Beyond Cope

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It's a widespread habit. We stumble upon a problem, and instead of looking inward for solutions, we blame something else. The person struggling with weight issues pins it on a medical condition, while the unambitious Millenial claims he hasn't found his true calling yet. The woman stagnating in her career accuses a boss of harboring jealousy.

These are instances of 'coping', a contemporary term for constructing narratives that bypass our shortcomings. We skillfully dodge the actual issue at hand, that the lion's share of our problems are rooted in deficiencies in our virtue.

When we cope, we're just hitting the snooze button on the wake-up call to improve ourselves. Addressing our lack of virtue and improving our character is a tough pill to swallow, but it's the real medicine we need.

The way out of this cycle isn't found on the outside; it's an inside job. We need to face the music, quit the coping, and start growing. It's about putting in the sweat equity, building mental muscle, and sticking to the truth, no matter how inconvenient.

This workout isn't for the faint-hearted. It's about squaring up to our flaws, and going all-in to better ourselves. Yes, it's a grind, but the payoff is worth it. And it'll make for a much better story later.