The Inner Shift That Gave My Life Purpose – And Kept Me Going
I used to think strength was all about training and diet. But the biggest shift happened in my mind. This post is about how I reconnected with purpose and how that transformed everything.
I often find myself reflecting:
What gave me the strength to push through until I saw my first visible results?
Why didn’t I give up after such a long period of seemingly fruitless effort?
These are completely natural questions during the early stages of any journey.
But what does it truly take to become good at something?
An immense, almost unquenchable inner fire.
But first, let’s understand:
What exactly is this inner fire?
Infinite Energy Born Within
I spent most of my childhood as an overweight, insecure boy.
To be honest, I always felt deep down that it shouldn’t be this way
but since health wasn’t a core value in my environment either,
this became my “normal.”
Everything started in the gym.
Even in the very beginning, I looked with admiration at those physiques that seemed completely unattainable for me only daring to dream about them back then.
First Milestone – Falling in Love with the Weights
I was very young when I first found my way into the world of the gym.
Naturally, in the beginning, I trained purely based on what I enjoyed which is completely normal for everyone starting out.
Around the second or third year, however, the first cracks in my self-esteem began to appear.
At the time, I still didn’t understand that real transformation required much more than simply moving weights.
While beginners are often able to gain muscle under almost any conditions without a deep understanding something confirmed by a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, which found that initial strength gains are primarily due to neuromuscular adaptations true physical transformation requires a much deeper level of awareness.
The brain (and the nervous system) sets up a “safety limit” on how much muscle force it allows the body to exert at any given moment.
This limit is not the muscle’s actual physical capacity, but rather the level the brain permits to protect the body from injuries (such as muscle tears, tendon damage, etc.).
Through consistent training:
- The mental barriers (neurological inhibition) begin to lower,
- The brain allows greater muscle activation,
- Movements become more efficient (even if actual muscle mass doesn’t immediately increase),
- And this explains why beginners often experience rapid strength gains at first!
Despite this, reducing body fat can only be achieved through maintaining a calorie deficit.
As a result, instead of achieving the confident appearance I was aiming for, my body simply appeared even rounder.
Still, despite all the internal struggles, training always brought me peace.
I felt that I was on the right path even if I was only just beginning to take the first real steps.
“I always felt that I was on the right path just still contemplating the first step.”
Second Milestone – Lost in the Maze of Knowledge
As time went on, small fragments of knowledge slowly began to trickle in — but unfortunately, not always from reliable sources.
This sabotages most beginners, especially in today’s world where content that relies on “clickbait” mechanisms often takes center stage telling people what they want to hear rather than presenting objective facts.
Without expert guidance from the very beginning, it’s not really your fault if you end up believing misinformation.
I was no exception the same thing happened to me.
Despite all of this, training continued to prove itself as a reliable source of peace, especially on the mentally challenging days.
I began to see the world of training almost like a form of therapy a view that science now also supports:
a 2024 comprehensive review published in The BMJ found that regular exercise significantly alleviates symptoms of depression and serves as a powerful tool for maintaining mental health.
“You don’t learn how to learn in school. You learn it when you realize your entire life is an opportunity for learning.”
Third Milestone – The Limits of Knowledge Deficiency
Without knowledge about optimal living, even nutrition becomes based merely on feelings.
In such cases, progress becomes severely limited it depends largely on current habits and genetic predispositions.
Eventually, a point arrives where the lack of progress begins to eat away at motivation.
Scientific research supports the importance of this factor:
a study published in Frontiers in Public Health found that improving nutritional knowledge has a remarkable impact on energy availability, body composition, and growth potential especially in young athletes.
It took me many years to reach a moment when, in a mentally unstable state, I asked myself:
Is it still worth continuing?
Yes, it is!
Training continued to bring me a deep sense of peace and the next question naturally arose:
If so many others have made it, why wouldn’t I be able to?
Fourth Milestone – Personalizing Knowledge for Growth
When we talk about learning, most people immediately think of school right?
My personal experiences with formal education have always been mixed.
While teaching basic knowledge is undoubtedly essential, we must also recognize that most of the traditional education system does not prepare us for real life.
This misunderstanding is why many people end up resenting the very process of learning.
Yet in truth, human beings are designed for the accumulation of knowledge and even more importantly, for applying that knowledge toward their own personal goals.
Those who fail to recognize this in time gradually sink into a life of repetition, without real growth or true realization.
Scientific research supports the importance of purposeful learning:
a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that individuals who pursue lifelong learning aligned with their personal goals report significantly higher levels of psychological well-being, resilience, and overall life satisfaction.
(Lifelong learning: The importance of personal goal-directed knowledge acquisition for psychological well-being and resilience)
I am truly grateful that, relatively early — not long after my school years I recognized the immense potential hidden in true learning.
From that moment onward, my development accelerated dramatically even my physical progress took off, because I was finally able to consciously apply the knowledge I was gathering toward shaping my physique.
And the process hasn’t stopped since:
Purposeful, intentional learning remains a fundamental part of my everyday life, constantly pushing me to grow — both physically and mentally.
“True growth begins when you start using knowledge for your own purpose.”
It Truly Burns Bright When You Understand
Now, let’s return to the inner fire.
I, too, experienced periods when I wasn’t growing the way I wanted to.
There were days, weeks, even months when I didn’t feel any visible results yet I still kept going.
Had I given up back then, I wouldn’t have the goals I have today.
I wouldn’t feel the constant urge to keep growing both mentally and physically.
And mental growth isn’t just essential for my bodybuilding ambitions.
Developing a strong mentality is a fundamental requirement for anyone striving toward any meaningful goal.
The inner fire is not the master of this process — it is its companion.
You don’t get to decide when it burns stronger or when it dims.
In my view, the key is this:
“You only receive help when you’re walking your true path.”
Along the way, difficulties are inevitable.
In most cases, it’s the potential end result that initially drives people but the path leading there, with its many unexpected challenges, often becomes so overwhelming that it makes them forget why they even started.
The inner fire does not promise an easy journey.
But if you understand why it burns if you realize that the journey itself gives life its true meaning, then you will not only set out on your path but you will stay on it until the end.
Conclusion
Our environment can have such a profound effect on us that our natural norms become completely distorted.
As a result of this deformation, we may lose the ability to truly value our own capabilities and potential.
The most important step before setting any goal is to fully know yourself, and based on that self-knowledge, choose the path you truly want to follow.
“Because if you love the journey, you can build yourself up through pure joy.”
From Dreams to Goals, from Goals to Plans
