"Why follow your flesh, perverted soul? Rather let it follow you, once you are converted." ~ St. Augustine of Hippo, "Confessions" pg. 89
("Perversion of soul" : Without loving rightly, God first and all else in God, the soul becomes literally perverted, turned down. As such, Augustine often depicts drama of human living as a battle between the soul's perversion and its conversion, choosing whether the Creator or a creature will be at the heart of its desire and devotion.)
The "Soul-Chasing" Life
A weak man's life is centered on "soul-chasing."
Trying to "find himself" or find meaning, happiness, and fulfillment in what is CARNAL and MUTABLE. He's "chasing his soul."
Four of the five elements of life are mutable -- finite aspects of a man's life.
They represent "the flesh" (i.e., the material world).
"The Happy Trap"
It's easy to know if you've been soul-chasing if you've ever said/thought...
"I'll be happier when..."
I'll be happier when I have more money.
I'll be happier when I find the right woman.
I'd be happier and more confident if I could lose some weight.
I'll spend more time with my wife when I get my biz/career where I want it to be.
This is the "Happy Trap."
It's a trap because men who have been valued for their utility -- which is ALL OF US -- end up finding identity in these. And what we find identity in... become addictions.
The reality is...
You'll never be lean enough.
You'll never be strong enough.
And there will never be enough money.
The end result of the "Soul-Chasing" Life?
- Men become confined and trapped to the part -- i.e., addicted to the part which brings him temporal pleasure -- at the expense of the whole. Even at the expense of his soul.
- He becomes enslaved to his "Toxic Cycle."
(We'll unpack the "Toxic Cycle" in the coming lessons.)
The Solution
To avoid the Soul-Chasing Life, it's defcon 9 critical you discover what is at the "center of your wheel." Why? Because the elements of your life will order themselves to what is at the "center" -- i.e., the object of your desire and devotion.
What's at the center is how you will look at the other elements of your life.
For most men, it's work.
How work looks at family is.
"I can't make it to my son's game, because I have to work." How work looks at health is, "I don't have time to workout and eat healthy, because I'm so busy with work."
So on and so forth.
It's time to get clear on what is at the center of your desire and devotion -- and what you're ordering the elements of your life to.
The 5 Elements Tracker
Click 'Materials' to make a copy of the "5 Elements of a Strongman" tracker.
*UPDATE
For years, my approach to the 5 Elements of a Strongman was "wrong." I was approaching (or teaching) them from the perspective of "balance."
"How to become a more balanced strongman."
"How to balance the 5 Elements of a Strongman."
When in reality, THERE IS NO BALANCE.
Instead, this is the REAL approach to becoming WHOLE. To becoming a more effective strongman.
P.S. - In week 16 we'll reveal what a "Soul-Powered Life" looks like and what happens when you place and order the elements of your life to ABSOLUTE TRUTH. Truth that is IMMUTABLE.
Which is what we're ultimately chasing as men.