I used to play video games, quite a bit of them actually. Often at least 6 hours a day, every day.
It was one of the only things I could really care and think about, a place where you don't have to worry about anything.

This dysfunctional lifestyle started when I was bullied out of my soccer team at the age of 15, before that I didn't have the slightest interest in computers and anything that happens on a screen. Except for movies, did I like movies.

Lalaland

Playing through massive online games such as Runescape, World of Warcraft, Everquest II, Rappelz, Aion Online, Voyage Century Online, Mabinogi, Age of Conan, Final Fantasy XIV, etc.
The list could literally go on how many MMO's I played. Quite a few of these has been played for at least 100 hours, but games such as Runescape, Warcraft and Everquest were played a lot longer. When I say a lot longer, it really is a lot longer.
After getting bored by Massively Multiplayer Online RolePlayling Games, I mostly got into singleplayer RPG and combat games which I played mostly for the stories. And I would stay connected to other players through games like Starcraft II and Dota 2, which I have spend so much time in.
I used to be in the 1st position of the sliver league in Starcraft II which pleased me to a great extend. For Dota 2 I had a group of friends with whom I'd meet on a regular basis to play some matches as a full team of 5, like the pros do it. We just never had the consistency of practice to join tournaments.

Change was imminent!

The point when I started going to the gym to lift, and practice yoga, is when this old habit of doing nothing behind a computer with my mind tuned to channel Lalaland started to fall apart. I still spent a lot of time behind my computer, but it wasn't in an imaginary world anymore.
I started to listen to some people who influenced me greatly in the past 5 years.

As I got more into lifting weights, I started to watch Elliot Hulse on YouTube. His Yo Elliot! series answered so many questions based around strength, muscle gain an lifting I didn't even know I had, This together with watching videos by Jeff Caveliere from Athlean X, listening to Bodybuilders like Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman and Arnold Schwarzenegger gave me e lot of insight into a training lifestyle. Which I have thus implemented in my life. Along with training videos, I started to listen to philosophical content on YouTube and through audio books. Elliot once again had a great part in this, he speaks about a lot of subjects beyond training. His thoughts on metaphysics, spiritualism, life mastery and philosophy made me think and got me deeper into these topics.

Another man that still influences me every day is Ralph Smart from Infinite Waters Diving Deep, whenever I listen to his peaceful words, I just can't help myself but get a smile on my face. He talks about the nature of consciousness, how we are are all one and that our bodies are just stardust. His words are often the Truth and his message resonates deeply with me. Peace and love is at the core of the human experience.

All in all my name is still Erik, my hair is still curly and I still love to read or listen to a good story. What I'm trying to say is that I didn't become a different person, my priorities have just shifted to a lifestyle that is sustainable and raises my standards towards an even better me in the future.

There has been a mantra revolving in my mind for the past few months.