I was talking to a friend the other day about something that frustrated me. I felt like I hadn’t been experiencing inspiration as often as I had in the past and it was holding me back. He then mentioned in passing, “Inspiration comes to me when I sit down and do the work on a consistent basis.” To him it was a truth that daily guided his life… a simple truth. But it is one that had slipped off my radar and I had forgotten. He mentioned it in such a nonchalant manner. But it hit me like walking into a well cleaned glass door (something I’ve done more than I would like to admit). I thought, ‘Oh Yeah! I knew that. How did I forget that? Such a simple but powerful truth!’ As soon as I applied his words to my situation I was back on course, full steam ahead.
Has this ever happened to you? Something that used to guide and direct you falls by the wayside. Then you read an article or a powerful quote and you were immediately reminded the importance of this truth. It happens to everyone. I’d like to remind you of another one of those truths.
Every action you take has a motivation behind it.
How you spend your time. The relationships you choose. What you do or say in the context of those relationships. What you do at work today. How much sugar or cream you put in your coffee this morning. Everything you do has a motivation.
Most of the time, the stronger the emotion attached to that motivation, the more you choose or avoid that particular action. If you have strong emotion attached to speaking in public, it will have a powerful influence on your decision to either accept or decline a public speaking opportunity. If you have a strong emotion attached to conflict, it will have a powerful influence in your decision to avoid or engage in conflict.
Here is the linchpin… a lot of the time many people aren’t conscious of what is motivating them to make their decisions. They may be aware that they don’t want to answer the phone when a particular person calls today, but they aren’t conscious of why it is they are avoiding that phone call or person.
Simply becoming aware of what is motivating our decisions brings a freedom that broadens our possibilities.
Becoming aware of the emotion/s attached to those decisions makes us more open to change.
Take a moment to think about the choices you’ve made today… big and small. What is it that motivated you to make those decisions? Why are you doing what you're doing today? Take the time to become aware of why you do what you do. You’ll find more energy available to you to choose better for yourself. When we are intentional about what is motivating us, we have the ability to tap into a wealth of resources that can empower us in ways we had forgotten.
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.
― C.G. Jung
The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. ― Nathaniel Branden
It takes courage...to endure the sharp pains of self discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives. ― Marianne Williamson”