Success Tips: Be Honest With Yourself About Whether Or Not You Really Want It!
- By Aaron Whiston
- Published 07/28/2009
- Self Help
- Unrated
Aaron Whiston
To learn more about spirituality and finding your life’s purpose be sure to visit the author’s blog now. http://aboutlifespurpose.com
View all articles by Aaron Whiston
Just about anyone you ask would say they’re interested in making more money, being healthier, finding their ideal mate, or attaining some other measure of success. But the reality is very few people genuinely want anything like success; most individuals are quite happy complaining and playing the victim.
It sounds perverse. And it’s difficult to get people to admit the truth of the matter.
But the blunt reality is very few of those who claim to want success are being honest. Most people would much rather continue complaining, sapping the energy of friends and family with their “poor me” stories, and idling in victim mode for the rest of their lives.
In fact this is a character flaw most of us have to some degree. Those who seize their goals and enjoy a life of adventure and growth have simply learned to recognize and cope with the problem.
The root issue is comfort, or the comfort zone to be more precise. It’s easy to become content with the known, and to get very acclimated to the way things are.
You’ve seen hundreds of examples of people who live in the comfort of failure and despair.
A man who has lived in poverty since childhood may complain about always being broke, but most likely he is at ease in that state. Any time such an individual comes into a large sum of money or a lucrative opportunity there’s a great chance he’ll find a way of sabotaging himself and thus being broke again as quickly as possible.
A woman who always finds romantic partners who treat her poorly may tell her friends she’d love to break the cycle. But when a man comes along who respects her, listens to what she has to say, and treats her as his equal, it’s likely she’ll find a reason to dump him and return to one of her old, abusive boyfriends.
We live in a manner that reflects what we choose. It’s not rocket science; the simple fact is mainstream society has taught us that things happen to us, and that we have little power to create our lives by choice.
Ho
wever philosophy and science prove the folly of this victim fantasy.
Thousands of years ago great thinkers like Lao Tsu taught that humans create the events and circumstances of our lives through choice and repetition. Today neurology and quantum mechanics indicate human thought patterns have a very real and predictable impact on the way their lives manifest and unfold.
Even a small amount of honest investigation into these ideas reveals the profound truth: We get what we ask for in life, and quite often what we claim we want and what we actually devise are very different.
People often whine and moan about poor finances, bad health, and unfulfilling lives. And the very same people waste their money on nonsense as soon as it clears their bank, continue to eat toxic foods, or spend most of their time watching prime time television and working a job they absolutely loathe.
If there is an area in your life that you are unsatisfied with, and you often pay lip service to the idea of making change, take a moment to consider the truth. Are you really doing anything at all to create or allow change?
Your instant response might be to defend yourself and make excuses. Allow this to pass, find a calm state of mind, and then revisit the question.
If you tell anyone who’ll listen that you desire financial success, a great relationship, a trim body, or an end to your smoking habit, yet can’t remember the last action you took toward any such goal, you now have an opportunity. Find a mirror, look yourself square in the eyes, and admit to yourself aloud that you don’t really want the thing(s) you claim to desire.
There’s no shame here. In fact you’ll likely find great relief!
And if your vocal confession gets caught in your throat, if it just feels deeply wrong in your physical cells to say you don’t want the success you constantly talk about, here’s another thought:
Maybe it’s time to end the talking phase and throw yourself into the action phase. If this is indeed the case for you, any action at all will suffice to get the ball rolling. Before you know it you’ll have a new understanding of yourself and your real desires.
It sounds perverse. And it’s difficult to get people to admit the truth of the matter.
But the blunt reality is very few of those who claim to want success are being honest. Most people would much rather continue complaining, sapping the energy of friends and family with their “poor me” stories, and idling in victim mode for the rest of their lives.
In fact this is a character flaw most of us have to some degree. Those who seize their goals and enjoy a life of adventure and growth have simply learned to recognize and cope with the problem.
The root issue is comfort, or the comfort zone to be more precise. It’s easy to become content with the known, and to get very acclimated to the way things are.
You’ve seen hundreds of examples of people who live in the comfort of failure and despair.
A man who has lived in poverty since childhood may complain about always being broke, but most likely he is at ease in that state. Any time such an individual comes into a large sum of money or a lucrative opportunity there’s a great chance he’ll find a way of sabotaging himself and thus being broke again as quickly as possible.
A woman who always finds romantic partners who treat her poorly may tell her friends she’d love to break the cycle. But when a man comes along who respects her, listens to what she has to say, and treats her as his equal, it’s likely she’ll find a reason to dump him and return to one of her old, abusive boyfriends.
We live in a manner that reflects what we choose. It’s not rocket science; the simple fact is mainstream society has taught us that things happen to us, and that we have little power to create our lives by choice.
Ho
Thousands of years ago great thinkers like Lao Tsu taught that humans create the events and circumstances of our lives through choice and repetition. Today neurology and quantum mechanics indicate human thought patterns have a very real and predictable impact on the way their lives manifest and unfold.
Even a small amount of honest investigation into these ideas reveals the profound truth: We get what we ask for in life, and quite often what we claim we want and what we actually devise are very different.
People often whine and moan about poor finances, bad health, and unfulfilling lives. And the very same people waste their money on nonsense as soon as it clears their bank, continue to eat toxic foods, or spend most of their time watching prime time television and working a job they absolutely loathe.
If there is an area in your life that you are unsatisfied with, and you often pay lip service to the idea of making change, take a moment to consider the truth. Are you really doing anything at all to create or allow change?
Your instant response might be to defend yourself and make excuses. Allow this to pass, find a calm state of mind, and then revisit the question.
If you tell anyone who’ll listen that you desire financial success, a great relationship, a trim body, or an end to your smoking habit, yet can’t remember the last action you took toward any such goal, you now have an opportunity. Find a mirror, look yourself square in the eyes, and admit to yourself aloud that you don’t really want the thing(s) you claim to desire.
There’s no shame here. In fact you’ll likely find great relief!
And if your vocal confession gets caught in your throat, if it just feels deeply wrong in your physical cells to say you don’t want the success you constantly talk about, here’s another thought:
Maybe it’s time to end the talking phase and throw yourself into the action phase. If this is indeed the case for you, any action at all will suffice to get the ball rolling. Before you know it you’ll have a new understanding of yourself and your real desires.