Jess | The Second Half

53. Dad. NOT a guru. Obsessive researcher. Want to feel comfortable in your own skin? Give me a follow. Ego death specialist.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

I'm 53. I work nights. I raised four kids.

For years I thought being hard on myself was strength. I cussed myself out in the mirror and waited on a crypto lottery ticket to fix my life.

That wasn't strength. That was ego.
The man I was at 40 needed to be right. Needed to look strong. Needed nobody's help.
That man had to die.

I still work nights. I still hit the gym around 10 am after a shift. But I'm done waiting.

This account is The Second Half.
I write for men who want to feel comfortable in their own skin after 50. Letting go of who you were. Staying fit on a real schedule. Taking care of how you look, because that's respect, not vanity.

I'm not a guru. I'm figuring it out in public. I’ve been battling my inner demons, aka ego, aka shadow, for years. It’s finally showing cracks.

If you're in the same spot, follow along.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

If there is one thing that I’ve discovered in all my years, is that everybody has the same desire. The desire to not have any problems. Learn to be grateful for your “problems.” https://t.co/ASM0gDLmRC

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@Jainadave_ Well, at least he still has leg day. No barbell squats tho.

[Jay Shetty @jayshetty]

Robert Greene on the power of embracing suffering.

Watch every new episode on Netflix & Spotify 🎙️

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@FitnessEmpiree Every day.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@RyanHoliday I started reading your book and I was inspired to write this article. Got a lot of research help from Grok though. Can’t take full credit. https://t.co/3GRSqkOqcB

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

I started reading a book on the ego and some questions came to mind. With the help of @Grok, we wrote an article. Take a look. https://t.co/Heo6eE1XN1

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@Markmanson Every time I said yes to keep the peace, it was really my ego trying to be liked. Learning "no" again at 53. As somebody who grew up being a people pleaser, this has been quite the challenge.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@jockowillink At 53 I quit waiting for a lucky break to fix things. The reps I show up for after a night shift are the only luck I trust. I stopped waiting for someone or something to save me.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@SahilBloom @drjeremylondon Night shift taught me this. At 4 AM I'm not thinking about next year, just getting to the gym by 10 am. One closed loop at a time, and at 53 that still works.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@artofmanliness For me, out of a dark place usually starts with one small action, not a big feeling. Men who've lived through real hardship always seem to know that. I honor this veteran.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@Jainadave_ Honestly, I think I get better “cardio” from doing sets of 8-10 hack squats followed by sets of 8-10 RDLs. Combine that with calorie deficit. 😉

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@DrCarolineLeaf At 53 I'm learning that letting the old version of me go isn't failure. The old version got me here. (Not where I want to be.) It's the price of the next chapter.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@artofmanliness At 53 I've learned appearance isn't vanity, it's discipline people can see. I’ve come to learn that posture alone changes how a room treats you. Looking good is secondary but in my opinion, still important.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@RyanHoliday It's ego. I was not afraid of public speaking, I was afraid of looking foolish. At 53 I'm learning that looking foolish is the price of growing.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@dailystoic Number 3 took me 50 years. Comparing myself to other men was just ego keeping score in a game nobody else was playing. Took me forever to understand that nobody cares. They are too busy swimming through their own issues.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@foundmyfitness This is what gets me to the gym at 10 AM after a night shift. At 53 I'm not only training for looks and confidence, I'm also training to keep my head clear for the next 30 years. I’m going to need that clarity for my grandkids.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@ChrisWillx Raised four kids and the lesson was the same every time: commitment beats options. You don't find the right life, you build it by staying and going through the discomforts.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@thedankoe At 53 I started over at Day 1 this week and overwhelmed is exactly the word. Staying the same felt safer, but it was quietly costing me more. So here I am!

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

Failure is part of the process. Keep going anon.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@eMTBrides @RickD_GK Someone get the guy in white some shadow work before he gets wrecked.

[Jess | The Second Half @TheSecondHalf__]

@dailystoic Imagine the one that you always said yes to was your ego or shadow? What does that life look like?