EFFORT!
Effort.
It is an interesting thing to ponder and I love pondering.
Always choose the path of effort. Enough said, I could stop right here, but I won’t.
When we put forth effort or labor, we reap the fruits of our labor. Without effort there is no fruit, no reward, no blossoming, no gift. Sustenance is built. We build our lives on every level with our effort. We work with energy, sincerity, focus & effort in order to bloom to our potential.
Don’t Put Things Off.
Anytime you find yourself justifying putting something off then stop and do it immediately. Of course, there are exceptions but when we resist putting forth effort then we are building resistance itself. If we have a negative response to effort then we must change our thoughts and our emotional responses toward effort.
What Happens When We Don’t put forth Effort?
Do you want to drive a car that wasn't properly built because someone didn’t put forth the effort to safely design or build it? Do you want to send your kids to a school where the teacher doesn’t have a lesson plan, because they didn’t want to put forth the effort?
How do you think about Work, Tasks, or Jobs?
Many of us have trained ourselves to resist and procrastinate or sloppily do a task. It is not who we are but after a while we believe it is. It is a learned behavior, a habit, that is all. Behaviors can be learned and unlearned, but it takes effort and persistence.
Work and Effort in your work are not awful unless you think them to be so. Learn a new skill that you think you could not, take care of your mind, body, and spirit. Cultivate your heart through service, exercise your body and use your mind to grow.
You must discipline yourself. Let’s not confuse discipline with rigidity. They are entirely different. Disciple is the root of the word discipline. We want to be followers on the path of being our best selves by being disciplined.
Procrastination also known as Resistance.
Procrastination is not an attribute.
Steven Pressfield, in “The War of Art,” wrote that resistance is pointing the direction to the action you need to take.
It Matters, because You are Worth It.
Make your home rise up to meet your spirit. Treat your body as a temple for that spirit.
You may think, who cares if my bed is made? Why does my home have to be clean? I will do the laundry later. When is later? It doesn’t exist. If it isn’t in your planner or calendar to be done and if it is not given a time to do it and perhaps a reminder like a gentle alarm on your phone, then it most likely won’t get done. Cook healthy meals and exercise. Don’t diminish the value of hygiene and cleaning your living and working space. Organize and beautify your life with whatever budget you have. Put forth the effort, it is an act of self-care.
No Cheating & Be Honest with Yourself.
And perhaps you have felt, “it’s easier to cheat than do the work “. Wrong thinking. How would you feel if your Medical Doctor cheated their way through medical school? Would you want to befriend or do business with someone who had a propensity of cheating?
Be honest about your true intentions even if they are negative. If you are negative then own it, forgive it, bless yourself, seek help and strive to do better. You can’t change things you do not acknowledge. If you are wrapped up in negative thought, then be honest about it, so that you can change it.
Effort in Communication
You can be strong and speak up without being reactive or aggressive against someone or something. You can also listen and be compassionate toward yourself and others without being a doormat or manipulated. Being true to ourselves, our true nature creates balance. It takes away the need to implode or explode. It takes effort to cultivate excellent communication skills, but it is worth it.
Effort in Focus & Understanding.
You may have trouble paying attention or understanding something but there is a way through every obstacle, so find someone or something that can teach you what you need to learn. Seek in sincerity and not in desperation or frustration even if you are challenged in an area.
Effort to Live a Balanced Life.
Knowing when to rest, work and play are important. There is balance to everything.
Effort takes energy and focus and sometimes we don’t feel we have either, but we can find it if we dig deep, if we require it of ourselves and if we don’t take the easy way out and numb or space out with whatever vice we fancy. Everything must be in balance and when we want to change our lives we must put forth the effort. Figure out what is out of balance in your life and find your way back harmoniously.
Finish What you Start.
Complete your tasks. Give yourself a sense of completion with the gift of accomplishment.
Judgement.
Don’t Judge your effort or lack thereof. Just observe it. If others are judging, remember it is a reflection of their minds and hearts, not yours.
Forgiveness.
Lastly, always forgive yourself and others. Every breath is a new chance to start again. Sometimes we have to stop behaviors or end certain relationships because they are toxic. We can walk away with compassion if need be.
