Have you ever focused so strongly on a goal, been inspired by it every day, got that utopian feeling from it, and then when you finally achieved it, it was a huge anticlimax?
Have you ever thought “Is that all there is?”… I know I have.
Before you get the wrong impression, I’m not diminishing the importance of setting goals or focusing on one’s dream every single day until it happens.
Having dreams and setting goals is essential, because if you don’t know what you want, you are just going to settle for whatever you’re given. And this is what most people do.
But being emotionally invested in the ideal future outcome is dangerous. It creates anxiety and frustration because of the mental tension between what’s here and now, and the hope of the future.
The Dangers of External Motivation…
I used to wonder why I felt so down and depressed a few days after attending motivational seminars where the big dogs would show pictures of the dream lifestyle.
The energy in the auditoriums felt amazing, but after the buzz wore off, it was like the crash you have after drinking a can of a high sugar energy drink.
I realize now, it was because I felt completely inadequate and dissatisfied with what I had – a run down apartment, secondhand furniture, eating potatoes and noodles everyday, the dream felt so out of reach.
I’m writing this post because lately I’ve been re-reading “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. This book has changed my life.
I first read this book about 7 years ago, when for no apparent reason, I was depressed. It helped me climb out of that state.
But reading it now, having matured a bit, it has completely different meaning, and it makes a lot of sense.
Time is NOT a friend?
Much of our negative emotions is caused by too much past and future. The mind is always thinking about the past and the future, it never really is conscious of the here and now.
Let me quote from book…
If you are dissatisfied with what you have got, or even frustrated or angry about your present lack, that may motivate you to become rich, but even if you do make millions, you will continue to experience the inner condition of lack, and deep down you will continue to feel unfulfilled. You may have many exciting experiences that money can buy, but they will come and go an always leave you with an empty feeling and the need for further physical or psychological gratification.
The utopian future where it’s all sunshine and roses is an illusion of the mind. What makes us unhappy, and always constantly in the pursuit of happiness, is that the mind portrays the future will always be better. The here and now is never good enough.
And because of that, we never enjoy the journey, the process. We never enjoy the daily activities that we do to get to where we want to go. They are just a means to an end.
Here and now, the eternal present is all we have. It’s the most precious thing. Here and now is where all the power is.
Write down your goals, but don’t get too attached to them. Just enjoy the process of making them happen.
To your MLM success,
Wayne Wu
P.S. I would love your input! If you have an opinion that would contribute to this discussion, please leave me a comment below.
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{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Wayne,
Times like this are really hard for most to get out of this rut. I like how you took “inspired action” and you got drawn to this book. For me, when I had to look at myself in the mirror and ask myself, “Is this what I want?” Most of time it wasn’t, so I had to let go and forgive.
That is EXTREMELY hard, but certainly doable.
Great inspirational post Wayne.
Have a great weekend.
Live large,
Jerome Ratliff
Jerome Ratliff´s last [type] ..How and When to Market Your Business Opportunity
Hey Jerome,
Times are hard. It’s like there’s a depression going on or something. But people let it dominate their thoughts and get pulled down into that state of depression. If they would stop thinking, they could actually work out a plan on how to improve their situation.
If people could let go of their thoughts and all that chatter going on in their head, I think we’d have a much happier population.
Most people never come to the realization that you have. They are living in the past and can’t ever be in the present. Many let their lives slip away in this state of being.
Sad, but true.
Super post,
Eric
Eric McMillan´s last [type] ..I Finally Discovered The Secret To Easy Biz Opp Success!
Hey Eric,
Yeah, it is sad but true. And many people can change their lives by reading this book.
It’s amazing to think that most people are actually unconscious. They are physically present, but mentally are almost always somewhere else, either in the past or in the future.
Hey Wayne,
It’s important to write down goals so you can see them. But there is something about when you actually take a pen and write it down. You are kind of making a commitment with yourself. I will take a look at that book.
Have a great weekend…
Josh
Josh Garcia´s last [type] ..Free Hidden SEO Marketing Tools That will Give You an Advantage
Hey Josh,
Yep. I agree. Something magical happens when you take a pen and write down your dreams and goals. As soon as you do that, it’s time to make a plan and focus on the daily activities and never be too emotionally attached to the end result.
Hi Wayne
yes you are right about enjoying the journey. I know that when I started to be grateful for what I had, even though I was aiming to change it, things did begin to change.
Lack of gratitude acts like a sticky glue that just keeps the things we are trying go beyond
Charlie Holles´s last [type] ..True Wealth and Success – pt 2, find your rock
Hi Charlie,
Yeah, expressing gratitude really does wonders. Gratitude brings you into the present and gives you great awareness of the possibilities you have right in front of you. When you are ungrateful, your mind is running the show, always judging the situation and creating a false sense of helplessness. Thanks for bringing that up.
Thank you for sharing this post, Wayne! It’s so true that we need to appreciate the present or we will never be able to appreciate the future when it comes, no matter how great it is! I am very interested in checking out that book!
Stacy´s last [type] ..15 Gifts to Give Yourself
Hi Stacy,
You’re welcome. Do check out that book. It will change your life. The present is all we have and the only way we can change it is to first appreciate it.
Great post,
Living in present is so important, I remember that I was only dreaming about my fututure, but I was not living NOW. thanks for sharing.
Jiri
Jiri Majkus´s last [type] ..Understanding of Pinging, Rss Submission and Social Bookmarking
Hi Jiri,
Good to see you here again. Dreams of what we want in the future are important to have, no doubt about that. But the mistake people make is to dwell on them so much that it disconnects them from the present and that’s where unhappiness creeps in. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, my friend.
This is an awesome post, Wayne!
I too have been depressed (a few years ago) and, looking back, it was probably because I was taking life too seriously (I was really preoccupied with discovering my purpose).
I even contemplated suicide!
Oddly enough, that period of my life came right before one of the best periods of my life.
I will never forget this lesson!
Derek Alvarez´s last [type] ..Officer Derek gives his Facebook Ad traffic direction tips
Hey Derek,
Wow, thank you for sharing such a personal experience. It was the same for me. After my period of unexplainable depression, it was a very bright period. For those who do commit suicide because of depression, I feel very so sorry that they missed the best days of their lives.
Wayne,
Great information as usual Wayne.
Goals are one of the most important things you
can do for your business. If you don’t set any, what’s
the point of trying to strive for something.
Have a great day,
Tommy D.
Tommy DiPietro – MLM Prospecting Hero´s last [type] ..MLM Key Strategies To Success
Hey Tommy,
They sure are. If don’t set any, you don’t have anything to strive for.
Great post Wayne! It is important to have goals, both short term and long term. But one thing you want to focus is on is the here and now. Let yesterday go and learn from your mistakes, look forward to tomorrow, but in order to get to tomorrow you have to take the necessary steps today. Another great book to read would be John C. Maxwell’s “Today Matters” . Thanks for sharing!!!
Sherman Smith´s last [type] ..A VERY VERY IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IN YOUR BUSINESS….
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