"Goals are a means to an end, not the ultimate purpose of our lives. They are simply a tool to concentrate our focus and move us in a direction. The only reason we really pursue goals is to cause ourselves to expand and grow. Achieving goals by themselves will never make us happy in the long term; it's who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goals, that can give you the deepest and most long-lasting sense of fulfillment. So maybe the key question you and I need to ask is, "What kind of person will I have to become in order to achieve all that I want?" This may be the most important question that you can ask yourself, for its answer will determine the direction you need to head personally."
Awaken The Giant Within
Tony Robbins
(Bolding in original)
...and...
"It is demanded of man that he shall continue to strive after better things, after greater perfection, after higher and still higher achievements; and in accordance with the measure of his obedience to this demand, does the angel of joy wait upon his footsteps and minister unto him; for he who is anxious to learn, eager to know, and who puts forth efforts to accomplish, finds the joy which eternally sings at the heart of the universe. First in little things, then in greater, and then in greater still, must man strive; until at last be is prepared to make the supreme effort, and strive for the accomplishment of Truth, succeeding in which, he will realize the eternal joy.
"The price of life is effort; the acme of effort is accomplishment; the reward of accomplishment is joy."
The Mastery of Destiny
James Allen
James is so very, very correct in saying "It is demanded of man that he shall continue to strive after better things, after greater perfection, after higher and still higher achievements. ... The price of life is effort." It may seem like a steep price to pay on some days (ok, on a great many days) (ok, ok, on most days), but it's not the "requested price," a "suggested donation" — it's the demanded price.
We are driven to grow. We are driven to improve ourselves. We are driven to seek perfection. We are driven to test our limits. We are driven to try and fly even though we were born without wings, and it is inherent in who we are to listen to that call ... or suffer. The only way to avoid that suffering is to pay the price and put in the effort.
I also believe that Tony has it absolutely correct when he says that we first have to ask ourselves: "What kind of person will I have to become in order to achieve all that I want?" Yes, you first have to figure out what you want, what turns you on. Yes, you have to find a way to motivate yourself to take action. Yes, you have to set goals in order to get there. And, yes, you have to learn how to enjoy the journey as much, or more, than arriving at the goal.
But, more importantly you have to realize that the you that got you to this point in your life will not help you to get to the next point in your life — a new you will be needed to reach a new stage. As "they" say: if you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you always got. You begin the process of growth by finding out what that new you has to be; by asking Tony's question: what kind of person do i have to become?
I hadn't planned to include any Jim Rohn in this (because i wasn't reading him today), but this just begs for a couple of the favorites i think about often:
"Those who seek a better life must first become a better person. They must continually seek after self-mastery for the purpose of developing a balanced philosophy of life, and then live in accordance with the dictates of that philosophy."
From Five Major Pieces To The Life Puzzle
and
"It's not what you get that makes you valuable, it's what you become that makes you valuable."
From The Art of Exceptional Living
So i end this day by asking myself, what kind of person do i have to become?
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