How long can one sit around and wait for things to happen, to come together, to have life become what we want it to be? And what is the work that is ours of moving toward what we want? The answer may seem obvious, but I was struck today by how easy it is to sit back, to rely on (or blame) circumstances, and to just wait around for success to come.
I know: success is a relative term. Maybe better than success would be the idea of doing what I’m most passionate about. Chris Guillebeau articulates this well in A Brief Guide to World Domination by articulating the “two most important questions in the universe”:
#1: What do you really want to get out of life?: What can you offer the world that no one else can?
#2: What can you offer the world that no one else can?
It’s worth spending time answering both of these, but for right now, what I’m compelled by is the reality that even once I answer them, I can find way too many reasons to not inculcate their answers, their realities, their ramifications into my life, into my choices, into my ways of thinking about and implementing my future.
In conversation over coffee this morning with a friend, he said something that has stuck with me today and definitely compelled my thoughts – and this post: “Live like you’re successful and success will come…Don’t wait. There is no good time…Now IS the time.” This may sound like positive-thinking or The Secret-imbued wisdom, but I know that’s not where he’s coming from. He’s doing the work of speaking into my life, into my capacity, into my abilities, and parsing out my excuses and all the reasons I can come up with as to why I haven’t written my book, launched my business, and yes, become successful.
I can feel my resistance, my hesitancy, and yes, my insecurities. At the same time, I’m feeling more and more compelled toward just being, doing, and living what I talk about, what I desire, what I am passionate about. It is, after all, what I advocate on behalf of others. Surely I’m not a “do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do” person” am I?
So…tonight, with Monday morning on the way and a new week ahead, I’m wondering what it would be like for me to wake up tomorrow and understand/experience myself as successful…What if I lived as though vs. what if? What if I believed in myself now vs. some day? Hmmm.
Monday morning is fast on the way. Time will tell. Question is, will I tell it’s story vs. letting time tell mine…I’ll sleep on it, but I certainly hope so. I want to imagine – and live – good and yes, successful things for myself. Let’s hope for sweet dreams tonight, and more, stepping boldly into the reality I choose tomorrow!!!
Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.
(Albert Einstein)
For another perspective on “success,” click below to see an amazing 1+ minute video. It, too, has been part of my thought today. As always, much to think about – and even more to live. It’s all good.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
From Matt Gullett: Your thoughts and those of your friend remind me of watching a film on Jasper Johns, one of my favorite painters. At the time of the film he was one of the most successful painters alive. In fact, he was also the sole owner of most of his work still unsold/unreleased for sale.
Anyway, the part of his story that I found so interesting is that for some time as a young aspiring painter he often struggled. Then one day he had a break through moment, destroyed all of his work, and decided from that day forward that he was a painter. That switch from his aspiration to be a painter to actually being a painter made all the difference in the world, for in the next couple of years he had shows and sold more work than ever before. And, as they say the rest is/was history.
well said… so often in our contemplating, we cease to act and sometimes action is what is needed most.