One of the many reasons I’m drawn to the yin yang is because each side carries a small seed of its opposite. Duality! I also like that the premise of the yin yang reinforces my favorite quote from Napoleon Hill: “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

It’s in that duality or contrast that we can find the answer we’re often desperately seeking or resisting. And, if we’re willing and capable, we can use that contrast to grow, evolve, and level up in our lives.

The following duality examples are taken from this phenomenal interview.

Discipline on the daily, but compassion for when you fuck up so that you can show up tomorrow and do it all again. Because it’s about the consistent reps, and the willingness to come back when you fail.

Strive, then surrender. Drive forward consistently, but once you reach the moment where you have to take your hands off the wheel, make sure you surrender so you can align with the right thing.

Intensity for the work, but deep joy. This shit doesn’t really matter and we should always have fun.

My favorite kinds of content are either spiritual girlie shit where we tap into our oracle energy and live in more flow, or business bro punch you in the teeth David Goggins type shit. It turns out that they both carry a little bit of the other.

Here’s one more big duality:

The free spirits hate a plan. And as a self-identifying free spirit I get it. But the truth is that discipline is freedom. It’s freedom from the rat race and from the programming. Because if we don’t show up for ourselves, and create for ourselves, we’ll be creating for someone else forever. And we’ll live by their rules, even if we think we don’t.

Discipline doesn’t need a parade. Real discipline is doing what you said you would do, and then doing it again without fanfare.

We’ve all hit slumps where we need to lock back in, but discipline and consistency around my work and my health has been the secret to my success. I spent years getting up at 4am to build my business. I didn’t take a day off and I still don’t. I don’t really ever know if it’s a Monday or a Friday. The days, the mood, the holiday doesn’t matter. I know the plan, I stick to it. And that has given me all the freedom I could ever want.

I’m in a season in which I find that discipline is also saying no to pretty good offers. It’s focusing on what’s a big yes. And creating the environment that will be most supportive of achieving new goals.

Don’t get it twisted that consistency is for Type A robots. I’ve found that the more discipline I employ, the more chop wood carry water type shit I do, the better it sets me up to act with reckless abandon when the right opportunity presents itself.

Love you, bye!