For some people, life seems like it just happens. There is a feeling of hopelessness as they watch time pass. They live for tomorrow, and then look back at yesterday and wish they had done something to make life better today.
It’s a very sad state to be in, but if you just think about it for a moment, you may not be so hopeless after all. Do you really have to work so many hours to make your house payment, or is there another option, like moving into a smaller house or finding a job with better pay.
You may think “I’d love to… write, travel, paint, ride horses, learn yoga, but I just don’t have the… time, money, energy…”
Maybe some of these “valid excuses” are just ways to hide from risks. In Simple Abundance Sarah Breathnach writes, “many of us have unconsciously erected seemingly insurmountable barriers to protect ourselves from failing or succeeding. We may think we’re protecting ourselves by ignoring or denying our creative impulse, but what we are really doing is burying our authentic selves alive.”
Doing our own thing is risky. We don’t want to risk failure – or worse look silly. But, look around. The happiest people are those doing their passion despite difficulties or fears. What kind of barrier or excuses do you use to keep yourself from the life you really want to live? From what fears are you trying to save yourself?
Myself, I’ve never been happier. I hated my previous job, so I did everything I could to get rid of it. I started building my Internet Business at night, while saving every penny I could so I could quit my job and go full time. I saved enough money to be in the clear for six months, knowing that it would take me that long to build a good business — and also knowing that I could make more money as I went along with part-time jobs if I had to.
It’s not easy, in fact it’s hard work, but you need to be willing to work hard to make your dreams come true. Some people start by doing something drastic, like selling their house and living in a trailer so they can travel the world. Some may have had to cut their spending in order to quit their dreaded job and start their own business.
You may need to get out of your comfort zone and do without some luxuries for a while (some things can be cut back fairly easily, like cable TV, or movie rentals, or that daily Latte). Find success stories about people that are doing what you want to do, and make sure your friends do not put you down for wanting a change.
Do this one thing to help you get started: Get a piece of paper and write down your three main excuses for not living the life you want. Then, Brainstorm ways to work around these barriers, if you need to start slow, do just one thing a day that will help you reach your goals, and soon you will begin to see that change is really not that bad after all.