A Rebel's Guide To Unstoppable Motivation!
posted on: May 01, 2017. posted in: Mindfulness, Motivation
Time for a little motivational story...
Gather round... cross your legs... sit up straight!
Once upon a time there was a farmer and that farmer had excellent seed. One day he took to the field to sow his seed, but the first part of the seed fell by the wayside and the birds got some.
The farmer was angry. He wanted to chase the birds and kill them. But he realised if he chased the birds he would leave the field, and if he left the field he'd lose out on the opportunity to sow more seeds.
And so the farmer embraced the birds.
And he KEPT.... ON.... SOWING.
As he continued to throw down the seed he saw that some of it was falling on rocky ground. Over time the seeds would grow, but soon enough the hot weather caused the seedlings to wither and die.
The farmer was so upset. He wanted to sit at home and cry over the seeds, but he realised if he sat at home and cried he would leave the field, and if he left the field he'd lose out on the opportunity to sow more seeds.
And so the farmer embraced the hot weather.
And he KEPT.... ON..... SOWING.
As he continued to throw down the seed he saw that some of it was falling on thorny ground. Over time the seeds would grow, but just when they were getting big enough the thorns would choke them to death.
The farmer was distraught. He wanted to give up farming altogether! But if he gave up, he would be giving up his dreams. He would be giving up everything he worked for.
And so the farmer embraced the thorns.
And he KEPT... ON.... SOWING.
Thousands of seeds were thrown down and thousands of seeds were lost to the birds, to the hot weather and to the thorns.
But each time the farmer "disciplined his disappointment".
So he...
Kept on SOWING the seed...
Kept on EMBRACING the birds...
Kept on EMBRACING the hot weather...
And he kept on EMBRACING the thorns.
Until finally the seed fell on fertile ground.
Because if you KEEP... ON... SOWING...
It always will.
____________
And the moral of the story?
Life is throwing down seeds.
And seeds are plans, goals and dreams.
There will always be birds. The people in life who come along, take and don't give anything back.
There will always be hot weather. Times when the environment isn't right for whatever your planning.
There will always be thorns. Those challenges that steal our energy away from achieving our goals.
If you set your expectations that every seed is going to grow, and that every plan is going to go perfectly to plan, you're in for some serious disappointment.
And for many people it is the disappointment and decision to "leave the field", that prevents them from achieving their goals, not the birds or the hot weather or the thorns.
To "discipline your disappointment" means learning how to embrace the reality that goals aren't achieved by perfectly sowing seeds, but by continuing to sow seeds... even when life keeps killing them.
Never. Leave. The Field.
In the nutrition world, "leaving the field" is deciding to eat 5 chocolate bars because you ate one. In the fitness world, "leaving the field" is deciding to skip all your workouts because you skipped one. In the business world, "leaving the field" is deciding to give up on all your clients because you lost one.
Too many people spend their lives wallowing "off the field", waiting for a perfect time when the birds and the hot weather and the thorns disappear.
THEY NEVER DISAPPEAR!!
They will always be there to sh*t on your plans.
The only way to achieve anything you want is learning to embrace them. Learning to accept them. And learning that the only way forward is to stay on the field.
Liam
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