Jocko Podcast - Standard Directive 017: It's Not About You

Episode Date: October 24, 2023

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So I was at an event and a guy comes up to me and he asks what I would say to a person who needed to get motivated to eat healthy and workout. And I asked him, who is this person? Might it be you? And he said, yes, it was him. And I asked him, what do you do? And he said he was a doctor. And I said, what kind of doctor? And he said he was a cardiologist.

and I looked at him silently for probably 10 seconds. And then I said, you're a doctor. You're a cardiologist. You see people all day that are dead or dying because they didn't take care of their health. Health. And you need me to motivate you. That's what you need?

And he stared at me with a blank face. And I could see that that wasn't enough, clearly. It wasn't enough that he sees people that are dead and dying every single day because they don't take care of their health, but that wasn't strong enough. So I asked him another question. I said, are you married? And he said yes, and I asked me if he had any kids. And he said, yes, I have a three-year-old daughter.

And I said, do you care about your child? I said, do you care about your wife and daughter? And he said, of course. And then I said, no, you don't. No, you don't. If you cared about your wife and daughter, you would take care of yourself. His head shifted a little, and I could see that this hit him, so I hit him again. Don't you want to see her grow up? Don't you want to see her go to middle school and high school and graduate from school and go to college, and graduate college and get married and have her own kids. Don't you wanna see her do those things? Don't you wanna be able to support her in her life?

Don't you wanna be able to teach her lessons and help her avoid all the things that you messed up? Don't you wanna be there for your daughter? And with a guilty look, he said, of course I do. And I said, well, then get your priorities straightened down. out. Don't let your laziness and your sweet tooth override your long-term goals and your long-term commitments, the love you have for your wife and your own daughter. What you do isn't just about you. It's about the people you care about. And it's the same for all of us. It isn't just about you.

You can let yourself down. Whatever. Don't let your friends and your family down. Stay on the path for them.