If someone told you that running a half mile every day would trim your body fat and give you muscle in places you wanted it, would you get up tomorrow and begin working out?
Or, what if your boss told you that you could potentially earn $1k extra a month in income if you learned a new skill to add to your resume’ that would also add value to your team, would you register for a class tonight?
Which one of these questions fits your personality more? Is it the one about changing your lifestyle habits? Or is it the one that might add more money to your pockets?
I think every one of us has the potential to change our lives, but the one thing that stands out to me about the difference between the self-starters and the people who wait for someone to tell them what to do is that the self-starters have an internal compass that drives them to do the thing that will not only benefit them but would also benefit someone else. That’s not to say that both can’t exist. You probably already know by my posts on social media that I believe two things can coexist. However, which one are you lead by, first?
Recently, I watched a video by leadership trainer and author, Simon Sinek and Simon had these interesting anecdotes about inspiration and fulfillment. He said that fulfillment comes from doing the thing that feels good to you and also produces results for other people. He said if we only think about ourselves and not how we can help our fellow human being, we can find splints of happiness, but we won’t find fulfillment because we all need each other to feel connected to something greater than just ourselves. It gives our lives meaning and it brings repetitious joy.
As someone who used to get a dopamine boost from doing the thing that would bring a smile to other people’s faces, I found that now my joy comes from helping people figure out the things that would bring them fulfillment and purpose. Whether that is through my group coaching or where my mental health therapy work intersects with my activism, these days it matters a great deal to me how people can imagine, design, and live a life that they dreamt of and gives them meaning, too. To be an inspiration sets my heart aflame for sure but seeing the awakening in my clients who also become awakened to their own agency is the ultimate reward for me.
So, I ask you again—if someone told you that you could see physical changes in your health and well-being if you started a new workout regimen tomorrow, would you begin because you know you will feel good? Would that be enough? What if you felt good and then that energy transformed into doing something with your family like spending Fridays together doing something fun while also getting to know each on a deeper level, would that be a better pay off?
Or, what about waiting for your boss to give you an incentive to earn more money? Would you hope and wait on a chance encounter like that? Or could you create a hobby that would make you extra cash but could also bring joy into someone else’s life, such as starting an online retail boutique for low-income single mothers? Or for people struggling with self esteem who can’t afford a high-ticketed wardrobe, so you resell your valuables at a budget price for them?
This pandemic continues to show us the ways that we need our community. And it comes in so many forms. How are you building the community you not only want to see, but also be a part of?
*This blog is about becoming free. It’s a reflection of introspective thoughts and experiences that have crossed miles of self-discovery. I created this blog to inspire others to live life with less self-criticism, judgment and openness to new experiences. May you find that you learn how to live a life by design and on your own terms!*