Lord knows I’ve been depressed, anxious, and mentally ill in the past. In those moments, it felt like the universe was cold and hostile. Later, I realized that the universe is indifferent rather than hostile. That’s a big difference. Cold isn’t necessarily a bad quality. Indifference might feel bad to us, but it doesn’t have to.
A following Wim Hof quote comes to mind: “For me, God is cold.”
God is often conceptualized as an Absolute – a good without an opposite. When you adopt a perspective of cold being God, you’re left with a curious insight. The things we usually avoid are the exact things we should embrace.
Paradoxically:
• Activities that suck often have the highest return on time invested
• The emotions you surrender to and feel entirely get released
• Subjecting yourself to adaptive stressors leads to better health
You will only welcome more Struggle into your life when you know it’s a blessing of the highest order. Yes, it’s counterintuitive and paradoxical. To unlock the benefits, you need to upgrade your belief system.
You’re proactively pursuing your aspirations, following your intrinsic motivation and curiosity. You put yourself in high-pressure situations, propelling you towards your ultimate vision. You are experiencing stress, but because you frame it as positive, it makes you perform better. Struggle is good!
I have a serenity prayer tattooed on my right side:
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
There are certain things that I cannot control. (Other people)
When I have the courage to change my thinking and behavior, I expand the scope of my effectiveness in the world.
And finally, this type of inquiry has led me to whatever wisdom I may have in making sound judgments for myself.
Eemu Julius 