Mindset Training
Issue 5
"FULFILLMENT IS FOUND IN THE PURSUIT OF SELF-TRANSCENDENCE."
SELF-TRANSCENDENCE AND FULFILLMENT
In today’s world, we spend too much time judging our own success against the success of those around us, or those we see on social media. If we aren’t intentional with our goals, our subconscious minds will look at the world around us and make comparisons. The philosophy of self-transcendence is finding fulfillment not in defeating others, imitating others, or comparing ourselves to others, but in constantly transcending our current selves in pursuit of something higher. As the spiritual teacher and ultramarathoner Sri Chimnoy put it, “Perfection, which is satisfaction, is nothing short of constant self-transcendence.”
TRANSCEND AS A MINDSET
When implementing self-transcendence as a mindset, the goal is to constantly go high, higher, highest. We do not stop once we have reached one specific goal or attained a certain material status. Fulfillment comes from being fully engaged, at max capacity, working towards infinitely higher goals in an attempt to transcend our previous efforts and abilities. We work relentlessly to overcome the unaspiring that lives within us– the part of us that wants to sit on the couch or find complacency once a goal is finished. We continuously say, “no, not enough,” and push forward onto the next goal.
TRANSCEND IN SPRING
Our Spring Collection reflects the journey of self-transcendence, both in the campaign imagery and the design inspiration. As a team of athletes and creatives trying to explore life at the highest level, we need apparel that adapts to our changing environments. In an effort to get the most out of each day, we often make time for training either before the sun is up or after it’s gone down. To cater to this lifestyle, we designed our latest collection around the theme of sleepless energy, introducing a midnight-sky-inspired pantone and new high-visibility reflective accessories. The midnight sky has a feeling and an energy to it, and there’s nothing quite like being out for a run before sunrise while the world is still sleeping.
Message from the Founder
When we think of the word “transcend” or imagine what “self-transcendence” might feel like, we often imagine ourselves at some point in the future where we will reach that singular moment of contentment.Often we imagine a material moment in the future that will make us feel like we “made it” and we can “finally relax.” We think we will feel an everlasting feeling of accomplishment. Maybe it’s the moment we buy our dream car, purchase our first house, get to travel the world, or become famous.
I am not immune to these material illusions of fulfillment, and I have had the opportunity to experience many of these sought-after moments that I thought would bring me peace and fulfillment. But luckily it’s not that easy…
Throughout the journey of building a company, it’s incredibly easy to lose sight of the original vision and become distracted by ideas of material success and external validation. The antidote to this is found in the philosophy of self-transcendence.
The paradox of self-transcendence is that it is directionally found inward, not upward or forward. Once I was able to reframe this idea, it became easy to focus all of my energy on the journey of building my dream brand.
And in the grueling trenches of building a business, I started having moments when I stopped thinking that the process was just to get to an end goal, and realized the long hours and the constant pressure was actually what I truly loved. I realized self-transcendence was not a moment or place but a perspective shift.
What I’ve come to believe is that we can find daily fulfillment in the process of exposing ourselves to harder and harder challenges, always trying to compete against our previous selves. Fulfillment is just choosing to fully engage in the process of life.
We can either see the unavoidable challenges in life as a burden, or a blessing. Because in the end, we are not affected by the challenges we face, but the attitude we take in facing them.
Taking this belief to the next level, I try to structure my life in a way that is filled with challenges, so that I continuously train this mindset. If challenge is unavoidable, I would rather seek it out and use it as my teacher so that I have more chances to change my reaction to them.
In creating our company culture, my goal is to build a team of people who are driven by passion and a desire for progress. We’re not concerned with the speed of our bottom-line growth, but the amount of personal growth we can achieve along the way.
It would be easy at any stage of the company to throw in the towel, convince myself that I’m not qualified to be doing the things I’m doing, and either hire experienced executives or just cash out and never have to work again.
But for me, I find so much value and fulfillment in the daily struggle of constantly doing things I’m quite literally “unqualified” to do. We should be unqualified at what we’re doing because that means we’re trying to learn something new. I always want to be punching above my weight class, otherwise what’s the point?
Growth is part of adapting. It’s about taking yourself to a level outside your comfort zone, stretching your abilities, and then finding a way through.
This process takes a level of honesty and humility; what’s outside your comfort zone might be easy for someone else. But if we commit ourselves to confronting that discomfort each day, the potential for our growth is truly unlimited.