Envy, The Golden Hour, & The Argentine Lake Duck

Above: Sigmund Freud, the Father of modern psychology.

Renowned Psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) theorized man’s “bigger is better” obsession stems subconsciously from a fear of reproductive… inadequacies. That we envy those with more procreational fortitude, equating size with power.

Meet the Argentine Lake Duck.

“The Argentine lake duck is small, weighing a little more than a pound and around 16 inches long from head to tail. It’s a stiff-tail duck and, like many species in the stiff-tail duck family, they have rather long *****es compared to their body size. Most of these birds rival human length at approximately 6-8 inches. The Argentine lake duck appears to be an overachiever and can have a ***** up to 17 inches long, giving them the largest ***** of any known bird.”

The human envier falls ten to twelve feet short of the duck’s marquis ratio.

Duck:    1

You:      0

So, we envy the duck. Why?

We must deal with a hard truth: we’ll never catch up to the duck. We’ll never rise to the occasion. We cannot compete with such stiff competition. We will forever fall short.

Understand: regardless the endeavor, as brilliant, talented, and gifted as you are—someone out there is better. Someone has more of what you want.

Freud also posits the theory of nature vs. nurture. Nature grants a predetermined genetic range of performance; nurture determines where we land on that spectrum. And he’s right. Some are naturally better at things than others. Envying a genetic predisposition is a fruitless endeavor. The cards have been dealt. They cannot be reshuffled.

Do not judge your self-worth by perception of another’s “status”. Counter envy by measuring real progress:

#1. Daily time—undisturbed—committed to your craft.

#2. At a pace/intensity where speed does not compromise quality.

The Golden Hour

Tap into that skill you find boundless joy in and are naturally inclined towards. Invest one hour—your golden hour—daily. Reject envy. You do not compare yourself to others. You do not measure progress on results—you measure progress through intensity, focus, and concentration during your golden hour. Results will inevitably follow.

The rate of progress within your golden hours will naturally fluctuate; this you cannot control. You can control committing an hour a day, every day.

A powerful effect results.

With daily discipline, the resulting avalanche of growth fuels itself. Your golden hour will take on a life of its own—becoming a special time to focus on your highest cause; a rich reward blessing you not only in your craft—but in your confidence, outlook, and ambition in all areas of life.

Progress is power.

Put the golden hour to work. Dismiss the Argentine Lake Ducks of the world. They don’t matter.

Compare yourself to yesterday’s you—

And no other.

Mark Joseph Huckabee