Wouldn't it be great if we could keep our enthusiasm even in the face of disappointments? To be able to believe that if we just try a little harder we can eventually get where we want to go... accomplish what we want to accomplish... and have our lives work the way we want them to work?
Two years ago I purchased an unfinished piece of artwork from an artist I admire. I tried to find the artist to have him finish the piece, but could not reach him. I went through friends of the artist, I went through people who worked with him, but to no avail. I either had his wrong e-mail or his wrong address, but I was unable to reach him. So... I gave up. I figured I would never be able to have him finish the piece that I owned and I became disillusioned about the whole thing. I even considered parting with the unfinished artwork that I was so excited about when I first received it. Then, last week I got a lead to where I could reach the artist. And guess what? I actually was able to contact him and he seemed willing to finish the artwork. I became excited about the art again and looked forward to seeing what he was going to do with it when it was finished! Just a couple of weeks earlier I was ready to let go of the art and give it up. Now I'm once again enthused about the possibilities of having it completed. I think in a lot of ways, this example shows the progression of our efforts in life. We get enthusiastic for a while, then when we don't get the results we want as quickly as we'd like, we tend to give up and become resigned that we're not going to get what we want. But then with a little encouragement our motivation can become revived and we can once again think about the possibilities of getting what we want. Wouldn't it be great if we could keep our enthusiasm even in the face of disappointments? To be able to believe that if we just try a little harder we can eventually get where we want to go... accomplish what we want to accomplish... and have our lives work the way we want them to work? While it's not always easy to stay enthusiastic and motivated when we're not seeing results... every little step we make, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, leads us toward our ultimate goals. And even when it looks like we're never going to reach that goal, if we find a way to stay motivated to continue working toward it, we are much more likely to ultimately achieve them!
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Don't you wish you could bottle up enthusiasm? Enthusiasm is really cool. The ability to get moving and do the things we have on our plate for the day. Of course, for most of us, there are days when we just sit around watching TV, or staring at the computer, without the slightest motivation to get up and do anything. Once in a while those can be good days. However, if they drag on day after day, they can be devastating in our lives. Because in the real world, most of us have responsibilities. And those responsibilities don't get put on hold because we don't feel like doing anything. As a result, our choices can be to veg out on the couch eating Doritos, or unenthusiastically getting up and doing what we need to do. But what if we could muster up the enthusiasm we need to accomplish our goals whenever we wanted? What if we could harness that energy and get excited about the things we need to do in our lives? Things like looking for a job, doing our laundry, or whatever else we have as goals. Wouldn't that be something? If we could all of a sudden take care of our responsibilities while at the same time feeling good about them? What would that world look like? Imagine working to get the job you want, having the energy to have the clean house you always hoped to live in, and the energy to do all those things you've been "getting around to doing..." Wouldn't that be great? Well guess what? It's not only possible, it's something all of us can do. We can all work towards our goals -- not begrudgingly -- but excitedly. Instead of looking at the things we need to do as unhappy chores, what if we could instead look at them as opportunities? Opportunities to have the lives we want to lead instead of the lives that we're stuck with. Sound good? All of this is possible when we don't let our lethargy stop us from accomplishing what we want to do. That victimizes us. "I don't feel like it" is a phrase that has stopped millions of people from move forward in their lives.
What if instead, the next time we don't "feel like it," we do it anyway? That way we would not let our emotions of the moment stop us from doing what we mentally know we need to accomplish. Our emotions can be very powerful, but they're not always helping us achieve our goals. And when they stop us from accomplishing our commitments, they can mean the difference between a happy, fulfilling life, and one that we have much less control over. |
David Schwartz, M.S., LMFTDavid brings a wealth of life experience to his therapy practice. In addition to his therapy training, David has been a self-motivated entrepreneur for over 20 years, as well as working as a producer in the television industry. Archives
January 2021
CategoriesDavid Schwartz, MS., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist # 87261 -
Practicing at: 30961 Agoura Rd., Suite 215, Westlake Village, CA 91361 (818) 351-6258 |