I AM THE HUNTER

What do you strive for in life? Viktor Frankl once said that the search for purpose or meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man. Yet, many of us find ourselves wandering, unsure of either our purpose or destination. Whether it be goals set about for training, career, relationships, we all carry a burden of uncertainty. 

If we opt to aim solely toward our destination, our ending the only consideration in our victory or accomplishment, we have entirely lost the beauty of the journey, the struggle, and the adventure. Any story of triumph – a hero going against a force of evil, a redemption tale of someone once corrupted are all rarely concerned with centring on the moment of triumph. Of course, that scene will always come, acting as a payoff to the characters and audience alike. The key to making this victory resonate with the audience lies directly within its place as a payoff. Seeing a warrior demolish their foes will remain forgettable due to its lack of adversity. Goliath taking to the battlefield to vanquish the smaller David rather than being fabled would no doubt simply go down as common assault. It is the struggle and adversity that come before it that allow us to saviour that single moment of bliss, where all the sleepless nights, pain and fear come to fruition. 

We must fixate on the journey.

“The act of taking the easy road is one thing and one thing only: Infectious.”

The wonderful thing about taking the road less travelled starts with a choice. We will all come up against hard times in life. In this instance, we willingly choose the rougher terrain. We are not thrust into the uncertainty and struggle that come with cruel changes of circumstance, we hunt them down and stand undaunted. That choice allows us to truly see the beauty in struggle, reaping the lessons it teaches us. A life of self imposed struggle, hunting adversity brings with it adventure, a deeper understanding of who we truly are and most importantly, prepares us to stand ready when we are faced with true darkness. 

We build a mindset of attack. 

A good life. We all hope and build the foundations of whatever we consider this good life to be. We must not confuse a good life with an easy life. Whilst we all look toward some level of comfort in our existence, a life without adversity will likely be a life without adventure. More importantly, the act of choosing the easy road will define us. Maybe not in that single moment, but over time our choices define and redefine who we are. Every act counts. We build habits through constant repetition, whether that be waking up early, preparing food, reading, the actions we take shape our daily lives. These repetitions also work mentally, with our decision making process defined through experience, time and repetition. The instant gratification of the easy road, never faced with conflict or the possibility of defeat is simple. There is no need for grit, resolve or any kind of toughness. The act of taking the easy road is one thing and one thing only:

Infectious.

“Life is essentially a cheat and its conditions are those of defeat; the redeeming things are not happiness and pleasure but the deeper satisfactions that come out of struggle.”

– F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

Every time we choose the easy option, we avoid the chance to go to war with ourselves and grow. We avoid adventure. We avoid the inner peace found in the depths of the darkness. The easy road becomes the easy option and over time we become spectators to our own existence. We attack nothing, our judgement clouded by fear of the unknown, a victim of circumstance. When conflict comes, we do not face it head on, we take the easy road and deflect, we find excuses for our shortcomings. We lay judgement on the world and the people around us, remaining blameless. What happens when that all fades away? We are left to face our demons, no longer able to avoid inner conflict. In a life built on taking the easy option, we will fall. We are not prepared. 

We can choose how to be infectious. We can choose to build repetition upon repetition of voluntary struggle. We can choose to hunt, to willingly descend into the darkness. The infectious nature of decision making does truly define us, for better or worse. Your choices matter, you get to decide what road to take and in that choice, you get to decide who deep down you truly want to be. When you strip away the outward perception, the public persona we build for ourselves, when we burn that all away – we are left with the person we have chosen to be. We are the person we have forged through not words, but actions. Over and over again. We choose a mindset of attack because we want to be the person who does the right thing always.

Undaunted.

“We choose a mindset of attack because we want to be the person who does the right thing always.”

Every act counts. From selfish to selfless, In our everyday lives and in those life changing moments: We are the sum of our actions.   To be virtuous is not to live in the absence of darkness, but to return to it willingly, illuminating the way for those who are lost. 

Who are you? Be defined by your actions. Be the person you look up to. You are the author of your story. You are the master of your destiny. What we do in life echoes across eternity. Confront your demons. Hunt Adversity. In struggle, you will find not only the peace derived from victories and accomplishments that are truly earned, but who you really are. It is not on the sunny days, but in the storm where we get to see what we are made of. So, what should we do? Work hard. Train hard. Attack your problems, fears and insecurities. Be relentless in the hunt. Steer into the storm, knowing that by taking the path of adversity, when we are confronted with the question, “who are you?” Your answer will come without compromise.

I Am The Hunter.

For The Pack,

\Ax