The 4 Ancient Enemies Of Flow

HALT: the war within.

The 4 Ancient Enemies Of Flow

Is this familiar?

→ You were hungry for affection —or just a feel-good time, no judging— so you acted like a virgin at his first sorority party.
→ You were angry at your boss, so you made the kind of mistake that even interns shook their heads at.
→ You were lonely, so you traded a peaceful night alone for a noisy one with strangers you don’t like.
→ You were so tired, so you numbed yourself into doom-scrolling until the sun found your body, not your soul.

These 4 are forces of stagnation. Hungry. Angry. Lonely. Tired.

You have to fight them too.
You are not the only one.
Our ancestors fought them.
Future generations will.

Why? Because everyone’s freedom is fought and won on their own.

These 4 don’t destroy you at once.
They break you slowly.
They break your flow.
And without flow, you rot.
You become a prey of entropy.

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Hungry

“This is why Mama never allowed you to go shopping in the grocery store with an empty stomach.”
—Unknown

We constantly crave things.
It’s in our very nature. And we are lucky for having this; Our ancestors, thankfully driven by the same fires of dissatisfaction, raised humanity from bestial and chaotic to light and civilization.

Without this burning craving, we might still be living in caves, eating raw food, and communicating with primal screams.

But uncontrollable hunger distorts vision. You crave. You chase. You forget what matters.

You know it. We don’t talk just about food. It’s approval. Applause. Success. The next ring. The next feel-great moment.

As we fill one void, another opens. An endless cycle of wants, needs, and fulfillment underscored by the repetitive mantra of “What next?”

“If I ever won the lottery, the first thing I’d do is rub one out;
I will need this post-nut clarity.”
—Unknown

That’s not silly. That’s wisdom in MEME clothes. Because clarity comes after the hunger is quiet.

How do you quiet your hunger? With more? Or less?

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Angry

“Lesson number one: Never attack in anger.”
—Sir Anthony Hopkins, The Mask of Zorro (1998)

Anger makes you weak. Not stronger.
Except if you were hit by gamma rays. And you become huge, green, bulletproof, and Hulk.

But don’t just take my word for it.
Bushido, the Samurai Code said, “The best warrior is never angry.”
The SEALs say the same thing in different words. You need to control. Or perish.

This is also their breathing exercise, yours to practice in under a minute:

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Lonely

“You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire.”
—Charles Bukowski, Roll the Dice

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
—Benjamin Franklin

ALONE ≠ LONELY

You can be surrounded by people who love you, like you, respect you, or even understand you, and still feel lonely.

Loneliness makes you deal with devils.
You’ll buy attention at any price, even self-respect. You’ll stay where you shouldn’t, say what you don’t mean, and call it connection, neccesssity, or even love.

Being alone is a different beast.
It’s a state of dedicating time from yourself to yourself.
If you can’t sit with yourself, you’ll crawl to anyone and anything.

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Tired

“Pay attention to the whispers, so you won’t have to listen to the screams.”
—Cherokee Proverb

Fatigue is a silent saboteur.
You can find it in the eyes of the overworked parent, the burned-out student, the disillusioned employee.

They think their exhaustion is lack of will. Laziness. Not enough skills, network, or luck.

There are many kinds of fatigue:
• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Creative
• Social
• Decision
• Compassion

Sleep. Silence. Solitude. Consult the experts. Ask for help.
Rest is not an escape, but a necessary reset.

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Flow

Flow is not magic. It’s the proof your war with these 4 is going well.

Time to flow.

Because the world is hungry, angry, lonely, and tired too.
World doesn’t wait for you to rest.
It simply replaces you.

Flow is life.

https://gear.georgelongovitis.com/l/FlowPantheon