Don't Give Up, Don't Give In
It’s toxic today, the way social media influences us all to think that overnight success can happen. Or that success is easy. So, we aim for success. Not realizing that is not where our focus should be. Our focus should be on the work. An overnight success comes after a long period of doing the work. An overnight success, is always an overnight success to the people that aren’t doing your work. You know what it took to become a success. They do not.
If you’ve been with me over the past year of daily blogs and meditations, you should notice a theme. That is, showing up, each day. Afterall, this is part of the reason I write every single day. It’s the act of showing up. It’s the act of doing my reps and strengthening the muscle of writing. And, the part of my brain where the words come from. In addition, the theme of these daily meditations are based on doing the work. As a writer it can take years to have your work discovered. Some of my favorite authors first publish in their 40’s or 50’s. I need to be okay with doing the work now. So that I can have a body of work good enough to publish. No one is going to write for me. No one else can write like me. If you’re a writer or want to be, the same goes for you.
The same is true in parenting. In marriage. In business. In your work. Within yourself. No one will do it for you. No one is coming to save you. You must show up everyday. To do the work. So that instead of overnight success you have daily success in the things that matter to you.
Mainly, the problem is you want satisfaction too soon. You want your efforts to be rewarded right away. And when it doesn’t, you get discouraged. You lose enthusiasm. You give up. You give in. Delayed gratification is a secret weapon. Because you have the awareness and wisdom to know that things take time. The weight you want to lose doesn’t just fall off. The money you want to save doesn’t just show up. The relationship with your relative, friend or child doesn’t magically get better. You have to do the work in order to get where you want to go.
“I trained four years to run nine seconds, and people give up when they don’t see results in two months” - Usain Bolt
Imagine training four years for a nine second race. This is ridiculous. The only thing Bolt can control is the work in those four years. The result of the race actually doesn’t matter. Yes, he wants to win. But that is outside his control. He only controls his work, his training, his effort. This is what doing the work is all about. Being elite. Showing up everyday. And each day running your own race. Being better today than yesterday. Tomorrow waking up and being better than today. This quote from Usain Bolt is so powerful, it stands on it’s own. It requires no explanation. However, the application is important. The reference points in the vast areas of our lives are vital.
Thought Provoking Questions : What are you willing to train for? What are you willing to show up each day for? Can you practice delayed gratification? Where do you want to see results?
Dan Roman is a writer that releases a daily meditation. A quick read. Sharing wisdom and asking thought-provoking questions. Influenced by the obstacles, success and failures in life and of others. Using history, books, current events, philosophy, and ancient wisdom. These writings are actionable, thought-provoking, designed to make your life better.
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