You are now facing the final 3 ranks. Ranks 8 and 9 will have 5 challenges instead of 10, but don’t let that distract you from the task at hand. I believe it’s more rewarding to have half the challenges for ranks 8 and 9. Before anything else, I hope your journaling experience has been wonderful and has helped you better understand yourself. By completing rank 7, you really showed that you are one of the few percent that actually have control over themselves. Great! I'm deeply happy for you. Rank 8, "Realized," is all about self-love and how important it is to be at peace with yourself. Not only do people view you differently based on how you feel, but you also spread positive energy and, by doing so, attract more people. You will notice that by loving yourself you learn how to love others. Not only will your mood be elevated throughout the day, but you'll also have more energy, drive, and momentum to pursue your goals. You need a certain level of discipline and dedication to be able to love yourself which is why it’s at rank 8. You'll now have all the tools you need to be able to really appreciate yourself, your beliefs, and who you are. I struggled most of my life with self-love. I never appreciated the things I'm good at or my positive attributes; I mostly focused on the negative because that’s easier, and people notice your flaws immediately and point them out more often than the things you excel at. The problem is that if you combine that with an unhealthy lifestyle, emotions like feeling depressed or having immense anxiety can be the outcome, as I've experienced for myself. That's why practicing self-love is key to a fulfilled life. Don’t mistake vulnerability for weakness. We are all vulnerable; that’s what makes us human. Accepting that shows that you have the courage and strength to control your emotions. When you feel sad, let people you trust know that you're sad. You gain nothing from feeding into your feelings; as I've learned, you make it much worse by doing so because you're not only damaging yourself but also the people around you by spreading an unhappy mood, which sometimes can be infectious towards other people. That’s what friends and family are here for, to support you during the good and bad times. Expressing your emotions can be hard, so I want you to ask yourself that simple question: "How am I feeling right now?"
By saying no to others, you say yes to yourself, and if people don’t respect that or don’t value your opinion, they are most likely people you should not be around. It's hard for some people who got into not-so-healthy environments to get out of them, but ask yourself this question: Is what I'm doing harming or benefiting my future? I had to learn that not every smile means something good or has good intentions. That’s why, for a certain time in my life, I wandered alone through the world. I'd rather have no friends at all than enemies who are themselves friends. Coming to that realization can and will be very hard, but once you realize which people are good for you and which are not, you will be much happier and more focused on yourself, your vision, and your goals in the long run.
Don't change yourself for people. If people don’t respect you and accept you the way you are, then you're wasting your energy and time on being something that you are not. You will notice that by being yourself, some people will naturally gravitate towards you. Remember that you are not alone in this world. I strongly believe that by being themselves, everyone will find the people who are right for them. By being yourself, you not only show others that you respect yourself, but most importantly, you show yourself that you love yourself and respect yourself with all your strengths and weaknesses. Especially in your early years, it can be hard to make friends, and so people try to belong to groups where they don’t even feel comfortable. I know this because I did it myself, and I am not proud of doing so, but I accept that this was a part of me not so long ago. Who I am now doesn't even compare to or come close to the person I was a few years ago. Of course, you will act differently in front of your coworkers than in front of your family, and that’s totally normal. We're all masks with layers, and depending on how much you care for a person, you'll peel that layer back. Being yourself means accepting yourself.
Remember that you are unique not only looks-wise or personality-wise, but that you as a person only exist once on this earth. Really sit down and think about how amazing that really is. Out of 8 billion people, there is only one of you, only one human that has your story, and that's yourself. So why should you not love yourself the way you are if there is only one of you? That doesn't mean you're "special", People who are "special" do things that make them "special" and stand out from the rest. There is more to that than just having a unique look or personality. Because what makes them stand out from all the other 8 billion people isn’t the way they talk, look, or feel; it’s their actions. There is a saying that "actions speak louder than words," and that saying holds true if you look at all the successful people in this world. You are not "special" but the things you as a person can do in this world can make you "special". That’s why it’s important to have goals, ambition, motivation, and the drive to stand out. Sadly, most people nowadays don’t have any of the qualities I've just listed. It’s easier said than done, but instead of trying to fit in with everyone else, try to stand out and be or do something different from the rest.
Enjoying yourself is what makes life worth living, but you can only enjoy yourself if you allow yourself to not enjoy yourself. If you do "fun" things all day long, 24/7, you'll notice that suddenly they aren’t as fun as they used to be. That’s why it’s important to have discipline and do things that benefit you, even if they are not fun to do. Doing things that you don’t enjoy will show you how much you really can enjoy life, and that’s the big problem with modern society. People think scrolling on TikTok or watching shows gives them enjoyment when they can experience the whole world. People’s brains are so stimulated that they become lazy and overweight. Living outside your comfort zone is so important, especially for men. We are all surrounded by so much dopamine that things like meeting new people or meeting your friends don’t actually release as much dopamine as they should, and that’s when people start to not go outside, eat unhealthily, and become depressed. I honestly feel pity for those people because I was one of them not too long ago, but I've changed my life for the better by following the steps and completing the quests you had to complete. I now feel more energized and better than ever. Furthermore, I have the curiosity of a child but the mindset of an adult. The educational system really destroyed my motivation to peruse anything in this life, but I fought back and didn't let it keep me in this vicious cycle for too long. By completing the "realized" rank, you are now facing the last two ranks. You know you are able and have the tools to understand yourself and, most importantly, accept and love yourself the way you are. We shall meet in the second-to-last rank!
Rank 8 Completed
Rank 8 Completed
Rank 8 Completed
Rank 8 Completed
Rank 8 Completed