Things You Don’t Want to Do
Quite a long time ago, I read Courtney Carver write in her Soulful Simplicity book, about how we have to do things we don’t want to do to achieve the success we want in life. In her book she was saying how she wished more people talked about this. “The reason I am able to eat mostly fruits and vegetables, stay active, and grow in my work is not about motivation, determination, skill or luck.” She says it is because she does things she doesn’t want to do. “I do things that make me uncomfortable, that I don’t think I’m capable of doing, and things I don’t know how to do.” She says she “wishes some of the books she has read, or that health and business coaches, would talk more about that”. I have never forgotten reading those words and consider them much of the time.
The reason I am sharing this with you now is for a few reasons. For starters to remind my own self that I often have to do things I don’t want to do to be successful and happy. For example, I am returning to Kenya in the fall, and I am very uncomfortable about travelling alone this time, without a friend by my side in the airports. But I am travelling alone for that very reason. A smaller example is the workout I do every single day, which keeps my resting heart rate between 65 and 73 bpm. I sometimes look forward to my workout, but most times I have to push myself to do it and I count the minutes until it is over.
My very good friend Lisa recently died. She was wise and funny and one of the things she said to me once when I didn’t want to do somethings was “If it isn’t going to be fun it is going to be over”. It was her take on the old adage This Too Shall Pass, but in more realistic and funny terms. I miss her voice very much but I can still hear it saying those words. I use those words for motivation on a very regular basis and while she was alive, I let her know that she was brilliant and very helpful.
This is a short post to share those words with you. If it isn’t going to be fun, it is going to be over.
Everything comes to an end. The awful things, and the very, very wonderful things. And we really only have so much time to accomplish the things that we aspire to achieve. Lisa’s reminder to me is to not let the awful things get in the way because, they will be over before we know it.
Is there something you have to do that you don’t want to do? Something that if you do, it will contribute to personal improvement or to the completion of a goal you have? I hope Courtney’s and Lisa’s words are helpful in you overcoming any obstacles you may have in the way.
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