Do you know a young person with the “Be a Pro” mindset?

[Anonymous]

This is DJ Shipley, a retired SEAL Team 6 operator that served 17 years in the Navy. He was laser focused on becoming a Navy SEAL. Once there he shifted his focus to DEVGRU, what the public knows as SEAL Team 6. After accomplishing that he obsessed about being the best DEVGRU operator to ensure he got the job done without losing his life, or the lives of his team members. He kept at it until he was medically retired due to a litany of serious injuries. I’m not saying people should do the crazy things DJ did, but his success driven mindset is admirable, and could be beneficial for athletes, musicians, scholars, or any other skill oriented endeavors.

[Anonymous]

You lost me at medically retired due to a litany of serious injuries. Not for this government.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You lost me at medically retired due to a litany of serious injuries. Not for this government.

He retired in 2019. He served under Bush & Obama then retired under Trump.

This post isn’t about joining the military. It’s about driven, focused young people today.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I know several student athletes who are very driven and successful in both endeavors. I'm hopeful for the future.

[Anonymous]

I have a relative who is a Navy Seal. He too was laser focused to achieve this goal. The process is long and grueling and only the best make it. Many fail trying.

A PP mentioned driven student athletes, but I would take it up a notch to Olympic athletes. They are highly driven humans who are willing to give it their all to achieve.

[Anonymous]

I've dated a lot of men like this (spec ops, CIA, pro athletes....what can I say, I have a type).

Honestly it's really not accurate to say people like this just work harder, have the right mindset, are disciplined, etc.

Sure, they often do. But there are SO many other factors at play. Often whether or not you make it has more to do with your actual physical anatomy - different hip structures are better for sprinting vs lifting heavy weights. It also has a LOT to do with how well your body can take the physical abuse before it breaks down. Often athletes are those who have the right physical structure for their sport and whose bodies can take a beating before breaking down.

People also don't understand that for a lot of those guys, it's just fun. It's not hard work in the sense they are forcing themselves the way you or I would. The SEALs I've known have said quitting never even crossed their mind, it was just fun for them.

The amount of stress they put on themselves to be the best is insane. I've known guys who would constantly beat themselves up over any and every little mistake, and their mental health really suffers. And if you don't make it (because reality is, most people won't no matter how great their mindset is), there's the risk of serious depression.

Not to mention the attributes that make someone a good "Pro" tend to make them terrible at relationships.

Overall, the people I know who are successful tend to pursue things they find enjoyable and that they are naturally good at. Less about discipline, more about just using your natural abilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've dated a lot of men like this (spec ops, CIA, pro athletes....what can I say, I have a type).

Honestly it's really not accurate to say people like this just work harder, have the right mindset, are disciplined, etc.

Sure, they often do. But there are SO many other factors at play. Often whether or not you make it has more to do with your actual physical anatomy - different hip structures are better for sprinting vs lifting heavy weights. It also has a LOT to do with how well your body can take the physical abuse before it breaks down. Often athletes are those who have the right physical structure for their sport and whose bodies can take a beating before breaking down.

People also don't understand that for a lot of those guys, it's just fun. It's not hard work in the sense they are forcing themselves the way you or I would. The SEALs I've known have said quitting never even crossed their mind, it was just fun for them.

The amount of stress they put on themselves to be the best is insane. I've known guys who would constantly beat themselves up over any and every little mistake, and their mental health really suffers. And if you don't make it (because reality is, most people won't no matter how great their mindset is), there's the risk of serious depression.

Not to mention the attributes that make someone a good "Pro" tend to make them terrible at relationships.

Overall, the people I know who are successful tend to pursue things they find enjoyable and that they are naturally good at. Less about discipline, more about just using your natural abilities.

Every SEAL interview I’ve seen is about ignoring injuries and concussions until they can’t hide them anymore. Here’s the full DJ Shipley interview. He validates a lot of what you said. He was also a physically and mentally broken human at the end.

[Anonymous]

I'm a bit anti this kind of wanna be admiration. That's not saying I have a lot of admiration and respect for anyone who seeks to be successful because they love what they do and take pride in that excellence out of the joy of that commitment. You have to love it v chase the glory of success.

I think people tend to chase v embrace. Chasing will not find happiness, peace or pride. Not in the long run. Whatever you do even if it's being a garbage man, you have to do it because you take pride in the actual work of what you are doing. If the natural evolution of that is moving to a higher level of the same work, awesome. But it has to be organic and out of a desire for joy not of wanting to "be a pro."

Michael Jordan's greatness comes from his natural competitiveness and joy of playing. There is nobody who succeeds in greatness chasing anything - you can desire it out of the sincerity to achieve mastery but not because you simply want to be the greatest that ever was, not because you want to be "somebody" nor because you want to be respected and admired for your aspirations and ambitions.

The most peaceful and happy people I've ever met were never the most "successful" but those who did what they loved to do. The desire always comes before the ambition. It's a fine line between what you are saying and what I'm saying but easy to forget

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You lost me at medically retired due to a litany of serious injuries. Not for this government.

He retired in 2019. He served under Bush & Obama then retired under Trump.

This post isn’t about joining the military. It’s about driven, focused young people today.

It’s not clear at all what your post is about, as the words “Go Pro” are not mentioned anywhere in it.

Nostalgia about allegedly extinct character traits is very popular among fascists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You lost me at medically retired due to a litany of serious injuries. Not for this government.

He retired in 2019. He served under Bush & Obama then retired under Trump.

This post isn’t about joining the military. It’s about driven, focused young people today.

That’s what you want it to be about.

It’s about driving yourself into a grave.

I have two kids one is like this guy, D1 athlete, all American, wanted to be a pro athlete. Now he’s super driven in his career. He’s so incredibly unhealthy in the way he looks at the world.

I have a second son, he had the physical attributes to be a division one athlete but weigh the costs of multiple concussions and surgeries, and running himself on 14 hour days and said no thank you. Well, he isn’t perfect. He does not have this incredibly unhealthy outlook on life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a relative who is a Navy Seal. He too was laser focused to achieve this goal. The process is long and grueling and only the best make it. Many fail trying.

A PP mentioned driven student athletes, but I would take it up a notch to Olympic athletes. They are highly driven humans who are willing to give it their all to achieve.

And then hope the children don’t do the same because they can’t get out of bed without severe pain.

[Anonymous]

Man.
Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;

he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.
-lama

[Anonymous]

This goes beyond athletics. My son is not athletic at all, but passionate about his field of choice. He has the single-mindedness of autism to drive him along. His father is the same way, for a different field.

I'll bet DS has never heard of the "Be a Pro" thing. He doesn't need a philosophy of thought to layer onto his particular brain difference. He and his father were just born that way.

[Anonymous]

It's all marketing. Same with David Goggins. They have stuff to sell you, so they make you feel "less than" but if you study with my 8 week program! You will learn a system of mental fortitude and discipline! That I developed over 12 years of fighting with the Navy SEALs! For only $30 you can buy my book with my 8 week program! Free water bottle if you buy it today!

[Anonymous]

Average is a choice, every damn day.

I don’t want to work eight hours.

I don’t want to go back to the office.

I don’t check work email after 5pm.

I want unlimited PTO to travel and post food pictures.

I deserve six figures for mid-five figure experience and effort.

I’ll just live at home until I’m 30.

Thanks Boomers, everything is your fault.

My manager needs to accommodate my victim mentality.

I don’t need to be coachable because I don’t appreciate being coached.