Saturday, April 12, 2008

THE GADGET THAT GETS ME STARTED IN LIFE

Mini plastic toy car - “Could the young but realize how soon they will become mere walking bundles of habits, they would give more heed to their conduct while in the plastic state.”

A funny story has it that, late one night, a party-goer decided it would be best to walk home. He found a shortcut through a poorly lit cemetery and, in the darkness, stumbled into an open grave.

He tried to climb out but the walls were too slippery. Again and again he fell back into the grave. Finally, in exhaustion, he settled in a corner to wait for sunlight.

A few minutes later another man cutting through the cemetery fell victim to the same grave. He, too, tried desperately to climb and claw his way out, and he was equally unsuccessful.

As he was about to give up in hopeless resignation, he heard a voice from the darkness of his pit: "You'll never get out of here."

He did!

He just needed the proper motivation. And in this case, a shot of fear did the trick. But when it comes to finding the motivation to accomplish most worthwhile things, his example is the exception.

I am learning that the best motivation, whether we want to accomplish a task, go back to school, start something new or kick a habit, usually comes from the inside. To be successful, we must want to do it. Others may certainly help to encourage or to "pump us up," but, in the end, we will usually succeed only if we have the desire.

Dorothy Heller illustrates this with an all-too-true poem:

I spent a fortune
On a trampoline,
A stationary bike
And a rowing machine
Complete with gadgets
To read my pulse,
And gadgets to prove
My progress results,
And others to show
The miles I've charted –
But they left off the gadget
To get me started!

Of course they left it off! The gadget to get us started lies within. And the best part is...since you already own it, you can use it anytime you want.

Today?

From Lifesupport.

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