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Feelings and forklifts

Something you may not know about me: I used to drive a forklift.


"Are you one of those "psycho counters?"

Actually, I was a cycle counter. It was my first full time job right out of college. And like the name implies, I counted. I worked in a warehouse, and I simply counted.

All. Day. Long.

I had decided after college to move back to my hometown. Since it is a smaller town, the job options were limited. Being a cycle counter wasn't technically what I went to college to learn (not even a little, actually), but I knew I couldn't live in my parents' basement forever. So I applied and got the job.

Other people in the warehouse would call us "psycho counters." And who can blame them. I don't know how I didn't go psycho counting parts all day.

As part of my job, in order to count certain parts that were up on tall racks, I would often have to use a stand-up forklift to bring the parts down.

Now, when I first started using a forklift, to say that I felt nervous would be an understatement. The parts that I would be taking down were sometimes extremely large and heavy. I would often have to maneuver the forklift in close quarters, usually with other people watching. And there were many other objects around that I had to avoid crashing into.

I had a great and patient trainer (she was an older lady with a limp, and I think her name was Jan). But towards the beginning, I was simply terrible. It was embarrassing. It took me forever to get one container of parts down. I would bump into the wall or other racks closeby. I don't know how they let me continue to drive that thing.

But over time, I got better at it. It started to feel more natural. I was able to get parts down pretty quickly, and I could even get down the really hard to reach containers that were in really tight quarters. Eventually, I was the best forklift driver on our "psycho counter" team. My teammates would come ask me to get the more difficult containers down for them.

I started to look forward to the times that I would be using the forklift.

So what happened? Was I a forklift prodigy? Did I possess some strange giftedness that enabled me to drive the forklift well?

Of course not.

Well, what happened then? How did I go from a nervous, clumsy, inept forklift driver to an amazing forklift driver?

The answer's obvious right? I learned a skill.

That's all.

I attempted it. I did my best. I was terrible at first. But I didn't just give up (mainly because I would've been fired).

I kept doing it. I practiced regularly. Gradually, as time went on, I got better and better. Eventually it felt normal. It became easy, and natural.

That's how you learn a skill. Any skill.

You know what else is a skill? Effectively handling and processing the urge to watch porn.

Learning how to allow this intense feeling in a healthy way is a skill that can be learned. It is a muscle you can build.

Just like I learned the skill to drive a forklift, I also learned the skill of handling the urge in a healthy way. Using the P.A.T.H. Plan, I was able to learn and develop this missing skill that radically altered my 20-year struggle with porn.

And I'm going to put this next part in caps because it is so important:

LEARNING THIS SKILL IS WHAT FINALLY LED ME TO FREEDOM AFTER A 20-YEAR STRUGGLE!

Now, here's the great news for you: I am not anything special.

Really, I'm not. I was mediocre in school. I am never the smartest person in the room. I have never been the most talented at...anything!

Why is this great news?

It means that you can learn this skill too!

It doesn't take special talent. It simply takes a decision to learn the skill. It takes some perseverance at the beginning when it feels clunky, as all skills feel when you are first acquiring it.

You don't even have to figure out how to learn it. I've already laid it out in four simple, actionable steps. And it's yours for free right here!

(Just think of me as your "Jan," though I'm not an old lady and I don't have a limp.)

So what is stopping you? You have the plan at your fingertips. You know exactly what to do. Freedom, true, lasting, sweet freedom, is possible for you. And just like it was for me, I believe this skill is the path that will take you there.

Next week, I'm going to share with you my "secret motive" for desperately wanting you to learn this skill. Hint: It goes far beyond just dealing with the urge to watch porn.

Thankful for you,

Dan

P. S. Want a daily activity to help increase your chances of success? Here are the instructions for a daily action to "practice in advance."

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