself to the point where you cease having any unwanted or negative reactions to situations in the world around you.

You can literally make it so you're living inside a totally different mind.

Taoists believe that the universe is a giant cosmic forge where souls/spirits get tempered and refined unto perfection. And the brain serves as the cosmic hammer that beats down with incessant force with its habitual reactions and molds the spirit into new shapes.

If you have a brain filled with negativity and hate and cruelness and anger, your spirit will inevitably devolve into worse forms with each trigger of neurons and swing of that bludgeoning voice inside your mind.

If you have a brain filled with positivity and love and compassion and light, your spirit will invariably evolve into greater states with each occurrence of benevolent instincts.

Now here's the part that matters: You have complete control over that forging process--because you can override every preexistent instinct within your brain.

All it takes is discipline. All it takes it devotion. All it takes is time and energy put towards that goal.

And here's your plan:

From the point forward, refuse to succumb unto any negative impulses of the brain. Override it whenever it compels you towards birthing hate or rudeness or any adverse emotions into the world. Ignore it when it tells you to manifest additional darkness into this reality.

Then no matter how hard it seems or unnatural it feels, force yourself to spread nothing but light and love.

Just like weightlifting, at first this will be an exhausting war where your endurance soon wears out.

But after long spans spend in constant practice, it'll become second nature.

It'll start getting easy--because like the muscles of your body, your brain will grow into greater forms.

And just as you'll eventually be amazed at the weights you can hoist skyward, you'll be astonished at the amount of love you can spread into the world.

The only real difference is--where with weightlifting you can stand before a mirror and flex your newfound muscles and admire your hard-earned body, not until after this life will you get a chance to examine and admire your newly-evolved spirit.

But I promise you, if you act with discipline and devotion and invest your time and energy--if you're willing to suffer the psychic pain of overriding your mind until it transmutes into a new form--you'll be amazed at the results.

Your self-forged spirit will shine brighter than the sun.

Your new home will be in the heavens above.

All it takes is constant and persistent efforts. All it requires is willingness to absorb a little pain.

But the rewards it provides will last throughout eternity.

Remake your mind and spirit within the amazing gymnasium of this beautiful world.

Then when this life finally ends, enjoy an endless reward in paradise beyond.

ah I needa get back into the gym been meaning to for a while now but the spiritual side of things I tend to give a miss kinda gave up hope for us humans we tend to # each other over a lot! Anyways...

originally posted by: robbehah I needa get back into the gym been meaning to for a while now but the spiritual side of things I tend to give a miss kinda gave up hope for us humans we tend to # each other over a lot! Anyways...

Ha, I need to visit the gym more too. Right now I'm only doing three/four days a week, but I'm planning a summit attempt sometime next year so it's time to get the cardio and endurance up.

Cheers to you!

originally posted by: Trachel

originally posted by: robbehah I needa get back into the gym been meaning to for a while now but the spiritual side of things I tend to give a miss kinda gave up hope for us humans we tend to # each other over a lot! Anyways...

Ha, I need to visit the gym more too. Right now I'm only doing three/four days a week, but I'm planning a summit attempt sometime next year so it's time to get the cardio and endurance up.

Cheers to you!

hate cardio dnt mind Weight lifting 3/4 days a week is gd I was at it near 7 days a week at one stage then got lazy gave up started drinkin stopped drinkin needa get my ass in gear got myself a bike been cycling quite a bit lost a gd bit of weight needa bulk up again after stripping down gna b a hard few months ahead but wen it's starts again it will fall into place again nicely


Hopefully lol...




oh good luck with the summit attempt wen u do it!

originally posted by: robbehhate cardio dnt mind Weight lifting 3/4 days a week is gd I was at it near 7 days a week at one stage then got lazy gave up started drinkin stopped drinkin needa get my ass in gear got myself a bike been cycling quite a bit lost a gd bit of weight needa bulk up again after stripping down gna b a hard few months ahead but wen it's starts again it will fall into place again nicely


Hopefully lol...



oh good luck with the summit attempt wen u do it!

Thanks much!

originally posted by: Trachel

originally posted by: robbehhate cardio dnt mind Weight lifting 3/4 days a week is gd I was at it near 7 days a week at one stage then got lazy gave up started drinkin stopped drinkin needa get my ass in gear got myself a bike been cycling quite a bit lost a gd bit of weight needa bulk up again after stripping down gna b a hard few months ahead but wen it's starts again it will fall into place again nicely


Hopefully lol...



oh good luck with the summit attempt wen u do it!

Thanks much!

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