Today, I would like to return to the relevant discussion of all individuals and groups within Bitcoin as well as outside it. Especially those on the outside, in fact. I have a story to tell: a story about health, longevity, fitness, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. The story of looking into the tangible and corporeal mirror, recognizing that reality is not what is desired, and accepting the responsibility and accountability necessary to produce a life in which one would be proud to find oneself in.
I know what you’re thinking… and no, that’s not my story. Below are the interview questions that the woman in question was willing to answer in a written interview. I’ve added narrative information that was also provided via a phone interview, as well as some ideas of my own.
This is an origin story that changes concepts and ways of thinking in such a way that one individual actually moves to improve their health and fitness because of money, because of strong and honest money – because of bitcoin.
Her name and personally identifiable information such as work, residence, etc. have been excluded to protect her family – but the “nym” (short for a pseudonym) she uses on Twitter will be provided later in the article. For now, I’d like to focus on her story, not her online identity.
Mike Hobart: Did you live an ‘active’ lifestyle before you went down the bitcoin rabbit hole?
“I would say yes, I have always loved to challenge myself. But soon every challenge and goal achieved was followed up with irrational self-defeating behaviours, essentially undoing everything I had planned to accomplish. This resulted in many years of disappointment. Very hopeful in myself, and at some point, just accepting that I never was, and never will be, the person I always wanted to be.”
This is a series of obstacles that each of us often faces when we stare face to face in the mirror of a reality that we miss according to our dreams and aspirations. Whether the problem(s) involved are body composition, nutrition, alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, mental health difficulties, etc., many of us fall into the psychological trap my friend found herself in. Mental and emotional trap They are most commonly around a very painful and loud word that I personally aim to avoid at all costs – ‘dieting’.
You see, when reality throws at us, our weaknesses, our flaws, and those areas of life where we know we’re failing to do our best, it’s perfectly normal, in a sense, to seek relief from the routine we adopt with the goal of achieving the desired result. However, this is only natural when we view the activity associated with it as a punishment – we are not looking for opportunities to actively withdraw from something we see as rewarding or something we give the opportunity to act upon. Viewing a healthy meal as a “diet” tends to be met immediately with psychological resistance built on the mindset of preferring to eat something “delicious.” I have scary quotes about this because in fact most of the food choices we find delicious, which are also unhealthy, are due to the high amount of sodium and sugar found in the foods we like to eat – perhaps even craving.
“Imagine you are walking down the street and a stranger approaches you and asks ‘Open your mouth…Close your eyes, and let me put something in there…’ How would you react? This is exactly how our relationship with processed food producers and our food choices works today!” – A hilarious point made by another humble Bitcoiner who wishes to remain anonymous
MH: “How has Bitcoin affected your personal opinions about lifestyle and health/fitness?”
“Everything, bitcoin has changed the way I see everything.
“All the basics of the Bitcoin network are somehow imposed on a lens through which I experience the world right now – don’t trust, verify; proof of work; time and energy put in the work and get rewarded.
“Time and energy were the first basics I started to integrate into my life. And from there work begins. Measuring work with metrics, and finally, seeing rewards. It is very strange if you think about it, using code… a network, to inspire success in your life. While at the time Same, given the fundamentals of the Bitcoin network, it makes perfect sense.”
This is a powerful thing that the woman in question highlights: when someone reaches that point of revelation, when they finally click that they are within an organic system, great changes are made slowly, precisely and consistently; That the same reasons why it takes many small, consistent events over long periods of time to change the world, big changes in our bodies will also require long and measurable periods of time.
MH: “What led to the lifestyle change or promotion? (Results)”
“In some ways, the changes occurred without my self-conscious knowledge. It wasn’t until much later that I realized how effortless but impactful these changes were. Others were entirely intentional while painful and necessary.”
One of the most impactful changes was that I stopped making excuses. I stopped telling myself I couldn’t accomplish what I decided to do. This wasn’t intentional, it was a byproduct of that lens I was now living through.
“Through this same lens, I took a deliberate, critical look at myself. I mean this quite literally. I looked in the mirror and checked that this person was looking at me again… It wasn’t okay. It wasn’t the ‘me’ that I felt inside .
“I think it’s important to note that I had additional motivational factors that fueled my journey, like the fact that COVID wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon and a doctor’s appointment that was embarrassing for me to attend. I’ve been ashamed giving this disgusting bodily representation for years of Excuses and failures to my doctor.It was different now, how could my doctor trust what I was saying if she could easily verify that it wasn’t true from the outside?
“This chain of events resulted in a series of significant changes in my life. I lost 30% of my body weight during this six month journey. I work at work and now I am rewarded with a physical representation of how I feel on the inside. I have basically reprogrammed myself.”
Now, I wouldn’t act responsibly with my science background in exercise if I didn’t add a caveat to our discussion here: This is not a claim that anyone (nor everyone) will also experience such great, fast results. Not only are our bodies different from one another, but so are our environments, relationships, and lifestyles. There is also a dynamic of diminishing returns, which many of you have probably heard discussed in connection with investing, especially around the Bitcoin adoption cycle. Our bodies adapt, just like the markets.
(source)
Debate
This story is about a woman who a few of you might recognize as speaking in Twitter Spaces from time to time by the word “humble warrior. “
My favorite part of the Humble story is the beautiful cross between Bitcoin, low time preference, investment, discipline, and many other concepts. For the past few years, I’ve been discussing how investing in Bitcoin is a poetic parallel to investing in health. But it’s not just physical health; Mental health is also a major beneficiary of these two areas, as some of the most common mistakes made by investors (particularly amateur investors) relate to psychological states of fear, anxiety, and confusion or dealing with biases such as sunk costs.
I hope Hempel’s story helps inspire you to improve your life. No matter how much wealth Bitcoin may bring to us and our families, it does not matter in the future if we do not have the physical and mental health to adequately enjoy our lives and stay present at the most important moments.
The benefits that Bitcoin is expected to bring extend far beyond monetary or economic, both in number and depth, and as long as we all work hard to continue defending the Bitcoin network and its decentralized operations, I believe we can truly enact positive and powerful radical changes in our world.
Not only in the health of each other, but also in the health of how we govern and lead our countries and nations. One of the biggest of these points will be the separation of money from the state’s grip. If you agree, I ask you to check out the Declaration of Monetary Independence, and if this document shocks you as I and many other members of the Bitcoin community have, I allow you to sign it…as I and my humble do.
This is a guest post by Mike Hobart and The Humble Warrior. The opinions expressed are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BTC Inc. or Bitcoin Magazine.