#423 Win or lose, you get to choose

I don’t know yet what I want to say today, and I write anyway.

I write anyway because it’s the only way to figure out what I want to say.

I do yoga because it’s the only way to understand why yoga is important.

I run because it’s the only way to figure out why running is worth it.

I spend time with family because it’s the only way to understand why love is important.

There’s no need to wait for reasons of motivation.

You do what you do to figure out why you’re doing it.

You don’t have to become a writer. But you could. Even if you don’t believe it yet.

And if knowing that you could makes you restless…

If the fact that it’s possible makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up…

If a persistent “What if” keeps echoing through your mind…

Then maybe you should become a writer.

Similarly, you don’t have to be passionate about anything. But you could.

And if you could… what would you be passionate about?

Achieving an outcome without the daily actions that lead to an identity shift is empty and unsustainable.

I may want to publish a book. But if someone writes the whole book without my input and I put my name on it in the end, do I deserve to call it my book?

I have a book. But I’m not a writer. And I’m not an author.

I may want to have a million dollars. But if tomorrow I win the lottery or receive a large inheritance without any action from my side, what does that mean?

I have a million dollars. But I’m not wealthy – and research suggests that without proper guidance, I’ll spend it all, ending up back at square one.

It works the other way around, too. You can blindly chase an outcome (or slip into bad habits) without considering how the actions you need to take to get there will change you as a person.

Depending on your actions to get there, chasing fame can make you happy – or very unhappy. Writing a book can make you happy or very unhappy. Building a hugely successful company can make you happy or very unhappy.

The value, satisfaction, and resentment are all in the actions, not the outcome.