adminArthur Marara Motivation for Success
“Many people think about changing the world, but few think about changing themselves” (Leo Tolstoy).
Come to think of the remarks of the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, they will resonate with the realities of life today, many people think about changing other people, yet they do not commit and take time to think about improving themselves first.
One of the greatest investments in life is to invest in you, investing in becoming a better you; mentally, morally, spiritually, financially, and socially. Change is often so much talked about, but is rarely implemented due to the discomfort that it brings.
If you want your life to be comfortable later, you need to put yourself into discomfort now. Change can be positive or negative. This week we are going to share some thoughts on changing for the better.
Feel and see the need for change
It is difficult, if not impossible to liberate a happy slave from slavery. The reason why many of us are not changing for the better is because we don’t see the need for change, and therefore we don’t even need to apply our minds to it. There is an interesting story that I always share in my sessions concerning four lepers; “Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die?” (2 Kings 7:3) (NKJV). Leprosy was termed a curse in ancient times, and the four lepers were cast out of the community for this reason. During this time famine was ravaging the city, and they were not spared as well. The lepers had become used to one lifestyle of struggling. It, however, dawned to them, that there was need for change in their personal lives; they needed to do something with their lives rather than just complain about how bad their situation was. They felt the need for change in their lives, and resolved to ask themselves an important question; ““Why are we sitting here until we die?”
“This nonsense must stop” approach
You need to reach a level in life whereby certain things stop making sense in your life. Until certain things stop making sense in your life, you will never change them.
If sleeping ten, twelve hours a day makes sense to you, you have no reason to chop off some hours from your sleep, if sleeping around makes sense to you, you have no reason to respect fidelity, if corruption makes sense to you, you have no reason to stop it or even fight it, if laziness and habitual lateness makes sense to you; you have no reason to be diligent and strive for punctuality.
Great people come to a level whereby they ask themselves fundamental questions about their lives, and the direction their lives is taking. Come to a resolution whereby you say no more nonsense in my life, and “This nonsense must stop”. I don’t know the things that are making sense in your life, and where they are taking you to, but you definitely know what you are doing. The four lepers came to a “This is nonsense” stage and resolved that it must stop.
Change is a decision
If you are going to change your life for the better, you need to make a decision to do so. Change will never take place by accident. The four lepers, made a decision to change their lives for the better by refusing to feel sorry for themselves, and by resolving to take their chances, and approaching the Syrian camp for food. You do not become a better person by accident.
Your hours of sleep are not going to be moderated accidentally, your poor spending habits are not going to change by the move of time, the same with any other habits, they will not fade automatically because they did not come automatically. Decide to change for the better!
Face it, to change it
You will never be able to change any area of your life that you deny. If you deny a challenge in any particular area, you will never be able to confront it. Take stock of your life, and quarantine the areas that you are having challenges. Admitting that you are struggling in an area is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength. It only takes a strong person to realise that they have shortcomings which need attention.
If you have a financial challenge, face it, if it is marital, if your parenting is not up to scratch, face it. Do not masquerade as having conquered it all because you will not be helping the situation. Be honest so that you can be helped. What is the challenge that you are currently facing at the moment?
Strategise the way forward
Many people might have the will to change, but don’t know how. The why part might not be the challenge for many people, but the “how” part. Implementation is the challenge that the world is facing today, and this is what is holding individuals, companies and even countries back. If you are not sure about “How” you can do certain things, why not borrow the brains of others and learn from them how they have actually managed to win in those areas.
Ask yourself the knowledge you might need to gather in order to achieve your goal. Think of small tasks you can give yourself towards working on yourself. You might just need to cut at least 30 minutes or one hour from your hour of sleep and replace it with some reading, if you want to be an author, write something in those 30 minutes, or even spend with your family.
Put in place accountability mechanisms which help you monitor your progress. Have someone who will put you to task on certain assignments, someone who will demand answers from you on your progress. Set deadlines for yourself which you will commit to respect.
Keep the determination intact
Often times we attempt something, and don’t seem to be like we are succeeding, the temptation to think it’s impossible is inevitable. Do not give up on yourself because if you do not do so, no one will do that for you. Challenges will always be there because you are going against what was normal for you. The thought of failure should not bully you into inaction.
The thought of a better you should propel you to move in the face of adversity. “Success is not measured by what a man accomplishes, but by the opposition he has encountered and the courage with which he has maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.” (Charles Lindbergh)
Arthur Marara is an Attorney, Author and Speaker. He is also the author of the Personal Development Toolkit, Keys to Financial Freedom, The Power Within, and Keys to Effective Time Management. Send your feedback to [email protected] or Like his page on Facebook, or Whatsapp: +263 772 467 255 or visit www.arthurmarara.com
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