When you take a picture with a digital camera, most of the time, the camera’s sensor will process the pixels and all the information and then generate a file that you’re able to view on the camera right away… this file is usually a JPEG; however, most high end professional digital cameras, and even some new smartphones cameras have the ability to take a photo in a format called RAW, this is an unprocessed file containing everything the camera sensor captured…  now, one of the biggest advantages to capturing RAW is the level of control that you have over the information in post-production… RAW generally provides much broader control and creativity, and produces stunning, one-of-a-kind imagery… Now the JPEG isn’t a crappy file at all, though it also doesn’t offer the same degree of flexibility as RAW, because in short, the user gave the camera control over the file when it was captured… so that little thing your camera does before it spits out a preview… that’s the brains of the camera, eliminating what it considerers, for lack of a better term, useless information… now what’s this got to do with today's podcast… so here’s the thing... I think that this is a perfect illustration of what we are going to dive into on today's podcast.

Have you ever thought about why it is that very few of us, you, me… we actually change very little at our core the older we get. Frightening maybe to think of this way, but it’s true… I’ve concluded this… One of the biggest reasons why this is true is because, for much of our lives, we’ve given the “camera — processing control over the information”  —  the way of life we engage every day, the expectations are written into the culture along with the status quo… form the “camera that determines — wait for it — what we look like.

On today’s podcast, we are going to explore more of this… as we move into part two of a series of talks about a clever new word I made up — Acceptionalism —- so let’s do this…

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When I started the Heavy Duty Mike podcast in May of 2021, my mission was simple: I wanted to assist those entering the heavy-duty diesel and automotive trades, something I have done for a living for nearly 15 years, and help them find deeper meaning and purpose. more early on in their careers.

Stop waiting until everything is messed up to get with this stuff, right? I mean, people gotta stop being too cool to listen to good wisdom — worse, stop thinking that this way of thought is somehow inferior, or a soul-crushing, less fulfilling means of living — it’s not! In short, I started to talk about my own personal growth journey through these realities. There is nothing wrong with choosing the path of character and virtue above all else, and certainly, nothing messed up about searching for meaning through faith in God and His Way.

So I got after it and as I began to talk, I started realizing that this message isn’t just for dudes in my industry, but, it’s relevant to everyone, regardless of gender, job, trade, or vocation. I frequently found people, not in my target audience, telling me they listen to my podcast because it reminds them of how people used to think about being adults, you know, 30 years ago? I guess I have to agree with that too. I mean it’s totally true too. When I began to think about the implications of that statement, it became clear — so much is missing in our culture related to living a meaningful and purposeful life. 

To put this into perspective; it’s like ignoring the instructions to putting together the 4016 piece Lego Death Star from Star Wars without the 300+ page set of build instructions. I mean, come on, the instructions are the source code for unlocking the joy of playing with the Death Star.

But way too many people never get there. Instead, they get content playing with the pieces. It’s fun for them, easy, and instantly brings satisfaction. Others like me, get busy thinking they know how to put this thing together with their own set of instructions. That was me. Whatever the reason, just having a “good time” using the bricks to make cool things is enough. Here’s the thing though, whatever amount of fun or pleasure playing with grey lego bricks has for us at that moment… it does not compare to the satisfaction of playing with the completed Imperial Death Star. Besides, you paid a ridiculous amount of your hard-earned income for this thing right, why are you going to use it this way… right? No one does this!

Now the real sobering truth about our very day-to-day existence is that we do this all the time with life. Think about it, we rarely slow down enough to actually think about what we are doing. The consequences of our actions don’t really matter to us much either. We are not stupid, and we avoid doing totally dumb stuff, but for the most part, if it’s not hurting anyone, and it’s fun, we will find a way to justify doing it.

We ignore too much of the source code built into the world telling us how we should live. It hides in plain sight, the evidence points to purpose. For whatever reason, we ignore the need to look introspectively into all of these ideas. Instead of learning and investigating the principles of life, faith, and character to avoid some sort of judgment or some bad experience; you need to learn to embrace these things as the secrets treasure to a vastly new experience, one we were meant to know and enjoy. Opportunities that are beyond the horizon of your life, right now, will stay out of reach without this kind of relationship to the truth.

When I look at previous periods and versions of myself, I realize one thing right away, like so many today, I had a terrible grasp on these realities, until it was usually too late; the epicenter, where the truth meets collides with the reality of our day to day life is right where we will be on this podcast. Faith, Family, Relationship, Leadership, Discipline, Confrontation, Depression, Anxiety, Potential, Career Advice, Overcoming Adversity, Virtue, Character and the qualities that make for the best human experience are what we are talking about, just to a broader audience now.

I've said this before, there is little that's easy about doing the work of a mechanic; this trade is tough, and sometimes I do wonder why people who have never done an honest day's work in their life are doing it. It doesn't make sense. Still, there are those people who do it, who just can't seem to break free from being told that this is the way it is. There are people waiting for others to make opportunities happen for them. People who are scared of doing something hard, or trying to be better at life. I think a lot of guys, are afraid of what others will think of them. The truth is, it shouldn't matter, but it does.

So how do we break out of this cycle that lands us in a world of accepting mediocrity as being good enough? 

Here are seven rules that I've discovered are really true about the world around me. These are not things I made up, or put together, rather, they are things that have come to light, things I have begun to observe as my vision about the way God has made the world work start to come into focus.

1. Always understand this - adversity is often the best path; the obstacle to progress should be seen as the path to something better, not always a mistake. The road less traveled is perilous, but worth every step. Broad is the way that leads to destruction, but narrow is the path that leads to life - few find this path worth the effort too. (Matthew 7:13-14)
2. Good things require a good plan — This is preparation - don’t follow a dream, rather, build your life from a well-rehearsed blueprint; stop riding shotgun through life. Stop living like your on a Sunday drive through the countryside too. a good life requires the right kind of execution, and this my friend requires thoughtful preparation.
3. Learn how to become a problem solver — Understand the principles, learn how to be detailed and perceptive to how situations in life work, and apply practical truth and wisdom to life.
4. Be patient... Don’t be afraid to wait, re-think and the-trace what needs to be done! Pressing pause is not the same as quitting. Being prudent, rushing into something, or doing something because it just feels right is too often a mistake.
5. Be humble - in other words, learn to be a learner. Seek wisdom and advice and be willing to be wrong, not know, or just listen!
6. Set a reasonable goal, set a time, and get after it! 
7. Start every day evaluating your purpose - ask why? If money, freedom, or time are the main motivations for doing what you do -you will never make enough money, gain enough freedom, or have enough time… find a real purpose that makes you, those around you, and your family better. "The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away." ~ Marcus Aurelius

Here's the deal, I created a legendary status quo existence that left me with nothing to be proud of, nothing in the bank, and nothing but empty promises that I told myself could never happen unless someone helped me...

I found myself in a place of mediocrity and self-loathing, and I wasn't even trying to get there. It just happened. So I ask you the same question I asked myself 15 years ago... Why do we struggle to realize how important the pursuit of our potential is, or personal growth is to our future. How vital it is to everything we want right now? Why do we settle for the basics? 

Why is getting by, or just going along okay?

Whether it’s looking to improve and grow or ascend the ladder of success in the hierarchy of your business; maybe moving up, taking on new responsibility, or even reaching that point where you want to step out and be the master of your own domain… why do we simply refuse to make the move?

I have the answers for myself, and maybe you too share some of these with me. There are not so many reasons, rather, they are summation statements that define who I am. They reveal what I valued, and they determined my future, regardless of my own choice in the matter.

• they don’t have a practical plan for real success, instead, they have an idea, some passion, and a little know-how… so then dreams never really materialize, or, when they do, they don’t seem to get off the ground.
• people are Risk-averse because they are afraid to fail.. dealing with disappointment or failure is less about failure and risk, and more about reputation and what people think of you.
• pressure to meet other people's expectations. People are more motivated to do things based on what others are doing, instead of what they need to be doing. - in fact, much of the motivation for the way people live their lives is the result of a system that has made them think as they do. — groupthink.
• people don’t have staying power, they lack the ability to see something through…
• it’s easier to work just get by… the path of least resistance

In the next episode, I will tell you how I overcame these defining habits of character and how I think you can as well.

Remember, you can listen, read and watch great content by checking out my recommendations at the foundry @ heavydutymike.com

This is a great place to find great things to listen to that will keep your mind sharp and help you facilitate your own personal growth. The foundry is like that best friend that tells you all the best things to read, watch and see, and whose recommendations you trust. This is what the Foundry at HeavyDutyMike.com is all about.

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