THE NEGATIVE OUTLOOK & WHY BOTHER
Amongst friends and peers, i have heard a resounding question regarding following one’s passion…
the question on everyone’s lips or mind is 'Why bother?’.
Many think it;
before they’ve even tried,
as they begin, even
after they’ve reached or surpassed their goal thinking that’s the best they will ever do.
It’s a question that hits you no matter what dream stage, business stage or life stage you're at.
When we commit to fulfil a dream, goal or put efforts into achieving ‘insert that thing you wished you’d done’,
there has to be a reasonable acceptance that there will be sacrifice.
That it’s not always going to be easy, nor without heartache, stress, or difficulty.
However the natural ‘high’, joy and fulfilment of doing or creating what we love, in and of itself,
should be enough to answer the question ‘why bother?’.
Should't it?
As a designer, the number of times I have drained my energy (to complete exhaustion)
because I thought I wasn’t doing, resolving or being enough to meet my client’s briefs.. were truthfully aplenty.
And guess what?
No-one actually ever said ‘it’s not good enough', 'you haven’t solved it' or 'this is complete s*#t!’.
Those voices were always and only ever in my head.
THE BLAME GAME
Frustration, doubt and challenges will always arrive, in any journey toward a goal,
or attempt to grow and improve one’s skills or self.
Even if you’re doing nothing, you are not exempt.
And as much as we’d like to blame the external world for our 'problems',
they are rarely initiated by the situation, viewer, buyer or validity of our work.
What is the story playing out in our mind? Is it real? Is it made up? Is it true? Can we change it?
I believe, the focus needs to shift to our internal world; that of our mind.
Our tolerance and compassion, or the lack of these qualities,
of what we 'expect' of ourselves and/or the outcome.
Irrelevant of what we do, setbacks will always occur but more importantly,
dependant on how we think, we can and will overcome them.
Constant 'perfection’, 'ideal situation', 'sales' nor ‘positivity' can last without it's opposite.
So ride the wave and know... nothing stays forever. Change is our only constant.
NEXT TIME THAT INEVITABLE FRUSTRATION SETS IN OR 'WHY BOTHER?' ARRIVES...
Breath.
Hear it.
Feel it.
But please don't give all your power to it or let it alter your direction.
When you are feeling this type of negative emotion,
it's not the time for drastic decision making or conclusions.
It's actually the best time for a break (no matter how short).
Breath again.
Be still,
or move and change your activity,
and than watch that negativity slowly loose it's intensity.
Become more mindful of your thoughts, less mind-full.
Those thoughts can only stay if you give your focus to it.
Once the energy and intensity has shifted,
put your attention back into what you love or what you’re aiming for.
It holds much more power for you there.
The question can than transform from the negative 'why bother?’ to, a more positive inquiry of, ‘finding your why?’.