When you first start out, you have the energy of the new, the fresh. Passion is strong, will power is too. Your tank is full, you have lots of reserves.
When you are near the finish line, the adrenaline kicks in and you get that extra push that you need to finish. It's exhilarating; it feels important.
But in the middle, when you don't know how much longer you'll have to endure, when the night is long and the will not so strong, that's when the test is on. that's when you find out if you're in it for the long haul.
It can feel like a drudgery. It can get tedious. It can seem ... ordinary. If you think that way, if you wonder how much more, how far it is to the place you want to be, ... you are beaten before you even give up. And you will give up ... if you keep thinking that way. Why?
Thinking about what's ahead, pondering the "what ifs," can suck the energy out of you and leave you drained, energy better used in putting one foot in front of the other.
There's an old riddle that asks, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer goes, "One bite at a time." The question of a lifestyle of 100% living is, "How do you live life to the fullest?" The answer is, "One day at a time."
That's it. No big secret - it's been around for a long time and has stood the test of the ages.
However, it's easier said than done. The fear of the unknown can make me crazy, make me spiff off into a hundred directions at once, looking for a way to escape a fate of which I am not sure. If I stop and take a breath, realize that I can't control the outcome, and accept what "is," then I can get rid of the crazy thoughts that intrude to throw me off track. If I do the most important thing next, focus on today, and look after myself and those I love, then I'll not have to worry about living life. I'll already be living it.
One day at a time.
When you are near the finish line, the adrenaline kicks in and you get that extra push that you need to finish. It's exhilarating; it feels important.
But in the middle, when you don't know how much longer you'll have to endure, when the night is long and the will not so strong, that's when the test is on. that's when you find out if you're in it for the long haul.
It can feel like a drudgery. It can get tedious. It can seem ... ordinary. If you think that way, if you wonder how much more, how far it is to the place you want to be, ... you are beaten before you even give up. And you will give up ... if you keep thinking that way. Why?
Thinking about what's ahead, pondering the "what ifs," can suck the energy out of you and leave you drained, energy better used in putting one foot in front of the other.
There's an old riddle that asks, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer goes, "One bite at a time." The question of a lifestyle of 100% living is, "How do you live life to the fullest?" The answer is, "One day at a time."
That's it. No big secret - it's been around for a long time and has stood the test of the ages.
However, it's easier said than done. The fear of the unknown can make me crazy, make me spiff off into a hundred directions at once, looking for a way to escape a fate of which I am not sure. If I stop and take a breath, realize that I can't control the outcome, and accept what "is," then I can get rid of the crazy thoughts that intrude to throw me off track. If I do the most important thing next, focus on today, and look after myself and those I love, then I'll not have to worry about living life. I'll already be living it.
One day at a time.
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