ConLaV’s BodyBlog

It seems like everybody’s got one these days… no matter how you look at it, consciously or subconsciously there is a self-serving bias at work aiming to appease us in various times of rejection.  When you were focused on achieving something, maybe in your career… you might have even had a plan to go about getting a big promotion, and come to find that the top spot was awarded to someone else… how could this be? You did everything you were supposed to do, put in the work, and this guy took the top spot? If this situation sounds familiar then you are not alone.  It is a biological defense mechanism built in that calms us in times of utter disbelief.  It is self-serving because it is a way to mentally block out the topical pain and attribute our failures to something that was seemingly outside our control.  Every single person thinks they are working hard for what they want but your idea of “hard work” may be a day in the park compared to the guy standing next to you.  Since we create our own realities, we are also subject to live in a world that is directly related to the standards we set for ourselves.  Therefore, if we want to take it to the next level, our standards MUST be in line with what we are trying make a reality.  The guy/girl who goes the extra mile will remember your name when he meets you for the first time,  he will usually be mindful of what he wants in every situation he comes across… and he will know why he wants it.  There is no motivation like having prime reasons for what you want… that way there will be power in the motive to change.Excuses are the by-product of subconscious self-serving attitudes.  It may give you comfort and satisfaction in the short term… but does that really serve you in the long run?  In such a subjective sport like bodybuilding, excuses can be as common as competitors refusing to drink water… and they usually go hand in hand… (but that’s another issue).  If you worked as hard as you possibly could while staying on par with the standards you’ve set for yourself… there is never a reason to give an excuse. If we fail… the self-serving bias will glare it’s ugly head and calm us down while imputing our failures to something outside our control.  This is where we hear.. I was holding water, I messed up with my potassium, I was way taller than that guy… it’s so much easier for the short guys!- bull****.  There are advantages and disadvantages to every body type and phenotype… the ectomorph talks about how he can’t gain weight, the endomorph will do almost anything in order to get shredded… short guys want broader shoulders, etc.  But if we stop and actually re-evaluate ourselves by focusing on the advantages we have been given, and taking immense pride in hard work, there’s a whole new level that is recognized… and we’re now engaged in taking on something that eventually becomes more than we ever thought was possible.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 3:19 pm and is filed under Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.