Shared Insights from a Fellow Seeker

If you are the eternal seeker, forever looking, inquiring, knowing there’s something else you need to do, be or have yet never finding it. It’s for you that the following insight may serve.

Having been there, having done [or more correctly, avoided doing] it so proficiently that I could have qualified for a “Ph.D. in procrastination”, may I share what I have learnt from observing myself and so many others.

I’ve found that the seeker that never finds what they claim to seek, fails to do so because they get their big “but” in the way. I certainly found that to be true for me. Perhaps the greatest technique for growth and success I have discovered, is to consistently keep that big “but” behind me where it should be.

Sure I have used ‘a play on words’ and in so doing have revealed the major negating word used to avoid taking the action that would change the users life. We all use it occasionally, though for those whose life is stuck in mediocrity and unfulfilling routine, their daily, if not hourly ‘mantra’ is ‘but’ ‘but’ ‘but’ to virtually every opportunity for growth and change.

‘When we use the word ‘but’, we cancel out the creative potential of every worthwhile desire and intention that preceded it. eg.

“I want to get a better job ‘but’ I don’t have the skills"

A friend may say “why not train so you have the skills?” To this the professionally inert persons responds.

"I would like to ‘but’ I don’t have the time” and/or “the money”

Sometimes these are true valid reasons. To check if this is a valid reason or an excuse, check how often the ‘but’-word is used where time or money is not really a factor.

My spiritual teacher taught me that:
“A successful person, irrespective of what field, never makes excuses whereas a poor person lives on excuses all of their lives.”

An Australian saying also says:
“If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don ‘t want to do it, you will find an excuse.”

The first step in overcoming this state of self imposed inertia, [that is, if you really want to change] is to dispute whatever factors you believe prevent you from change or from having what you want. eg.

Insufficient time. If you were to devote just 1 hour a day for 5 days a week for 50 weeks for 1 year you would have contributed 250 hours to acquiring what you say you want. The average Australian watches 5.5 hours of television a day, that is 2007.5hours a year. If you gave just half of that time to improving your life, career, [health,  relationships or whatever] how much better could it be?

Insufficient money. This can be a very valid reason, or one of the most common excuses. There is an easy way to tell. If you really want to change and money is an issue, then how-many self-help or training books, audio and/or video tapes’, do you borrow from your local library each week? You know they are free! How much money do you waste each week on things and/or substances that don’t get you closer to what you want, or make things worse?

Excuses can be a pain in the “butt,” yet isn’t the greatest barrier to you getting what you say you want, the ‘but’ you hide behind? I know it used to be for me. Now when I want something and the ‘but’ quickly comes into my mind, I dispute it. I say to myself “Will doing this help get me what I want and give me more advantages than disadvantages?” If the answers ‘yes’, I do what it takes to make it happen. Likewise with personal or business decisions concerning money. I ask myself “Do I passionately believe in my vision, mission, purpose, goals, or whatever the decision relates to.” If the answers ‘Yes’, then I do what ever it takes to make it happen.

Life only changes for the better because we make a commitment to something that can expand our options, give us an empowering perspective and consistently take action in the direction of what we want. One of the most important factors is replacing negative, negating dialogue with what is wanted, what I can do [even with the limits I have] and what am I prepared to do to “Make it Happen”. Remember ... “If its to be, ultimately its up to me.”

What could you achieve, do, be or have, if you made it a must in your life?