We all kinda know it, right? That what we see — the world, others, even ourselves — is just a filtered projection of past experiences, our biology, upbringing, society, all that. But we don’t really live like we know it. We judge based on appearances. We say “this is who I am” without realizing half of “me” was installed by other people.
This summer, I didn’t find enlightenment on a meditation cushion. I found it in a calorie deficit.
Not even kidding.
The Cut That Cut Deeper
I dropped to a low body fat percentage. Started walking 20k steps a day, lifting six times a week (I split my workouts to be able to adhere to the volume), eating around 2,000 calories. Slowly, my entire vibe changed. Not in a motivational Instagram way — in a weird, slow, internal way.
I talk loud. I move a lot. Energy’s always been my default. But during the cut? I was talking slower. Quieter. I didn’t want to move. My body wasn’t “me” anymore — it was just preserving energy. It shifted into a new mode. Automatically. No choice involved. No motivation quotes needed. It just was.
That’s when it hit me: maybe everything is like that.
You Don’t Know What “You” Even Is
That laziness? That lack of drive? That “I don’t feel like it”? Maybe it’s not personality. Maybe it’s conditioning. The way your mornings go. What you eat. What you watch. The music. The people around you. All of it builds up and writes the script we call “myself.”
And then people hit us with “Be yourself.” As if “yourself” isn’t 90% a remix of underpaid teachers, childhood habits, ads, Instagram, and that one time your crush ghosted you.
There is no fixed “you.” Just patterns. Just programming.
Chicken, Soy Sauce, and the Sacred
I used to hate chicken. Just bland family meals, no taste. But on the cut, it tasted godlike. Chicken from the grocery store was the best thing I ever ate. White rice with soy sauce on refeed days? Basically heaven.
That’s when I saw it — pleasure isn’t in the food. It’s in the state. My body was depleted, and so it appreciated everything more. I didn’t choose that feeling. It wasn’t a mindset. It was a natural reaction to a shift in my internal landscape.
So what else are we blind to because we’re overstimulated? What else feels “meh” only because we’re full?
How many amazing people do we ignore? How many simple pleasures do we miss? How many experiences could be more fulfilling - if only our system wasn’t fried?
The Numbness Is Designed
The overstimulation isn’t random. The system is built this way. Marketers, media, tech — their job is to keep you craving. Keep you scrolling. Keep you numb enough to need more, but not so numb you check out completely.
And so we chase. We flex. We "eat the expensive meal" and feel half-satisfied, because our receptors are burned out. We spend our lives working to pay for things that feel like nothing.
Where’s the freedom in that?
Getting Lean — Everywhere
But here’s the hope: just like you can cut body fat, you can cut the noise. You can get lean in business, in entertainment, in relationships. It’s not easy — the habits go deep. But it's possible.
That’s also the reason why I decided to create Moment. It’s a free app that encourages brief pauses during the day — to take stock of how you’re feeling. And if you’re intentional enough, maybe you'll see a bit clearer who you are… and who you could become.
If you're curious, you can try Moment here. No pressure. Just a few mindful pauses — maybe they'll change something.