Ganesh – the remover of obstacles
It’s my belief that we, at least here in the US, have a long held belief that we must suffer to succeed. I call it the “child birth” story, but it’s simply this: we must endure great hardship in order to achieve success, and that hardship could even kill us.
Have you heard any of these?
No pain, no gain.
I work hard for my money.
I don’t deserve it or s/he doesn’t deserve it
How about “I’m so busy!” which implies “I’m working really hard!”
There must be some sacrifice in order to be deemed worthy and recognized.
The problem is that we will put up with unnecessary pain, we will create drama and stress in order to amplify the pain or even create it, and even occasionally do ridiculous things to ourselves and our relationships in order to feel deserving of something.
How often have you heard of someone in a relationship “doing the push-pull” thing? Push someone away, pull them back again.
I watched a video this morning by a successful internet entrepreneur discussing how he had been feeling guilty about making millions “so easily.” Would he not feel guilty if he had to go down into a coal mine every day and work ten hours risking his life for his money? (Hint: actual physical risk or labor doesn’t change the “righteousness” of money.)
In contrast, we also have a great desire for “The Magic Pill.”
The lottery is a form of the magic pill: spend a dollar, get a chance to instantly win financial freedom and a big pile of money.
People spend millions of dollars every year on diets and the quickest fix to lose weight in order to get thin without the “pain” of a different lifestyle.
It’s the easy way out.
Now, I want to make a point here – it’s NOT that the magic pill is “easy”, it is the way to achieve success without taking responsibility for your success.
It’s a “fact” (read that: internet “reality”) that “most” lottery winners are broke again within a few short years. “Most” people who lose weight fast put it back on again.
Simply put, the magic pill that can instantly change things is a temporary fix for the pain you are suffering right now.
Until you address the underpinnings of your beliefs or story or history that has you in pain right now, your default state will continue to be what it is right now.
A magic pill is, to quote my grandmother, lipstick on a pig. But we still seek the amazing elixir of eternal youth; the pot of gold; the blue pill to change our situation.
But here’s the amazing thing – somewhere between these two mighty powerful myths is a truth: you can change everything in the blink of an eye. If you change the story or remove the pain, everything is possible.
You can move from “I’ve got to work hard to be successful” to “I’ve got to do these things in order to achieve this goal, and then I will work on the next goal” – this shift can take you from overwhelm and struggling to focused and successful.
Sure, some things are less pleasant to do others. Some days are longer than others. Some conversations are more challenging than others. These are not the same as being “painful” or “stressful” or “work” (as in the dirty word, work.)
You do not need to be “deserving” of anything – you do not need to be “rewarded for your efforts” – you can simply achieve success (however that looks to you) as a result of sticking to your plan and being diligent. Be committed.
Be committed to your goals, not the story. Be committed to what you want to achieve, not the picture of how you think it should look to get there. Give up the belief of pain for gain, let go of the magic elixir, and free yourself of the shackles of the ways you hold yourself back.
Where are you limiting yourself? Where do you find yourself looking for a magic pill? Where do you find yourself doing something “painful” in order to “be rewarded” for your efforts?
What’s possible if you just could…?