Without abandon

Philosophy #5: Be obsessed.

You may not know who this guy is, and you also may also raise an eyebrow at me for knowing who he is rather well, but I'm okay with that.

Fun fact about me: I hate football, but I can really get into some UFC.
*cue the judgement*
Go on. I'm used to it.

I happen to think it's an incredible sport that calls for an immense amount of dedication and athleticism, but I won't talk your ear off about it (for now). I do, however, want to use one man as an example for the point I'd like to make.

Conor McGregor came onto the MMA scene several years ago as a loud mouthed little Irishman yelling about how he was not only going to succeed within the UFC, but was going to dominate the entire sport. Almost everyone rolled their eyes, maybe got a few chuckles out of his antics, and eventually grew annoyed with his overzealous confidence (or arrogance) that soon eclipsed the media.

But then guess what? He did it. He overcame an incredibly worthy and competent component to gain the title in his division. McGregor now intends to fight in the weight class above the one in which he just earned the title, and gain a title there also. Additionally, he recently declared that by the end of 2016, he will have succeeded in gaining the title belt in three total weight classes.

Crazy?
Maybe.
Talented?
He doesn't think so.

Back in 2008 when McGregor was filmed saying he was the future of the UFC, do you think anyone took him seriously? I doubt it.

But that obviously wasn't important.
What was important was that he took himself seriously.

While McGregor may still be viewed by most as a high-strung, impetuous media trend, I think he understands and practices something that is very, very important.

He understands that there are no excuses.
He knows that the ones at the top didn't chance upon it.
He know that you have to work harder than anybody else.
He knows that if you are one of 5,000 people vying for the same thing, you have to work harder than 4,999 people.
He practices work ethic. He practices dedication. He practices discipline.
He practices obsession.

McGregor has just as many, if not more, people rooting against him as he has fans. He's known for his loud mouth and his cocky demeanor. I think what a lot of people don't understand, though, is that when he says "I am better than anyone else in the sport", he isn't saying he is just inherently superior to them. He's saying that his obsession has driven him beyond anyone else's desires or pursuit of what he wants. He doesn't attribute any of his success to being talented, with quick reflexes, built and designed to be athletically competent. He attributes it only to one thing that encompasses self discipline, perseverance, and above all, work. Obsession.

(By the way, if you're interested in watching McGregor predict each and every successful step of his journey to the top, watch this compilation of his career here. It's really incredible.)

That being said, no McGregor is not my favorite fighter. No, I do not idolize him or his accomplishments. And yes, I definitely disagree with some things he has said and done. My point is that you don't have to be a fan of the sport or of what he does to appreciate that obsessive quality about him.

And you don't have to be on national TV, or be the world champion of a well known sport, or be a celebrity of any kind to be an example of what I'm talking about here.

I recently watched a documentary type film on Netflix called "Unbranded". In a nutshell, it's about 4 young men who adopt and break 10 mustangs, and then ride them every single mile from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada. It's a really great film with some breath taking scenery, and I highly recommend it. The man who was the instigator and spearheads the entire trip, Ben Masters, has the type of quality (in my opinion) that I'm speaking of here. He was obsessed with completing this journey, no matter what it took. He didn't just want to complete the trip. He had to. He was obsessed with it.

Muhammad Ali was obsessed.
Ludwig Beethoven was obsessed.
Usain Bolt was/is obsessed.
Ernest Hemingway was obsessed.

All of the greats were obsessed. They were passionate and dedicated to whatever it is that gave them a purpose to live.

That being said, I'm pretty sure that Adolf Hitler and Fidel Castro were also obsessed and that didn't end so well for a lot of people, so obsession isn't always good. Don't let your obsession land you with a restraining order, okay?

My point is that life is too short, ya'll.
Life is too short to have a 9 to 5 that you dread going to every Monday.
Life is too short to live for your vacation time.
Life is too short to look at people doing spectacular, unbelievable, "impossible" things and wonder what it would be like.




If you've never been told "you're crazy to do that", or "that'll never work", or "you're gonna fail"...

Then you're doing life all wrong.

Find your passion and pursue it without abandon. It doesn't matter what that passion is. It doesn't have to be a big deal to somebody else. It just has to be a big deal to you.

It may be being able to saddle up every morning, be horseback before the sun blinks a sleepy eye, and work through the wind, snow, and sleet.
Do it with great passion.


It may be becoming a middle school teacher and making that subtle but eternal difference in many lives like that one teacher once did for you.
Do it with great passion.

It may be toiling endlessly over dirty dishes, dirty floors, and squabbling children to be rewarded with their sleepy hugs and crayon drawings.
Do it with great passion.

You don't have to be famous. You don't have to be in the record books.

Speaking of record books, there's a pretty cool one that stars this one particular Guy who was pretty obsessed with His Father. He was pretty obsessed with you, too, actually - He did something pretty radical for you. And He had these other 12 guys that followed Him around during His life on earth, and they had some pretty cool stuff to say too.

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold not hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are luke warm - neither cold nor hot - I am about to spit you out of my mouth." 

-Revelations 3:16

Don't be luke warm - not about your job, your marriage, and especially not your relationship with God. 

Nobody ever did anything worthwhile because they put in the required time or because they kind of liked what they did. 

Go above and beyond. Do it without abandon. Whatever "it" may be for you.

Love each other, ya'll. - C