Choose to Take the Journey

Have you ever felt dissatisfied with your life, and at the same time, not wanted to do anything about it?

When you’re in the doldrums, there’s a tendency to want to stay there. There’s a tendency to dismiss your ambitions–to take your foot off the gas pedal and just hope for the best. This inclination only increases the more time you spend down and out. Like standing in the rain in a wool coat, it only becomes harder to shake off the longer you wait.

Occassionally, willpower alone will be enough to sweep aside the dark clouds. But very often, you just don’t feel like it. I mean, you know what you should do. You know what you could do. But you just don’t feel like it. Often times you can’t change your mind without first changing your mood.

So how do we do that? How do we get ourselves to feel like it? Rather than share a super secret visualization technique that traces back to a little-known group of monks atop the Himalayan mountains (it is super secret after all, is it not?), I’m going to invoke KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). I cannot tell you the number of times I have started to feel unfit to compete with all the smart, gifted, and beautiful people who are out there. And then just as quickly as the thought crosses my mind, it will depart without a trace as I take a bite into a chicken drumstick. It may sound silly, but sometimes your negative thoughts will not be steeped in reality, but hunger. Not based on sinister omens, but a lack of sleep. Not indicative of the unraveling of the universe, but indicative of your need to get out of the house every once in a while.

Before attributing your languor to lack of motivation or lack of ability, attend to your basic needs. The need to eat. To sleep 7-9 hours per day. To have periods of activity, and of rest. Even to socialize. After a hard day of work, instead of jumping onto the computer right away, try reclining in your favorite armchair with a magazine and a cup of tea. Try lounging in your living room and having a chat with a friend. Some people will argue they cannot afford the time. But if you don’t invest the time in yourself to recharge your batteries, you may have a little more time, but you’ll have a lot less energy.

Your mind and your spirit are not separate entities, but partners in persistent embrace. Answering the tough questions in life requires a creative mind. And a creative mind can only be released with the right feeling. Get the feeling, and your mind will sort out the rest.

//What if you really are taking care of yourself, but still lack the discipline and follow-through necessary to get to the next step? Then stay tuned my friend, because we still have a lot to talk about.