What if, instead of preparing for an outcome, we would prepare for any outcome?
The input, after all, is the only thing we control.
So, why do we condition our work to the achievement of a specific reward? Why is the reward not the work itself, which undoubtedly is getting us ready for whatever comes next?
One time is better than no time.
Two times is better than one time.
Three times is better than two times.
And so on.
That’s the great thing about showing up, consistently, time after time. It’s continuous, incremental progress.
Of course, you can also try to go from no time to ten times, but that’s probably going to take a lot of your resources. And it’s not the way you can build habits.
Perhaps it’s because it’s Christmas. Perhaps somebody has done something nice for you. Perhaps you have just gotten an unexpected praise, or a long-waited message. Perhaps it’s the energy you are getting from having finally started that project you have been wondering about for so long. Perhaps it’s your family, your friends, your loved one. Or perhaps it’s just because that’s who you are, and you have always known it.
But if you got in the mindset of giving these days, if you are being kind and helpful, if you are saying “I see your point” and “That is interesting” more often than “You are wrong” and “That is stupid”, then just remember that there is no reason why you should not practice that all year round. Even when things are tough. Particularly when things are tough.
Merry Christmas.
What we do is always a manifestation of something deep we feel inside.
When we shout, it might be because we got scared.
When we hit somebody, it might be because we feel insecure.
When we say something mean, it might be because we got treated unfairly.
That’s an explanation of course, but it should not be an excuse. We need to identify what’s deep inside, and tackle it with all our possible resources, because it’s difficult to get rid of the behavior if the feeling is still there.
At some point, you have to let go.
Not of things, but of your attitude towards things. Most of what happens is made worst by what we think about it, what we feel about it, what we say about it – to ourselves and to others. That’s what we need to get rid of, the part we have to let go.
Do it sooner rather than later, and you can start the process of change.
You've got this 