I used to believe I had to be motivated to change, but today I understand that waiting for motivation was a self-defeating story and very dangerous.
Why?
• Because our fearful brains are wired and designed through evolution to protect us from difficult, uncomfortable, scary, and stressful situations and change is exactly that! It's the real reason motivation usually never shows up for most.
• Unfortunately, change only happens for most people when “the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.” But there is a great danger with this type of thinking and here is what I mean.
Waiting for motivation has killed many people with addictions because they die before they felt motivated to change and some of them were my friends. Not changing has also destroyed many marriages, hurt many people and I could go on. To me, it's a false belief, another excuse not to take responsibility for our lives, right now! The truth is we do not need to wait, instead, take a leap of faith, find others who have what we want and do it.
It's a miracle I didn't die because I was a bottomless user who could handle an extraordinary amount of pain and suffering. Relapses, near-death experiences, death of loved ones, suicide attempts, homelessness, robbed and beaten, rejected and lonely. Yet I never gave up on my recovery.
Instead, I got busy with the solution, and one part of the solution was not allowing the fear of feeling uncomfortable to dictate my life for another moment. Instead, I got courageous and confronted the fear by doing the things that were scary, uncertain, fearful and challenging no matter what happened. Basically, I had to do the things I did not want to do! Go figure.
My story is an incredible story of faith and the Universe will support those who come in great faith, take massive action and want lasting change. My life proves it. Today, I am in long term recovery and make my living serving others on their journey of awakening and recovery and damn good at it.
Here is a little nugget for everyone: Even if you can only give 10 percent of yourself in faith and action; the One Power (God) will provide the other 90 percent. I have come to know this personally and today, faith is like breathing for me.
The Parable of t
he Mustard Seed:
Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches. ~ Matthew 13:32
Satnam Paul Noiles