Would I Ever Get A Tattoo?
Tattoos are something that I think about a lot. Not in a frivolous way, but in a way that says "what do I believe so much that I would write it on my body to remind myself every day?" kind-of way.
Okay, I don’t really think about it a lot, but it’s something I have been entertaining lately. So far, I have come up with two phrases:
Die Daily
and
Mind Your Habits
or something to that effect.
Flesh 👎 Good Habits 👍
There’s some meaning behind those phrases, of course. The first phrase is a reference to Paul’s scripture in the Bible where he says in 1 Corinthians 15:31 that he “dies daily” to his flesh. What does that even mean?
To die to your flesh is to put your body into submission. To discipline and control your body in a manner that allows you to live not only a sin-free life, but also living by the spirit and not by the emotions and feelings of your flesh. Pain is a feeling. Depression is a feeling. Victimization is a feeling. These are all things that make you do things that interrupt the purpose you have in this life.
Putting your body into submission looks like exercise, eating healthy, fasting, creating (not consuming), not entertaining distractions or thoughts that are not pure, and always doing the right thing. This mindset needs to be implemented everyday with intention, and thus is why Paul said he “dies daily”. Everyday our minds need to be renewed to the Word of God.
Mind Your Habits is about longevity. It’s about legacy. It’s about becoming the person you were meant to become.
No matter who you are, your habits drive the majority of decisions you make throughout the day. If you have a habit of eating unhealthily, you won’t eat healthy unless you consciously think about it. If you have a habit of exercising, you will reap the benefits of that long into the later years of your life. If you have a habit of being shy and/or timid, then you may inhibit the opportunities and strategic people in your life that can bring you success.
Those habits aren’t the only habits in life, but you get the point. Your habits, good or bad, drive the person you become. So if your habits aren’t put into check, you will end up becoming someone that isn’t who you want to be, and that can be very discouraging.
Are these the only who things that I would put on my body? Probably not, but they have been sticking out to me lately.
Constant Attention
Habits and discipline require constant attention. They require you waking up every day and deciding the person you are going to be, and not falling into what the day brings you.
As for me, I want to be known as an successful app developer, a great husband and dad, and a person after God’s heart. What am I doing everyday to make these characteristics true? Each of these things requires time. They don’t require a crazy amount of time, just a bit everyday. But it’s the everyday that matters. It’s the habit of doing it that matters.
If I spent time with my family once a month, or wrote code only once a week, would that really amount to anything? Could I actually build anything of value? Probably not. But, with just an hour or two every day, people can build wonderfully successful relationships, incredible products, and great spiritual wisdom.
So, at the end of the day, what will allow me to become the person described above? Disciplining my body, and consciously forming my daily habits to drive towards those things. That’s it. Imagine the person I would be if I did that every day for 10 years. 10 years is not a long time, I’ll be on earth for at least 60 more years.
If it takes 10 years to become the person I want to become, or build the things I want to build, then I get to spend the next 50 years being exactly who I want to be, and doing exactly what I want to do.
What habits are you forming? What needs work in your life? Are you the person you want to be? Answer and address these questions, and you’re sure to make a lasting impact in your life.
P.S. I am super stoked about this book: Atomic Habits. I will definitely be updating the blog with concepts that I learn from it.