#and is so overly self-conscious about their both real and imagined shortcomings while giving others too much faith

[marcianek]

I'm at the bottom of the ocean I'm at the bottom of the sea

I don't know if I'll make it back home I'm just stuck here in a dream

Long gone, long long gone- [...] Oh Lord, let me be a good man.

These are selected lyrics from “Bottom of the Sea” by Dhruva Aliman, the original song that Gonta's execution music was sampled from: link

And here are other nice covers/remixes of it, because why not: 1 | 2

Gonta’s questionable execution aside, imo they couldn't have picked a better song as an inspiration for him: both in terms of capturing his mental state by the end of Chapter 4, and in the context of his lifelong Sisyphean struggle for recognition, validation and a sense of belonging. Even in the face of his innate cheerfulness, it eroded his sense of self-worth to a point where he seemed to believe him being inherently worthless was a matter of fact. I say that, because despite all of his active efforts for betterment, Gonta often sure was... weirdly casual in his self-depreciation and the mistreatment he’s dealt with. Even if he still was negatively impacted by it.

And sadly, in the end he was left feeling as if all fears he had about himself were proven right - while in reality it wasn't true at all, and he so didn't deserve to go away in such miserable state, and in such a degrading way. But alas, V3 didn’t pull any punches.

Anyway... yeah. Good song choice.

[kentthewolf]

How To Rebrand YOURESELF, YOUR BUSINESS & EVERYTHING around YOU!

Who doesn’t love a good transformation story?

Someone who went from 0 to 100?

A Cinderella make-over?

A revolting little caterpillar who crawls along in life until one day he figures out how to arise a butterfly and daze the world? Take that you haters!

However, for the greater part of us, our transformations are a little less dramatic. These life transformations are what we call — self development.

That awkward inclination you get when the life (or business) you've so carefully made for yourself begins to feel… not exactly right.

From the start, it resembles a tingle you can't exactly scratch — it’s irritating, vague, won't-disappear from your conscious mind and you don’t know what to DO. Then that same feeling gets stronger and louder; that now you have to DO SOMETHING about it.

So you start to ponder on life. The habits you’ve accustomed to. At times even asking yourself, Is it possible for me to do all of this another way? opens up an entire universe of potential outcomes.

You come to the realization that you’ve gotten too comfortable, life was passing you by and got messy fast. This causes you to tumble down and hide in a deep dark hole full of regrets. Then as you start minimizing inessentials, maximizing things that bring joy in your life and arranging how you want your future to be. You begin to play with the possibilities and recapture your purpose in life once again.

You reach the alarming conclusion that you are unquestionably in more control of your life (and your business) than what you could’ve ever imagined.

Here’s a guide of 11 ways you can get back on track:

1. Get the simple things right.

To be successful, your attention to detail must be unwavering. So you start with the little things, like making your bed and cleaning the house. If simple tasks like these cannot be completed, not only do you pay the price for it when you get home from work tired, but also shows your diligence for the harder tasks. 

The lesson: If you can't get the simple things right, you can't expect to successfully tackle more daunting tasks.

2. Set both realistic and unrealistic goals.

Successful people are relentless goal setters. They break down larger milestones into smaller, more achievable tasks. For example, one of the most unrealistic goals a SEAL candidate can set is completing Hell Week. You don't sleep for a week. You run countless miles with boats, logs, and backpacks. You swim dozens of miles in the frigid ocean. You run the obstacle course daily and do more pushups and pull-ups than you can count. All while battling second-stage hypothermia, sores, and often fractures. Some students quit just minutes into Hell Week. You can't allow yourself to imagine what the end will look like. So you make--and achieve--one small goal at a time and pray for the sun to come up the next day. 

The lesson: A series of near-term realistic goals will help you get closer to your big audacious ones.

3. Work hard.

This one seems obvious, but many people underestimate the level of effort it takes to be successful and achieve aggressive goals. It astonishes me that some people show up to life changing goals and put no real time or effort into preparation. 

The lesson: If you don't work hard preparing for potential success, you won't change that behavior when things get really tough.

4. Get others to work with you.

When setting goals and pursuing success, you must sometimes lead and get others to work with you. You can't do it all alone. The minute you realize that you don’t know everything and need help along the way, the better off you will be.

5. Don't make excuses.

Successful people don't make excuses for failure or shortcomings. They acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses and seek feedback from trusted advisers. The longer you sit around making excuses, the further you will drift from the possibility of achieving your goals.

6. Don't underestimate others.

Pick a handful of random people, with overly confident and timid personalities —  place them in a daunting situation. Usually the overly confident are the first to go. Underestimating people, whether peers or competitors, is one of the worst things you can do. People who go far in life measure others by qualities such as integrity and strength of heart. Empower those around you, and you will be surprised by the outcome.

7. Be willing to fail.

When entering this phase of my life the odds are not in your favor. If you don’t try, you would never forgive yourself. You would rather try and fail than be the individual who says, "I was thinking about trying that." You simply can't look at life through a lens of fear. If you take a calculated risk and fail, at the very least you have a valuable learning experience. Get back up. Dust off. And never, ever, be out of the fight.

8. Embrace the repercussions of your actions.

On your path to success, you will make mistakes. Learn from your mistakes and turn the consequences into something positive.

9. Don't back down.

My favorite passage used by Navy SEALS reads: "I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight." Enough said.

10. Laugh when you want to cry.

Staying positive seems like an obvious trait for successful people, but it's easier said than done. Your character is defined by what you do when things get tough. The person who finds the strength to laugh during a complicated situation is the type that usually takes control of any challenge no matter the sacrifice. When things get rough and are out of your control, don't forget to laugh.

11. Make sacrifices.

Success comes with sacrifice. Let selfish ways fall by the wayside, and know that you can't have your cake and eat it, too. The most successful people in the world have made significant sacrifices along the way. Give up comfort, and the discomfort only increases the further you go. But you get used to it, because you know what you are doing is worth it.

The path to success is paved with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but you can't lose heart. Stay strong, be humble, and lean on others for support when necessary.