“Dreams do come true, but you have to dream them!”
– Anonymous
Are you human? Please know that you have priceless, inherent worth! Let’s say that again slowly in our minds – PRICELESS. INHERENT. WORTH! Nothing can take that fact away, even if someone says differently or perhaps you don’t yet know that for yourself. I’m going to show you; and you, in turn, will show yourself!
One of the key components to having and maintaining physical life is hunger. Hunger is an appetite (craving, longing, yearning, hankering, thirst, passion), a vacuum which demands to be filled and tells us much about ourselves. For one thing, feeling hungry tells us that our body wants to keep living. Go figure, selfish body! It tells us of a natural need and desire. It tells us of our dependence on some substance that is not yet “ours” that must literally become a part of us to temporarily fill that void.
Said nourishment provides our bodies with energy and vitality, allowing us to live, move, breathe and go about all the other functions of life, and without which we would surely die relatively quickly. In like manner, our hearts and minds require hunger and its subsequent nourishment to satisfy.
Physical hunger yearns for meaning that only actions based on true hunger of the heart and mind can satisfy. They go hand in hand.
The Garden of our Hearts and Minds
Like everything in and around us, we humans can learn a great deal symbolically from the growth process of a garden. Whether or not you’ve ever had a garden or a farm, their governing principles are pretty straightforward and symbolically applicable to our own hearts and minds. Some of the main components to life and growth in a garden are seeds, water, good soil, light, darkness and nourishment. Conversely, there exist perils and obstacles one must be conscious of: weeds, parasites, pests and poisons. Suffice it to say, there is a delicate balance required which we might tend to take for granted.
This is a symbolic representation of our hearts and minds because we create and grow the meaning of our life just like a gardener. In fact, most of what we see and experience in our lives all started as a thought or idea – a seed, if you will. That thought or seed required “fertile mind soil” – yes, MIND SOIL – in order to be planted, take root and ultimately have the potential to grow. But, that’s just the beginning! That seed had to be nourished and cared for with light, water, etc.
When it comes to the delicate balance required in our hearts and minds, we must also be conscious of the risks and perils of the symbolic “weeds, parasites, pests and poisons”. These could be a variety of things including naysayers, lack of self-belief or distractions of any sort.
When it gets right down to it, most “weeds” of distraction are just some form of sensory stimulation that displaces our focus and could be anything from food to amusement or entertainment. Did you know that the word “amusement” comes from roots which literally mean “diversion with intent to deceive”? Don’t get me wrong – there is a time and place for all these things. However, it is definitely worth a more conscious approach to how we choose to spend our limited time.
This is one of the main reasons it’s so important to really find something that can stir one’s soul into a passionate frenzy of action towards great accomplishments. WE. MUST. CHOOSE – choose worthy objectives and choose our use of time! This delicate garden of wise choices is what we are trying to maintain and grow!
Anyone Can Start, But WHO Can Finish?
Have you ever approached New Year’s Eve with a “resolution”? Multitudes of people set in their mind some change(s) they will make as a new calendar year starts. Some examples could be breaking some bad habit like smoking, or perhaps losing weight, among many others. Multiple studies show that anywhere from 8%-20% of those setting a resolution actually maintain those resolutions and accomplish their goals! In fact, a vast majority (at least 80%) have already failed by February.
When taking on any worthy endeavor, including New Year’s resolutions, there are some keys to keep in mind to keep us hungry and focused to fulfill whatever goal(s) and objective(s) we may decide to pursue. Here are a few keys to keep in mind so our “mind soil” may remain fertile and vibrant, thus leading to the actions that bring triumph and success:
Anticipate the Pitfalls BEFORE Starting – It is absolutely crucial that we think thoroughly about what difficulties we will face as we begin to seek achievement of worthy goals. It’s not a matter of if we will face hardships, but rather when and how often. Knowing that we will easily find and see reasons to be discouraged, protective measures can be taken up front to counter those external perils or self-defeating thought processes. And, understanding some of the potential frustrations and pitfalls before getting started will prevent them from being surprises when they inevitably arise.
Just remember that we must choose to have a toughness of mind, firm dedication and meaningful reasons we can constantly turn to so that the discouragement, rejection or other pitfalls won’t prevail or derail us anywhere along the way!
Our Chosen Surroundings Are Key! – Having a clear picture of what we desire leads us naturally to know that we must create our own environment conducive to success and growth. Referring back to the garden analogy, it’s safe to say that none of us in our right minds would seek to plant a garden at the bottom of the ocean or at the top of a snow-capped mountain. On that same note, someone striving to stop drinking or smoking would be unwise to surround him or herself with those engaging in those same old bad habits.
If you are seeking to make more money, have a clear image of what that lifestyle would mean for you as a present tense visualization. Print some pictures or other reminders of the objective sought. Use all of your senses to fully visualize the sights, sounds, smells, colors and feelings of it. The same could be said of striving to lose weight or virtually any other goal. Maintaining these surroundings and mentality by choice is like the sunlight and fertilizer which strengthen and stimulate garden growth necessary to prevail against all foes!
Action Plan & Routine – Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Much of success is methodically woven into fabric by the thread of day-to-day and moment-by-moment decisions. When a goal is before us, like construction of any building, a PLAN or blueprint must exist of how to accomplish it. If we are trying to accomplish some physical feat such as winning a race, a consistent training regimen must be planned into our life on a very regular basis.
If the goal truly is a priority, the plan to accomplish it must also be a priority. How can we accomplish something we don’t care to prioritize? The world presents enough obstacles that an indecisive mind simply won’t prevail. Daily routines, therefore, must be planned and executed consistently because, after all, we are the results of choices and, especially, consistent actions.
Tony Robbins has said, “Both success and failure are found in the little things.” Let’s build our successful outcomes one day, one brick, one action at a time. These so-called little things make all the difference!
Be a Constant Learner – Choosing to maintain a constant hunger for knowledge (realizing there is ALWAYS more to learn) is absolutely essential to satisfy the hunger toward accomplishing goals and dreams. We live in an unprecedented time in which our access to knowledge and information has expanded exponentially compared to that of previous eras and generations. We, therefore, have virtually no excuses to not seek out knowledge, much of which is essentially free, as we aim to hone and perfect our craft in our chosen field and in an ever-changing world.
From search engines and online encyclopedias to free videos, forums, e-books and even audiobooks (which can make even a long commute productive), the resources so readily available to us are astonishing to consider! How often in the course of the day are we cleaning something or working out or doing some other passive action that could be easily enhanced with a good audiobook and some headphones? Some may say that “knowledge is power,” and it is when we learn and find ways to apply that knowledge in executed actions.
Hunger: The Centerpiece of Success
It has been observed that the one main key attribute possessed by the successful is HUNGER! And, since we know that success leaves clues, we ought to look to those clues for guidance in our decision-making. Once we know ourselves, our gifts and talents and we have a willingness to take massive action, we humans have incredible potential!
And, since one of the core governing principles of the universe is balance, create your own imbalance in the form of a hunger vacuum – like a black hole – that the energies of life and the universe will be compelled to fill as said vacuum attracts all the necessary resources to filling it! Find a mission you can put your whole heart and soul into and your hunger will only grow as you advance.
“If you can find a mission larger than yourself, then you’re more pulled to do something than trying to push yourself – and PULL has much more power than PUSH.” – Tony Robbins
