"Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear"
Those are wise words indeed and I know them to be true from experience. My personal nemesis, and I know it to be true for many people as well, is not fear per se.It's finding the willpower to do what must be done. It's what we also refer to as motivation. What do you do when that crucial ingredient to success is lacking in you?
First of, it's important to acknowledge that motivation cannot and will not be found in situations which are too comfortable or pleasant to you. When human beings are too comfy they become complacent and self-indulgent and become oblivious to their dreams and goals. It's the adverse, the difficult, even offensive circumstances that stir up the fire in your belly to get your motivation engine roaring again. I hate to admit it, but that also goes for me as well. I can get completely immersed in my music, movies and all things that are pleasurable and I completely forget what goals I set out to achieve. Excuses I can easily come up with, just like anyone else, as to why I am not going after what I truly desire instead of slacking off. To be fair and objective, it is basic human nature to want to run as far away as you can from pain and discomfort. It's how the human race survived from saber tooth tigers after all. But herein lies the paradox. It is normal to secure safety and comfort to ensure survival but not to the extent that it holds you down and away from going after your dreams ans pursuits.
With that being said, it has been my experience that motivation is born from having a grand,lofty dream for your future. A dream so big it will make you jump out of bed in the morning and be prepared to work hard and do anything it takes to realise it. But there is a catch.You can expect there will be difficult days, painful obstacles and harsh comments.The biggest opponent is you yourself as the urge to fall back on your previous self indulgence is always there.It is persistent and extrelemely tempting.Running from painful experiences is basic human survival instinct as mentioned above.It takes strength and resolve to see past the painful emotions, see past your need for comfort and use them as fuel to fire up your motivation so you can work relentlessly until you achieve success.
To finish this short post, allow me to ask you the following questions:
-Do you remember a time in your life when you tried to avoid painful emotions? What did you learn from that experience?
- Are you perhaps experiencing a painful phase in your life right now? How could you use these uncomfortable, painful emotions to fuel your vision?
As much as I love being comfortable, I know first hand how excruciatingly painful it feels to be stuck in a place where you know you don't belong. It takes courage, every single day to choose to do something, even if small, in the direction of your vision. But I know it is worth it. So, no matter how messy my journey will be, even if my goal is not achieved the way had initially envisioned it, I know I will like the person I will have become much more that the person I am now.
I hope this post will be of use to you.
Love and light,
Lia
