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It’s hard to give up things. Watch any TV game show, and you will see people struggling with it. They can keep the one thousand dollars, or they can go for the big money. What will it be? They sweat and stammer and look back at their loved ones in the audience for guidance. Gosh, a thousand dollars would be nice, but I could become a millionaire if I let go of this cash and take one more risk!
You have to be ready to give up things if you want to make progress. It’s like taking a trip. You can’t bring your entire closet full of clothes with you when you go on vacation. Just take what you need and leave the rest. It’s a good rule to go by on your journey toward success, too. You don’t have to take everything with you. You don’t need it all. There are items that make up what you are today that you can leave behind to make room for what you might become.
What are some of the things you can give up? Well, you certainly have no need for fear. Leave that at home. What about the beliefs you have about yourself that are no longer true? Those are great things to ditch, and your load will be much lighter. Maybe you used to think you were not smart, but recent experience has taught you otherwise. Drop that old belief. Did you use to think you weren’t worthy of success? Well, that’s completely untrue now. Give up that dusty old thing and make room for your new image. Write about what you are willing to give up today for what you might become.
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Steven had an ultimate goal in mind, and when he made it to that spot, to that X on the map he had drawn for himself, he would consider himself a success. He did make it to the X, and he stood there admiring his achievements with a grand feeling of satisfaction. Steven had a great job, a huge house, and three sports cars in the garage. That was his goal, and he achieved it.
Now what?
The one thing Steven didn’t learn on his journey to achieve his dreams was that it doesn’t matter where he stands today. What matters is the direction he is moving. The game isn’t over until you’re six feet under. He will be faced with the same question today as he was yesterday: what are you doing to move forward in life?
The truth is you are not striving for a gold star or a first place ribbon. You are looking for the fulfillment that comes every day when you learn something new or help another individual on their journey or triumph over an obstacle that stands in your way. Knowledge and love and compassion are signs of success, not obtaining the coolest toys on the block. Material things are nice, but personal fulfillment is even better.
Are you standing still or moving? What direction are you moving today? Are you following your destiny, or are you on a detour somewhere lost in a forest of superficial desires and looking for an X on the map?
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Think back to the times when you’ve made a lot of progress in your life. What brought on the impulse to move forward? Write about a few instances in your journal and try to remember exactly what initiated your progress. Did you have an inspiration? Were you solving a problem? What was the catalyst that caused your growth spurt?
Sometimes progress does not come out of a positive feeling of wanting to move forward. It more often comes from feelings of discontent. Even though moving forward is a good thing, it’s much easier and more comfortable to stay in the same spot. Therefore, it takes a strong feeling of discomfort to get in gear. Things have to get pretty bad before most people are willing to change.
The formation of the United States came out of the massive discontent of British colonies in America. Their situation finally got so bad that they were willing to fight for independence. Apartheid, a system that institutionalized racial discrimination in South Africa, caused years of discontent, and ultimately it was dismantled in 1994 as a result of the combined discontent represented by demonstrations, riots, and international pressure. In 1980, Gdask , Poland, was the site of a labor strike that resulted in the recognition of the first non-Communist trade union in the Soviet Eastern Bloc. The discontent of those 17,000 shipbuilders was one of the first steps toward the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe. Discontent cannot be underestimated as a powerful tool for progress. It has been the first step for change throughout time.
