Goal
Today, we discuss the roles you play in your own life.
Table of Contents
- You Play Many Roles In Your Life
- The Actor
- The Enemy
- The Goal
- The Hero
- The Ally
- Remember The Roles You Play
- Actionables
You Play Many Roles In Your Life
There are many roles you play in your own life. Make sure you play them well.
Throughout your life, you play many roles. Some days, you are the actor, pursuing your most virtuous self. Your most virtuous self is the goal. But often, at critical moments, you do foolish things which halt your progress and make you the perfect enemy.
Our collectivist society teaches us to think externally. We are told to obsess over God, governments, chatty gossipers, family drama, celebrities, and elites. At no point are individuals taught how to think inward and better define our roles in our lives.
Luckily, we will, as always, focus firstly on the self. We will be looking at the roles you play in your own life. This analysis will give you insight into rejecting the bad, embracing the good, and defining your most virtuous self.
The Actor
“Nobody is equal to anybody. Even the same man is not equal to himself on different days.” – Thomas Sowell
The actor is the one who acts—acta non verba. You must move either forward or backward. Stagnation is a myth.
As the actor, you drive your actions. You decide to go to the gym. You choose to buy sweets. You decide to study, bathe, run, and do other activities. Selflessness doesn’t exist. It is the individual who thinks. It is the individual who acts.
Therefore, how do you improve as the actor? Never externalize responsibility. You are the author of your life, and denying this reality sets you up for failure.
Secondly, take care of your body. Don’t indulge in junk food, drugs, pornography, or other mentally, emotionally, and physically dangerous things. Furthermore, pursue positive activities such as exercise and sleep. The more your health improves, the easier it is for you to act virtuously.
The Enemy
The enemy is the one who chooses vice and engages in activities that trouble the soul. A lack of self-control will lead to your downfall.
Remember, you are your greatest enemy. No external force can undermine your success and mental stability more than you can. Thus, you must be ready. Your greatest battle is with yourself.
How do you defeat the enemy? Avoid vice. Set clear boundaries on behavior. Understand what actions create shame, doubt, and guilt. Push back against the voice that tells you to be less than what you are.
The Goal
“Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real.. it is possible.. it’s yours.” – Ayn Rand
How are you the goal? You have been seeking yourself. You are the ideal, the purpose, the pursuit. You are not just pursuing a shiny new car or better skills. You are pursuing a version of yourself accomplished enough to have what you desire.
Make sure the goals you set are realistic. Make sure they align with your responsibilities. Make sure you never set your sights higher than what you can reach. Also, give clear steps to achieve your selected goals to focus effectively.
Remember, the goal is your most virtuous self. Have that vision in mind and fight to achieve that.
The Hero
Be the best version of yourself.
When it comes to achieving your goals, you are the savior. You overcome a vice or dominate a challenge. Where better can you look when you need inspiration than when you are your best?
To be the best hero, you must understand your responsibility to yourself. Understand that who you have been and could be are the things that will inspire your change. Always remember that success piles on success. Reflect constantly on vices defeated.
You have to inspire yourself. Always act in ways that do not create shame.
The Ally
How are you the ally? If you act in specific ways on one day, by the next, you will benefit from your kindness. For example, if you get a good night’s sleep, despite wanting to stay up and play video games, your future self is better off. Your past self is the ally, working toward your enrichment and happiness.
To be a better ally, seek to understand what you need. You need to eat, sleep, exercise. How can you prepare for these activities ahead of time? What can you do to save yourself time and heartache?
Additionally, what vices do your struggle with? How can you reduce the possibility of giving in to them? Of becoming a victim of yourself? The ally sets your life so you can act well, be the hero you need, and easily overcome the enemy in your soul.
Remember The Roles You Play
“I see man as a hero. With his own happiness as his moral obligation; productive achievement as his noblest activity and reason as the only absolute.” – Ayn Rand
You are taught to distance yourself from virtue. If you were to pursue your most virtuous self, who benefits? Not the elites, the ruling classes, or the mob.
But you must think inward. We face different demons, have varying goals, and excel at different virtues. Understanding your unique perspective and needs grants you the wisdom necessary to excel.
So, learn the roles you play. See how your actions fit into each role. How can you strengthen the positives, define the objectives, and pursue your most virtuous self?
Actionables
- How do you play the role of actor? Are you a good one? Where can you improve?
- How do you play the role of hero? What are some accomplishments you can point to?
- How do you play the role of the enemy? What do you wish you could change about yourself so you are no longer in your way?
- How do you play the role of ally? Are you a good one? Where can you improve?
- What does your most virtuous self look like? Is it realistic? Does this vision bring you joy?
Please remember that it’s important to do the actionables. You’re not on this earth to simply read but to do. To become an individual, you must act more than you consume.
*Image credit to Unsplash.
