Eh. I really don’t care what I do… as long as it’s not work. But of course, here I sit, typing away at a new blog, because some tiny little part of me thinks that maybe someone out there is looking forward to reading one of my latest adventures. I know, I know… it’s probably just illusions of grandeur. (How cool is that, by the way, that I just got to use that phrase?) Sometimes, motivation is hard to come by. Shoot. A lot of times it is. Often, I find myself doing things like the laundry, the dishes, going to work, etc., simply because they have to get done out of necessity. So what’s the difference with this? Why am I typing this blog, when I’d rather be napping?
Ahhhhh. Now there’s an interesting question. I've already said that I’m not motivated. I’ve already said that I don’t feel like working. But perhaps there’s another deep-seeded emotion motivating me to write…giving me that mental push forward. Do you know what it is?
I do.
Love.
You’re probably thinking, “OH MY GOSH JULIE. YOU ARE SO CORNY.” And yes, I totally admit that I am. But deep down, I love writing. I love telling a story. I love the way it makes other people feel when they enjoy something I’ve written. And I love the way I feel when they express that to me. So you see, there’s a lot a love floatin’ around. A lot of love.
I couldn’t do it if I didn’t really love it. That’s what makes us do the things we really don’t want to do. I also think that’s the difference between succeeding at something and failing at something. Somewhere, somehow, deep down, you have to find the love. Whether it’s love for yourself. Love for the task. Love for the person you’re doing it for (be it you, your family, your spouse, etc.), or love for the feelings of joy that doing whatever it is your doing, brings.
Now, follow this closely as I take you through what I mean: I clean my kitchen for lots of reasons. 1) Clutter and greasy, dirty germs gross me out AND stress me out. 2) I want my kids to stay healthy and not be exposed to icky food and dirty plates. 3) Seeing my kitchen clean is relaxing to me. 4) When I feel relaxed, I feel happier. Likewise, when my kids are healthy, I’m happy. And 5) When I’m happy, I express my love more freely to my kids and family, instead of being a grumpy, irritated mom who yells all the time. (I hate when I turn into that mom.) WOW. You have got to be just a little impressed that I could make cleaning my kitchen = love for my family.
Whether you’re attempting a new healthier lifestyle, or simply redecorating your living room…you’ve got to find the love in order to succeed. Losing weight and making healthy choices is a mental game. You have to be accepting of yourself and of your failures. You have to love the foods you’re eating and love the way the exercise makes you feel. You have to find the love in seeing yourself in the mirror wearing clothes that are now too big on you. And you have to love the idea of buying smaller ones. Wanting it isn’t good enough. You have to find some love deep down in order to succeed. You have to love the challenge. The same goes for something as seemingly simple as redecorating your living room. You have to love the color you're painting it. You have to love the new things you’re putting it in. Otherwise, you’ll never be satisfied. You’ll see the so-so color and ho-hum new couch that’s not so comfortable, and you won’t be happy. Simple as that. You’ll put in the so-called work and you will fail at what you want your outcome to be because of the important factor missing from the equation...Love.
Love will get you that mental push forward that you need.
Find the love. Then do the work. Then you will succeed.
See, I didn’t really wanna work tonight. But I found the love, and I did it anyway. Maybe I'll go take a nap now... or read a trashy novel.