Venturing Beyond Self-Improvement: Pushing Past The Treadmill
When it comes to self-help and self-improvement, everyone starts off on the treadmill.
You buy a book, read it, get motivated, watch a few videos, gain even more motivation, and then... eventually fizzle out. I remember reading Tony Robins, watching Eric Thomas, and all of the other, "yellers" telling me and millions of others that we could do it! Looking back, I find this pretty funny because all the motivational speeches in the world will not prepare you for the desert.
The vast sea of silence that awaits those who shift over towards the, “taking action,” side of the equation. A landscape inhabited by such evil creatures as isolation and obscurity, doubt and derision.
The hapless space where the cheerleading stops, the applause goes away, and father time points his finger. Striking it towards the horizon, beyond the hills of hard work and despair.
Past the slope of each dune, lies another dune. A further stretch of sand, a longer stretch of tan. However, during your passage through time. Beneath that cruel patch of sun, you'll glimpse an oasis. Catch that curved line of liquid across your vision. Most times, it'll be a mirage; but in rare instances, the real thing!
Once there, you're free to relax if you so choose. For me at least, this is where the problems occur. This is where you make the decision to push further, dissatisfied with the fruits of your labor.
Should I head back into the desert, or push my chips in and remain here?
For some, the fruit may be the Bachelor's or Master's degree. For others, a PhD or post-doc. While for the insane among us, the Fields Medal or Nobel Prize.
For me personally, it used to be taking up a new field of study. Nowadays, however, I've come to terms that I'm probably nearing my limits of cross-disciplinary study. Mostly because of energy limitations, not time investment requirements; although that does play a large part in gaining expertise in a subject.
Unlike Goku from Dragon Ball Z, we cannot all go, "further beyond." There will be a stopping point; the horizon is not a destination, but a hallucination.
Hello! We’re D.J. Hoskins
We are Davena and Jason Hoskins, co-authors of 30+ books and siblings who write under the pseudonym D.J. Hoskins. Three years apart and in our twenties, we have been fascinated by stories from a young age. Davena is a student attending Princeton University, and Jason attends Georgetown University.
