When it Becomes a HAVE TO

There's a popular teaching that Tony Robbins does, in which he talks about pain vs pleasure. About how some people are drawn to pleasure, while others simply move away from pain. I wish I could say I was the former, but unfortunately, I have spent most of my life simply trying to stay ahead of the pain. (And often times the pain had to get PAINFUL before I moved away from it.)

I spent a lot of time making budgets for situations in which I made less money than my bills, stayed in relationships that weren't going anywhere, stayed at jobs I hated from the moment I set foot onto the hideous orange, tile floor. A lot of pain. Living with “roommates” who I didn't want to live with, living in homes that were poorly taken care of. The list goes on and on.

At one point, I began to feel motivated. Where did this motivation come from? I knew that I wanted to do something more than what I was doing. I didn't want to live a life of mediocrity anymore. I knew I wanted to do something to help people, fulfill my long ignored dreams. I started off slowly, beginning to work on my business. Speaking with a master mind group, going to networkings, getting a website set up, etc. But the final push, after all the craziness, after the life full of bills getting paid late, trouble paying for dental work, medical bills, rent. The FINAL moment, where I just could not take it anymore, was when my son asked me for a puppy. He'd asked before, but this time, he was really serious. He would feed it, he would take care of it. All I had to do was get it for him for his birthday. But the truth of the matter is, we didn't live in a place where a dog could live. Sure, they would accept a dog, but there was no yard, and no doggy door. And also, I couldn't afford the cost of the deposit-$300. I decided that day, that I would do something about it. Something big. I was tired of making excuses about why my dreams had to wait, and about how we couldn't go here, couldn't afford to do that, and so on. I didn't any longer want life to pass us by while we just sit here day after day, not really living life, meanwhile other people are buying a home, going on vacations, or even just going out to eat after a hard day of work and school.

Well that was it. That did it. I was ready to realize my biggest dreams, motivated to get my family where it deserved to be-enjoying, and truly living life. Motivation can come from a lot of places. First motivation, and then the drive to see it through to the end. What is your passion? What is your biggest goal? How are you going to get there? And what are the reasons you are NOT willing to let these goals go by the wayside? Do it. Do it now. Life doesn't wait for us. We only have today. Don't let your dreams wait any longer. If they aren't worth working on now, they might never be. What is your “Have to” reason? Let it be soo amazing and exciting that there is no way you can wait any longer.