The Beachball and the Pool
I have a pool. I think we keep it at a pretty warm temperature...
but my seven year old disagrees.
He’s a skinny little guy, as both his mom and I were, at that age. In other words, he doesn’t have a lot of fat to keep him warm. So on days when he and I go swimming, he’ll ask me to play catch with the beachball.
Why do you think he does that?
At seven years old, my son’s discovered that if we engage in a game of “keep the ball in the air,” he’ll forget that he’s cold.
BRILLIANT!
He’s discovered what I’ll call “beingness” or “doingness.”
We can apply these states of mind to business or even our health. Here’s an example: I’ve noticed that, quite often, whenever I begin an exercise with the aim of improvement, such as working out, it’s difficult to actually begin the workout. If it’s a new habit, I think that’s because my body is accustomed to the old habit of not working out. But when I get into the workout, the resistance ceases because I’m not thinking about it anymore. I’m just doing.
Thus, it’s really only the moment between wanting and doing that’s the hard part. Once you’re doing something, you’re doing it. And when you’re truly doing something, you’re not thinking about what you’re doing, because you’re doing it. (Nike got it right with their slogan, didn’t they?!)
The point of this short writing is to tell you to do it.
Do what, Alex?
Do anything that moves you in the direction of where you want to go - especially if it seems hard. Because what I’ve learned is that whenever there’s resistance to something, it usually means that you’re meant to explore that which is causing you to feel the resistance or the pain.
Let me give you an example:
The other evening I received a notification that disturbed me; it was a notification from my accountant. It knocked me off a high I’d been riding for quite some time. So just before falling asleep, I resolved to do something about the challenge I was facing. What I planned to do was something that I’d been putting-off for too long. When I woke-up, I did what I envisioned myself doing the previous evening. The action created a near instant result. It moved me in the right direction, which felt right. I had done it.
Looking back, what I did wasn’t difficult; it was simply a task. It didn’t hurt to do it. And, today, a series of events are unfolding, as a result of my doing, that are advancing my prospects.
Don’t know where you want to go? No problem; I can help you with that.
Ask yourself the following question: “What do I know for certain I want out of life in the future?”
You see, some people are incapable of seeing a dream job, their dream vacation, their ideal relationship, or something similar that’s specific. And that’s alright. But I know that you know, for certain, something that you want.
I asked a friend this very question the other day and she said, “I know for certain that I want health and money in my future.” I think that’s fabulous. She’s being honest and knows, for certain, what she wants in her future. I don’t care that she can’t see the right job yet, the right partner yet, or the right house. None of that matters because health and money is something.
If she focuses on doing something (shit - anything) that moves her in that direction, then the rest is going to appear.
It’s like deciding that you want to go the Rockies when you live in Ontario. Some might ask, “What do you want to do in the Rockies?” And if you don’t know; who cares?! If you want to go to the Rockies, bloody well go. You’ve got a direction. Now do something. Maybe that’s filling the car up with gas. Maybe that’s driving. Regardless, you’re doing something and you’re moving closer to your destination.
What’s interesting about the journey is that you won’t see the Rockies as you begin your drive. And along the way you may run into car troubles, but you may also meet cool new friends. The flat Prairies will be boring as heck, but then you’ll notice how gorgeous the blue flaxseed is and you might change your viewpoint and begin to admire the Prairies for what it is and what it provides.
Eventually, you’ll see it in the distance…
There it is, there it is. The fuckin’ Rockies! I’m gonna make it!
Provided you keep on going, you’ll get there. You’ll have done it.
And then you’ll ask yourself, “What’s next?”
And the answer will be, Whatever your heart wants.
Thanks for reading. Let’s keep making beautiful noise together!
Alex
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