Seriousness comes on its own accord.
When one can no longer tolerate the way things are in their training, one starts to question their efforts
When the daily devotion to training and perfecting their skill is tainted by ...
a minuscule rate of progress (if at all),
repeating injuries and countless hours of "therapy",
chronic, nagging pains and limitations,
endless "recovery" work and supplements,
what was once a liberating deed, starts to become an imprisoning vortex of pain and discomfort.
When such an imprisoned athlete walks back from the gym after yet another of "those days", they wonder ...
why is it that I have such an arduous path and others have it easy?
Some, burdened by other aspects in life, decide it is time and give up.
("Time to move on" - they say to themselves.)
Some fall into the false prevalent dogma and myths of "I am too old for this", "It's genetics after all", "I started late!" and the like.
Some find similar pursuits to numb the pain of separation from what once used to be "their world".
However ...
From something deep within the rare few ...
For whom their craft is the thing next to breathing.
And who for whatever reason, cannot imagine doing anything else in their life.
From someplace deeper than the realm of thought or feeling,
something magical surfaces!
Having hit rock bottom, they finally understand.
Having come face to face with the true nature of life, they find real courage and determination.
Seeing no other option but to face their limitations head-on, they finally become READY!
And it is then, that Seriousness knocks on their consciousness.
And they welcome it!
They embrace it with a "I've had enough!" realization.
They finally start to look left and right at how things really have been lately.
And in doing so finally take the long, hard look at themselves and that which they have been running away from.
(They have been running away from seriousness.)
If one takes a look around at the latest and greatest services and products prevalent in the strength, conditioning, and sports performance industry ...
Be it millions of mobility drills with alien looking equipment to "recover"
Or tools to numb the pain so that one can continue "training".
Or countless apps to track bar path, measure speed/power without paying any attention to the internal and external make-up of the human performing those movements.
One can't help but realize that they are all targetted at the unserious!
They are all aimed at the population that does not really want to get anywhere in their sport.
A podium finish here and there, a PR here and there, an Instagram post with a bunch of likes ... they are content.
The unserious like going in circles, they are okay with just a glimpse of glory here and there.
Following the "rules" and settling for "what everyone is doing" will always breed mediocrity and half-baked results.
Continuing to rely on tools and techniques like above will forever keep you from attaining that which you really want to attain.
It is only seriousness that lays the seed for legendary results.
It is only seriousness that gives life more than meaning or purpose.
And it is only seriousness that allows one to discover who they really are.
One either becomes serious ...
Or dies having never truly lived.