I want, I want, I want! It’s the battle cry of the ages, yet people still fail to realize that getting what they want is just a pittance compared to continually taking action once they get it.
You don’t need to look any further than the almost universal desire that people have for more money in order to see this concept in action. People jump through all manner of hoops in order to gain financial freedom, but even if they had a mountain of money in front of them, if they didn’t do anything with it, then it would just be a useless pile of paper.
It is not what we GET in life that matters, because life is handing us new opportunities every single day. Rather, it is what we DO with those opportunities that will ensure not only our long-term success, but our day-to-day happiness as well.
The Dream Job
Every person has their own rendition of what their “dream job” is, so what would you do if you actually attained it?
- Would you just show up for work every day, but not do any actual work?
- Would you stop working towards future success and advancements?
- Would you ignore opportunities to demonstrate the skills or experience that you used to get the job to begin with?
A “dream job” without a corresponding effort on your part to show that you are worthy of that job is nothing more than an opportunity for you to end up standing in the soup line.
The Dream Body
Yep, we’ve all pictured it in our heads at one time or another, right? Those firm muscles, tight curves, and sculpted features are things that most people give thought to, and for some people, it is an on-going quest that lasts for decades. What would you do if you got your “dream body,” though?
- Would you start eating junk food like it was going out of style?
- Would you stop exercising effectively and on a very consistent basis?
- Would you pick up every unhealthy habit that you could get your hands on?
A “dream body” is made up of both the mental and the physical work that it takes to get that body to begin with. If you stop doing that work, then your “dream body” will once again become nothing but a far off goal that you can’t quite get your hands on.
The Dream Relationship
Who hasn’t dreamed of their “soul mate” at one time or another, or at least dreamed of the guy or girl that would keep them satisfied on an emotional or physical level? That “dream relationship,” however, is not something that can be won, but then just ignored.
- If you are a certain person in the beginning of a happy relationship, do you honestly think that relationship will stay happy if you start acting like a different person?
- If you have certain goals or dreams that are shared by your significant other, but your goals or dreams change, is it your significant other’s fault when the relationship starts to crumble?
- If you are a family man or woman, but suddenly you decide to recapture your college glory days of keg parties and panty raids, do you honestly think that is going to fly?
A relationship – by definition – is made up of 2 people harmoniously sharing their life experiences. If one person changes drastically from how they were in the beginning of the relationship, the possibility that the other person will change enough to balance things out is minimal at best.
The moral of the story here is that the attainment of success – no matter how thrilling – is simply a moment in time when you realize that you have won. After that moment has passed, it is time for you to step up to the plate and consistently prove that you are worthy of that success.
Dear Aaron,
Thank you for the reminder!
Consistency and commitment are necessary for continued success and it really takes completely different abilities than those needed to make individual steps towards achievements.
As everything in life, the process called Personal Development, is a never-ending learning one and I find it extremely challenging, therefore interesting and fun.
Although I believe I have gone a very long way since I first read about all this, I have experienced how my vibes do go down if I don’t keep my consistent action towards having them up.
🙂 The ironical thing is that it takes just the same consistency to lower them! My vibes go down when I consistently take action towards having them down… the difference only being that I am (we are) so used to make those efforts, unconsciously, even effortless, that we think that’s the “normal mode” and vibrating high is the “different mode”.
I am with you. I vote for our achieving our dream “everything” and committing and consistently make actions to keep us up there, right in heaven.
I send you a virtual hug, which by the way… feels much better than a real one! 🙂
Cheers!
Patricia
Patricia,
Thanks for any hugs that you want to offer – virtual or otherwise – and for sharing your thoughts as well!
You are absolutely correct about the consistency of effort working in both the positive and the negative directions.
Most people don’t realize that their “default” mode is one of taking both emotional as well as physical action in a negative manner, and then they wonder why they keep manifesting negative circumstances into their lives.
Life gives us what we consistently focus on, and when it comes to the actions that we take, the effort doesn’t stop just because we have reached some milestone in our lives. Whether you are talking about personal growth and development, or simply about maintaining a state of joy, the same consistent effort is needed to keep ourselves emotionally and physically where we need to be!
Aaron, do you mean to say that life is a PROCESS?! I am shocked, SHOCKED by that implication. There’s no time when I can just say “Yep, I’ve arrived, now I can coast until I die.”
Surely you can’t be serious 😉
I know, Maria, what a bummer, right? And here we have been thinking all along that there was going to be some “magical” point where we would start living a life of people fanning us with palm fronds and hand-feeding us fruit for the rest of our lives…
Almost takes the fun out of it, doesn’t it??? ;)~
Love the post – as I do all of your posts 🙂 …
However you hit the nail when you say the DREAM …
That’s the problem – so many people want a dream – perfection. Something that really isn’t achievable.
If more people would be content with what they have, while working towards making things the they want them, the world in general would be a happier place.
No palms and no fruit hand-feeding? You must be kidding!
Don’t listen to him, Maria!!!! He’s just pulling our legs!
Landing your dream job requires knowing what that job is based upon your personal passions.