#523 You’re ready to go

What gets you going – and what keeps you going?

Pain. Pleasure. Usually, a combination of both.

I like being disciplined – it gives me pleasure.

I also know very well that I don’t want to go back to jumping from one project to another, giving up before reaching any meaningful level of skill or results, and ending up frustrated with myself – the thought alone is painful.

The pain often gets you going, later to be joined by pleasure in a cocktail of motivation, discipline, and persistence.

And in this case, strong emotions, passion, and yes, also pain, often lead to more leverage – if you allow yourself to see the lessons it can teach you.

I never want to be that person again – which helped me figure out that I really want to be this person.

Living your never again might well help you figure out your yes, for as long as I shall live.

Are you practicing writing? Or giving up writing?
Are you practicing persevering? Or giving up?
Are you practicing doing what you know is good for you? Or ignoring what you know is good for you?

You’re always practicing something. And what you practice, you’ll become good at. And what you practice will persist.

Over the years, I’ve become quite skilled at letting present worries overshadow past triumphs.

But what would it be like to let past triumphs overshadow present worries?

And what would it be like to have present triumphs overshadow past worries?

Maybe you know better than me, my friend. Or maybe it’s something you’d like to practice too.

Here’s a journal prompt to get us started:

What’s a forgotten accomplishment from your past that once filled you with pride but has since slipped away from your thoughts?