The definition of a goal is, “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.” Goals are something we know are difficult but we have a belief within ourselves that they can be obtained. It’s our hope that keeps our beliefs alive. This is why it’s crazy important for me to read and listen to things that fuel the fire of my hope. The hope I have for every tomorrow I’m given. One definition of hope is, “a feeling of trust.” I’m placing trust in my goals that they will in fact bring me the tomorrows I desire.
Pain is unavoidable in life. No amount of money or attained goals will ever create a living reality of fully dissipated pain. I can, however, minimize the pain by way of the action I’ve taken on the goals I’ve set. Pain and difficulty are coming no matter what I do, I cannot stop it. Pain is Life’s promise.
If I let other people dictate my steps, and these movements are out of line with my inner man, I will add to the already inescapable pain of life. If I listen to the noise of critics and spitfires, I’ll begin to ignore my inner man. Ignoring the shouts of my soul can only add to life’s pain. At the very least, I don’t want to assist life in kicking my ass. It truly does not need my help.
Working the job I hate is in my control… I just added to life’s pain. Not writing every day and releasing the gift within me… I just added to life’s pain. Allowing that ghost, Fear, to drive my decisions… I just added to life’s pain.
Quit assisting in the ass-kicking.
There are things I can do that allow me to gain a station in life that is of a lesser degree of pain than other stations. It’s our human nature to avoid pain and seek pleasure. I guess that’s why most of us avoid goals that are painful to achieve. We don’t separate the pain of achievement from the pain of non-achievement. The pain of achieving is immediate and we see it as too great. Future pain from not doing what we should have done now is too far off for us to feel. Obviously we run from the pain we do feel, not realizing that the future pain is far greater than any test our goal will ever put us through. It might be easier to remain goalless now, but I can promise that the pain awaiting is far worse.
I don’t know what your future looks like, I don’t know what my future looks like. I can say that when I was 22, I had a firm belief that getting a college degree would set me up to have a better life. After five years of 12-hour study sessions, classes I hated, classes I failed, being broke, battling doubt, fear, anxiety, depression… After five years, I graduated from Carlow University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. With that degree, I was able to teach at the college-level as a math instructor. I discovered new passions within myself that I never knew existed like studying and teaching, I’ve had speaking opportunities linked with the work I’ve done in higher education and I worked in an administrative position at one of the country’s top schools, USC.
Maybe I don’t know your future or my future…. Or maybe, based off the decisions you’re making and I’m making right now, I can probably go ahead and start charging people for psychic readings.
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