Life Hacking: How To NOT Change your Life

Let's shine a gigantic fucking magnifying glass on this new 'life-hacking' phase, and expose it for what it really is...fearful avoidance of the deeper process, which is used by marketers and personal development coaches, to gain off societies desires, insecurities, laziness, and the quick-fix generation.

​It's time I be a kill-joy, as I am utterly sick of seeing the word 'hack' all over my facebook timeline, in the form of self-development coaches pushing their rehashed and outdated messages. But, fear not, for this is not all negative, as there is a beautiful realization underneath all of this.

The life-hacking community is basically built upon the same foundational appeal as fast-food and the prescription drug racket. A one-time-quick-fix pill, with no need to treat the root of the problem, for only all of your money, which in turn will destroy your physical and mental body even more. I know you may be thinking I am exaggerating here, but I regret to say I am most definitely not exaggerating.

We are a society programmed for now, now, now. Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie. Everything must be quick and immediate. It must be easy. It must be painless. It must only feel good. Because if it is none of these things, then it is not what I am looking for, and it has to be bad for us.

The 'hack' promise relates on the same level emotionally as the fast-food promise. The appeal is the same. The weakness that craves it, is the same. Playing into this weakness, will most definitely not allow you to grow or be healthy. But, it will give you the initial belief that you are gaining all these positive things, such as saving time, and skipping the hard part.

A very dangerous waste of time.

If many years ago, someone in a trench-coat approached me one winters night from beyond the shadows, at the same moment I was contemplating ending it all, and promised me that he could give me an instant fix for all my internal misalignment, and that I would wake up the next morning as the finished product of eternal happiness...well, I would of snatched it off him and taken it immediately, even if deep down, i didn't believe it.

Don't get me wrong, I bash a lot of shit, and call out truth in every way I can out of respect, for you. But, when push-comes to shove, I know what it feels like to be desperate in life. I know what it feels like to be all out of luck, depressed, lonely, and suicidal. I know what it is like to hate myself and be deeply ashamed and embarrassed about the man I am. I know all of this, and I admit, I would of deep-throated any 'hack' or quick fix at that time in my life. I would of cherished it and wished, and hoped, and prayed. Being honest, I bought into many things, doing everything in my power to avoid the necessary...facing the scary journey.

The promise of 'easily changing your life quickly', is what effortlessly baits in unhappy people who are at their wits-end. This marketing, these promises, make it easy to make lots of money for the person who is selling. I see it everywhere in the industry I work in. I have even been told I had to change my content to make it more marketable and profitable by many professional marketers worth a lot of money.

Luckily, after all the pain I went through, I rediscovered my integrity, and refused to ever fall down that hole of misguided lies. Simply because I would of been the first victim of such alluring promises back in the day. Now, I am so grateful and proud that I always seek the long road ahead, even if at times it can be overwhelming.

If I was offered a quick fix or a hack today, to get to where I want to go to next, I would refuse it every time. I now know on a deep level, that the learning, growth, fun, and memories, are in the experience and the journey itself. I now welcome the pain, confusion, fear, and uncertainty into my life. I actually go as far as to seek out resistance in my life, because moving through resistance means Im on my way to a deeper depth of self, experience, and happiness.

One of my secrets to engaging with information is as follows: If I see the word "hack" in a title or sentence, I instantly disregard the content, and the individual who is speaking, teaching, and sharing.(I know, it is in the title of this article. Oh the hypocrisy) Because quite frankly, they have not realized something yet. OR, if they HAVE already realized, its worse, as they are then using the word 'hack' to tempt you into likes, or to take your money.

I just saw a "meditation hack" 10 minutes before sitting down to write this. Fuck off!!

​THERE IS NO SUCH THING! I have meditated for about 13 years now. I have experimented with every short-cut and magic technique promise. When in reality, the most simplist form of meditation is the most powerful and resistance building. It forces you to deal with yourself. Where other complicated techniques are all a means of pointless distraction.

A hack for growth, progress and true foundational understanding, is not a thing! Even if it was, I would not want it to be an option.

If you are interacting with something or somebody, coming from a hacking and short-cutting way, you are basking in laziness and further self avoidance. It may feel easier and like the better idea, but you are short-cutting yourself.

Understand that anything you begin to explore and face for the first time, WILL have its levels of resistance. It is unavoidable, and for good reason. For resistance is a necessary sign, to signal that this new way of being is starting to integrate its way to being a part of you. It is teaching you via the process.

You think babies have a 'learn how to speak words' hack? Of course not. They learn gradually via the experience process. The same with learning to crawl, walk, and run. There is many falls, mistakes, and ways which can be improved. They dust themselves off, they don't take anything personally, they don't allow mistakes to define their worth, they drool a bit, then they get right back at it, but this time with a deeper understanding of what they can improve on. If I can give you any advice in life, it would be to approach your fears and confusions like a toddler. Allow yourself to know nothing, and be curious to seek out more. That is the greatest process and the self-integration of every new habit.

In order to relate in a new way to anything, the process must be felt. A hack teaches us, like everything else, to bypass the foreseeable discomfort.

The dirty little secret is, the discomfort in any new venture/experience is what we actually truly grow and Learn from. It is what makes us solid, self reliant, and self trusting as men.

Stop looking to shortcut life, or life will shortcut you! Dive into uncomfortableness. Once you are being with it, know that you are becoming wiser and wiser.

Until next time,
​Chris