In life, we place a high value on what we see with our eyes. Sailing through the Arctic Ocean, we see a tiny iceberg up ahead and we maneuever around it. Scrolling on Instagram, we see people taking trips and posting them. Watching a football game, we see an electric player make an incredible play. Our eyes are attracted to things in the physical world because they help us navigate. They help us navigate because we are assigning value to objects, consciously and subconsciously.
Objects help us tell a story. We see the iceberg, and we know to avoid it. We see a fancy trip on Instagram, and we think that it looks fun, so we should do that. We see Patrick Mahomes throw a football and think that’s the way I should throw too. We see the value it provides for them and want the value for ourselves.
It’s why we do anything or why we don’t.
As we know with the Titanic story, there’s more than meets the eye. Ice has a density of .91g/ml, meaning we only see 9% of the iceberg above water. What’s left? Everything we can’t see unless you go looking. What created the expression? The mechanism that created the expression.
When we solely value things we see with our eyes, we forget about what it took to arrive there, what else is going on behind the scenes, and whether it will actually help us get where we want to go. Humans, designed to make things easier for themselves, often don’t want to think about what it takes because it’s much simpler and enjoyable to think about having the fun things now. It looks and feels refreshing to think about a trip or see an electrifying play and to continue observing those things in our experience. They look amazing and we want more. We think it will fulfill, therefore we chase.
In reality, the desire to have things that look nice keeps you from building the ability to have those things. You chase comfort, forgetting what it takes to get there. You chase comfort forgetting that in fact it’s chasing discomfort that produces peace.
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance” – 1 Peter 1:14
To have sustained success, it requires a release of the belief that comfort and winning now is most important.
DO IT RIGHT DO IT LIGHT
The other day, in my SpeedX classes with some 5th graders, I explained the difference between technique and time. We were running Pro Agility drills, and one of the kids finished first, but he didn’t touch any of the lines. He was so proud to have beaten the others kids, but I quickly reminded him that he didn’t touch the lines.
Despite one athlete having the best time, they forgot about using the correct technique, so the time didn’t count. The outside, the external, what others would see, and what many place an extremely high value on, is the time, which is who finishes first.
The internal, what brought them to the end result, is the technique they used. When the technique isn’t right, the time, no matter how fast, doesn’t count. When the proper technique is used, you’re building the ability to win because in the long run, you’re listening, doing it right, and following the rules.
“And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” – Luke 13:30
Continuing to use the wrong technique or rely on external support to achieve times, goals, and wins just so that you can say you won will only perpetuate improper technique. Soon after, you’ll realize your improper technique is preventing you from keeping up with others. Since you focused so heavily on the external, wanting wins now, you forgot about supporting the foundation, so the foundation crumbles and you’re left behind.
BODYBUILDERS
Think about bodybuilders who use steroids. Yes, they look jacked on the outside, but how did they get there?They didn’t use the right technique. Could they have built that body without steroids? Compared to someone who doesn’t use, who’s capabilities are greater? The one without support or with?
In the short term, yes, the one who’s body looks better, but underneath, they haven’t truly earned that body. They’ll soon suffer from unintended consequences as their body now requires external support to maintain that physique, and health, instead of leaning on internal technique to maintain a rocking bod. They bypassed all of the intricate steps it takes to actually build a body that is capable of being healthy.
Further, it’s often their desire to gain social approval that motivates this mechanism in the first place.
NOW PREVENTS LATER
This may sound simple, but it can be extracted and overlaid into anything. Your desire to have the best time, the value you place on the external, is preventing your attention from focusing on what gets you there and why you’re even doing it.
If you take the mindset from an early age that the only thing that matters is developing your technique, then you’re automatically building the machinery that can be applied to any other aspect of your life. Your progress may be slower. You may not be hitting your goals as quickly. You may not be winning the races that you want to win. You may be extremely frustrated that you’re not as good as your peers who already have it figured out.
But underneath the surface, you’re building an unstoppable resilience with the most solidified foundation that cannot be penetrated.
When you keep pushing through the pain of not winning now, trusting that your desire to maintain the proper technique will prevail in the long run (faith), and sacrificing the short-term win for long-term success, you’re stacking steel on top of steel on top of steel. You’re training yourself with the proper technique, allowing you to build the machinery to move faster, more efficiently, with more confidence, and less risk for injury. The body needs adequate technique first because there’s always a method to the madness, but once it builds those deeply ingrained neuromuscular connections, those are hard to break. You’re quite literally building unstoppable muscle memory.
Learning a new skill takes time, it’s frustrating, and it’s not fun to see others winning. But learning the incorrect technique and relearning it later takes much more time, and trust me, it’s even more “not fun.” Learning to value proper former now, not worried about what others think, prevents you from being stymied by others who are ahead. You learn to bear your own weight.
“But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting, but to himself alone, and not to another. For each one will bear his own load” – Galatians 4:5-6
TRYING TO KEEP UP
Even when writing this, I’m trying to hurry. I want to be done quicker, write more, and get more viewers. I’m using a tool, AI, to proofread, and sometimes get help with subheadings. Writing takes time, and I need to proofread, polish up the article, post to socials, and do everything else. With a busy schedule, I want to bypass critical writing protocols to get my thoughts out more quickly and move on to the next task.
However, the desire to get them out quickly, a display of external social approval, prevents me from sitting down and reading through the article myself. It prevents me from soaking up my own writing and ingraining into my brain. It prevents me from going through the necessary steps that build the neural networks that allows me to see things more clearly, write more efficiently, and produce better and more work.
If I’m just writing and posting, yes, I’m getting a lot of reps, but it takes time to connect the dots. I’m missing out on the technique.
I’ve noticed that when I decide to slow down, these skills become easier. I’m actually more effective. I can actually take the time to do subheadings because I don’t feel rushed, and I’ve created more time for myself because I’m more efficient.
It takes time to make more time.
There’s an element of beauty that comes with time that we’re avoiding to invest when we’re trying to keep up with our society’s extremely fast pace.
BUILDING THE ABILITY TO WIN
We are so focused on the external and how to accumulate more and more, when in reality, it’s the desire for the external now, that makes us want more of it now, and teaches us that what is most important is NOW. It’s a slippery slope that depletes you rather than nourishes you.
The internal, what we care about, how we respond, how we treat others, how we approach life, and the technique, create the opportunity for good things and greater things than you can dream to happen.
We can believe that what makes us happy is having the best time to show off to all our friends. But that solidifies in our hearts that all that matters is wins instead of building the ability to win. When you build the ability to win, then you’ll probably have more wins.
However, importantly, if you don’t win, your value is still in the technique and you can adjust your technique accordingly. The loss doesn’t derail your progress because your value is in building the ability to win– the technique.
With value in technique, you’ll have unlimited internal confidence, a sense of ownership, and immense courage because you know deep down that you have what it takes.
Compare that person to someone who spent their whole life winning to show off, and you’ll find underneath emptiness, brokenness, and a person fighting to maintain this image on the outside that has no substance. They have no real way of winning outside of cheating, using support, or putting others down. They place value in what it looks like to others rather than who they are within.
When others don’t value them or when they don’t win, what is left?
Somebody who knows in their heart they have put the work in, done what it takes, are who they say they are, and have nothing to hide is an unstoppable, fearless human. Nobody can confuse their confidence, as it’s real and pervades their experience.
THE TREE
God’s kingdom is everywhere, especially in nature.
Think about a tree and what it takes to build a tree. The seed must be planted in rich soil, then watered, with adequate sunlight, but not too much. The tree cannot experience too much wind or storms, and probably needs some help around it to grow. In fact, according to movement researcher Katy Bowman, the stronger and taller a tree grows is dependent on the forces and stresses placed upon it, within reason. Too much stress and it dies. Not enough, and it suffers growth.
To grow to greater heights and to see fruits, the tree must not skip any steps. It cannot have fruit within having the ability to produce fruit first. The tree has to go through seasons upon seasons, tumultuous times and times of peace, for this produces endurance.
“We also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5
You can place fruit on the tree, or paint the tree to make it look nice, showing people that the tree produces fruit, but when it comes time for the next harvest, that tree will be exposed as a fraud. There’s no life to the tree. The external is clean, but the internal is devoid of substance.
Similarly, you can have a great time, but can you repeat it? Can you transfer that skill to others skills? Can you do it without external support?
Further, the tree can only be a tree where it is now and it cannot think about where it ought to be. If it thought about why isn’t wasn’t as tall as other trees, complained about it, and worried about it, it wouldn’t have the energy to embrace the day as it is. It would never grow to be all it can. Instead, the tree just is and it grows accordingly, step by step, with the proper technique.
WINNING AT ALL COSTS
This reminds me of the current state of college football, with the NIL and transfer portal ruining the essence of the sport. Let me explain:
If you’re the coach of a college football program, you have the ability now to pluck top transfer portal players from anywhere in the country to join your team. This also means that your players have the ability to leave.
With a high price tag, coaches are determined on winning now, because their contracts require it. They also know there’s limited room for error, as rabid and starving fans can end their tenure in the blink of an eye, in the uproar of an X-posting storm. They feel the pressure to win, so they aim to garnish the tree. They aim to make it look like the program is a winning program with a bunch of high-caliber, 4-star players.
This mindset permeates through the team, as the players are chosen with this methodology, therefore they are encouraged to have the same mindset. They are brought to the team for money, therefore can be taken away by money, knowing they can go anywhere else at any moment.
They have placed their loyalty in money, rather than the team, because the team places their loyalty in looking good on the outside, rather than developing the inside. They would rather win now, than developing a program that can win consistently. It’s the sacrifice of the short term that allows the tree/program/body/success to grow. It’s the loyalty to the ability to win, building an actual team that allows the team to win.
Further, if you’re just seeking to win at all costs, then you’re telling your team that what they’re doing in the offseason, summer, and fall may not matter. That they’re always seeking to find somebody new. They’re loyalty is in winning, not in developing you. The bond between coach and player is fragile because it’s built on money.
“I delight in loyalty not sacrifice” – Hosea 6:6
BEHIND THE VEIL
If wins are not happening now, refocus on building your technique. Drop everything else.
Your mind will tell you you’re behind, you’re not going fast enough, you’re not going to make it, you’re not good enough, that you’re competition is outrunning you. You’ll try to keep up and lose focus on your technique.
Like an athlete, control the controllables by trusting your training. Trust the work that you’ve put in. Your mind will deceive you into believing that unless I see results, it’s not working. Underneath the surface though, you’re building the framework for excellence to ensue.
Someone walks into a restaurant looking buttoned up, polished, and perfect. They act like they have it all figured out and they say all the right things. In fact, they’ll say things that attract your attention to what you have valued, immediate wins, social approval, fancy nice things.
In reality, what’s going on behind the scenes and what are they trying to cover up. They cover up their lack of love or tumultuous morning by showing others they’re put together, preventing them from seeing them for who they are behind the veil. We put up an external wall, so that others can’t expose us.
We don’t want to be exposed because we have placed our value as a society in time over technique, therefore forgoing our true inner development, which produces confidence, fearlessness, and eternal life. We’re living outside of our fleshly desires.
“For we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.” – Philippians 3:3
It’s easy to put on a show. That’s what we all do in every moment. We go into public and put on our best clothing so that we can gain social approval. Looking nice isn’t for us, it’s so that we’re not looked down upon by our peers, so that we can maintain our social status. We act in a certain way so people think we’re good people.
It’s easy to act, and much harder to actually be.
It’s easy to say the right things. Learn “How to Win Friends and Influence People“ and you’ll accumulate people who “like” you. But is this a true inner connection? Do people truly value your friendship or is it just because you’re winning?
With this mindset, you’ll learn to build a comfortable life supported by the things of this earth, by things that show others that you are doing the right things, moral, superior.
But it doesn’t work that way.
Behind the veil, who are we?
Behind the veil, are we empty or confident? Behind the veil, are we honest or is it all a facade?
WHAT TO VALUE
When perusing your daily life, think deeply about what you value and why it’s valuable. Is it valuable because it’s making you better, or is it boosting your social status? Is it building your internal, or is it primarily for showing others how great you are? Are you seeking comfort in discomfort or in what others think about you?
In every moment, we are making decisions that affirm our decision to value technique or value time. In these moments where we value technique, we exhibit what it means to have faith. We have faith that our immediate decision to focus on the ability to accomplish something, the technique, will eventually allow us to see fruit.
When you understand where you’re placing your value, you’ll understand how to change it.
Focus on the technique, building your inner strength, and what it takes to win, whether it’s football, relationships, business, health, anything else. Everything is a reflection of God, and every decision you make should be too.
The outside is not important. It’s about what it takes to get there.
“First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” Matthew 23:26
