[015] Doubling Down
Weekly Articles Sending Positive Messages Into Negative Spaces
Every new, delightful, and dreadful day of life presents us with the opportunity to fail, suffer, and concede. The incessant mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional opportunities that we frequently and begrudgingly face cause us to waver under the weight of being human. It’s at this point of difficulty we find the opportunity to either back down or double down on our difficulties.
While backing down is a valid option, it’s by far the easier of the choice whereas doubling down means that we are investing in an already established risk/difficulty knowing we will need to put in much more work than backing off.
But when we are at a loss, hopeless, defeated, and out of confidence, what if we doubled down? What if we, with some limitations and help, took a gamble and doubled down on ourselves? Learning to respond to life with confidence to double down allows us to journey through difficulties while learning that we can indeed learn more, gain confidence, learn to fail with grace, and expand into new spaces.
All we have is today. We aren’t guaranteed our plans of tomorrow and we can’t live in the past, so to create a brighter future tomorrow isn’t a better option of living to be confident and aware? Doubling down requires us to challenge ourselves, maintain focus, and restrain from complaining. If we double down and fail, let’s fail with the confidence that we can learn from any mistakes or mishaps, knowing that we aren’t perfect.
To double down and tackle whatever overwhelming, murky obstacle is in front of us we need a few tools with the first tool being a convincing reason to double down. With our reason in hand, we feel confident, maybe even irrationally confident in ourselves to take on our difficulties and double down. Once our confidence wears off and we are left in the midst of fear, confusion, anxiety, and stress what next?
We reset. Doubling down takes a multitude of mental fortitude in order to give better effort towards moving forward. Breathing, mental affirmations, hearing the wisdom of others, and so on, help us face our difficulties when doubling down because remember when we double down we are taking a risk. Risks of any size don’t always pay off immediately or in the long run, but our response to the risks of doubling down can be confident.
For starters, remember that regrets can be rewritten through growth over time. Just because we make a mistake today and again tomorrow doesn’t mean we will learn what to do the third time. What it does mean is that when we do look back on times when we face difficulties or other times in life, if we feel embarrassed by who we were then compared to who we are now it means that we have grown. We can be proud of who we are today by the actions we have taken in the past even if they aren’t our proudest moments because we know the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual journey we were on.
It’s this way that we carry ourselves and the act of just “going for it” that will produce growth even when the likelihood of “success” isn’t necessarily better than if we give up. Action can either produce wisdom or folly, it all depends on how we respond. Doubling down is a method, a strategy that allows us to set ourselves up for success in order to overcome present-day problems while knowing we will gain wisdom in the future.
Misused or misunderstood, doubling down can be risky and dangerous as we gamble on false information, safety, or our health away. Be wary of pride, isolation, and fear as these three will keep us locked into not only failing ourselves now but gaining wisdom in the future. Our pride prevents us from seeing the larger picture. If we isolate ourselves our perception of reality and our basis for making decisions becomes distorted. And our fear tells us to quit and that we were foolish to attempt ______ in the first place.
Doubling down as a strategy can certainly be effective and after some amount of time we can look back and see the growth as a result, but like many things in life it is only sustainable for so long. Whether it’s our confidence failing in the short run, losing sight of our reason, or becoming overwhelmed by the difficulty at hand, we need to make sure we have our safety and health in mind. At the end of the day, we know life is difficult and sometimes it takes bold and strong action in order to see change.
A few tools for when we do double down:
[-] Breathing. Spend time being aware of your breathing and practice different techniques such as breathing in for 5 seconds, holding for 5 seconds, and releasing for 10 seconds or box breathing: in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale for 4 seconds.
[-] Wake up and set your mind right with “morning rocks” that assert mental affirmations of the how, why, and what before engaging with whatever a day might offer.
[-] Use small actions to re-enforce large actions. Many 1% changes add up over time, so if we are doubling down on a solid foundation then the risk of sinking or failing hard is minimized [to a certain extent].
🥀 Thanks, Nature: Turmeric
Thank you nature for the beautiful natural coloring source found in turmeric. While studies are still out, turmeric + curcumin can be helpful as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant agent in our response to the daily inflammation we may face. Besides any health benefits, use turmeric to dye clothing, spice up any coffee or smoothie-based beverages, and add a twist to your next recipe. Next time you have curry be on the lookout for tasting turmeric!
Learn more about Turmeric & Curcumin here, here, and here.
🪨 Weekly Rocks:
Weekly Rocks are reminders of significance meant to support and build the foundation of who we are becoming and being. In this space, you will find quotes, articles, links, ideas, and more.
[+] Ever heard of the word “polymath” before? Check out this article about people with “too many interests”
[+] Making the Most of Small Spaces by Anoop Parikh. A practical book on how to live in small spaces.
[+] If I can’t give you my eyes… how can I listen?
🎨 Creative Resources:
[+] Typefaces as Cultural Objects presents great fonts that go deeper than the visuals.
[+] Looking to play with kinetic type for a few minutes? Slide some sliders and or pick some presets and watch them go.
[+] If someone is better than you at something, it’s probably because they have failed at it more than you have. [idea based on The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck]
Marum Resources:
[+] Are.na
By reading this article we hope you have the opportunity to have insight into something new in life. Thank you for reading!
Marum Studios: Sending Positive Message into Negative Spaces
Missed last week’s article? Read it here
[*Note: we are not medical professionals! Consult with a medical professional before making changes to your lifestyle. We wish you a healthy and happy journey.]
“At the end of the day, we know life is difficult and sometimes it takes bold and strong action in order to see change.” Yes!