Mini Motivation #5 - Have you been sulking lately?
We are creatures of habit. We learn new things, we adapt to it, we incorporate it into our lives. Before you know it, something that was foreign and new 21 days ago, is now running on auto-pilot mode in our subconscious.
That's fine when it comes to harmful interactions like fire or electricity shocks. However, sometimes habits like:
- Oh, I've already know one way of doing it, and that's good enough. Or,
- This is the fastest way to get the job done. Let's just stick to it. Or,
- She won't be able to hurt me if I just keep quiet. So I'll just do that.
See, those habits can be harmful to you (even though it looks like it's protecting you or keeping you productive), because it has kept you in the comfort zone. In that zone, we don't venture anymore, nor do we try new things. We don't experiment, or got curious. We don't wonder if things could be better, because we don't want to "rock the boat".
But screw that.
For today, let's try getting out of your comfort zone a little. Nothing mega like signing yourself up for sky diving to overcome your fear of heights (although I ain't gonna stop you if you do). Instead, try these:
- That call you'd been putting off, to your distant aunt who you used to be closed to. Call her.
- That movie you had been wanting to watch, but was afraid that it will stir up the emotions in you. Watch it.
- That new girl in office you had been meaning to talk to but just found yourself chickening out over the past 3 months. Go say hi.
- That post you'd been wanting to write, about the injustice you see in the world, but you're afraid of being judged. Write it.
Get out of the comfort zone once today. Me? I'm heading to a networking event with business owners and CEOs, which I usually would avoid with 1003 excuses.
What about yours?
Mini Motivation is my own daily strategy to inspire myself. Mostly 3 minute reads.
From Motivation, we gain Inspiration. From Inspiration, we achieve Momentum. And the rest, they say, is history.
Hope it helps nudge you a bit too in the right direction.
Oh it did? Let me know in the comments, and of course an upvote would be a nice motivation for me. :)
Stay awesome!
Wait, why's Mav posting on Steemit nowadays?
Well, unlike other blogging and social media platform, Steemit is the only platform that allows me to earn cryptocurrency when I engage with it. Yup, one Steem is about USD7, and you, too, can earn Steem Dollars every time you:
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- Upvote (like) other people contents
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Yup, basically it's the very same thing you're doing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc all along!
The only difference? For once you can earn a nice income on the side!
Sign up for a free Steemit account, and you can thank me by coming back and upvoting this article. And guess what, you will earn Steem too for doing that! #awesome
Thanks for sharing this post. It has certainly inspired and nudged me in the right direction and I hope many who could relate to it will be motivated and inspired by your sharing too.
Glad to be of help. :)
When you really need an extra motivational push, you can always turn to words or art from others.
Today, I got it from you.. thanks for that!
Thanks @connie1018, and from your encouragement, I get my push.
Yeah, I've heard this kind of thing before. That the key to breaking bad habits and going after the things that you're too afraid to persue is to consciously make yourself uncomfortable in whatever small ways that you can. You'll slowly condition yourself to act in spite of knowing that it'll be unpleasant.
I've actually read about this a number of times and a common recommendation is to take cold showers. Though I think I'd rather step into oncoming traffic than a cold shower. Still, it does seem to make sense. I think I'll start by taking slightly tepid but still kinda warm showers instead. Gotta start somewhere.
YES, totally agree on the cold showers I do that too. Started young because we were poor so we can't afford a heater, and too lazy to wake up early to boil water. Bad combo really. :)
Wow, are you me? We used to have one of those metal water troughs to take baths in. We'd also boil the water to take our bath! We'd bring the trough into the living room because the only heat we had was from the fireplace and stove, ha!! Growing up dirt poor was a trip, man.
It's a experience some may never be able to relate to, haha.
Yeah, sometimes when I see how entitled and unappreciative people are for what they have I take a moment and think about how my father grew up. No electricty or indoor plumbing. Having to work from the time that he was still a small child.
My attitude and what I take for granted must look, to him, just like what I think that I see in those people.
But, like you said, they can't relate to the experience of hand to mouth poverty. To them throwing away food or complaing that their job doesn't pay enough for the lifestyle they want is just relative to their experience, where food and work is always available.
So, I try not to judge. I know that I have the exact same flaws and that I'm just as oblivious to them as everyone else.
Hey, @kangarooninja. Thanks for sharing your day's tale.
I've read somewhere before that children that witness their parents' struggles will turn out to be more persistent too. I think that's the case for you. Keep it up!
Thanks for all the thought out responses. I don't want to take too much of your precious time, but I want to touch on what you just said about learning persistence.
My father has one of the worst cases of post polio syndrome in the world and (as far as we know) has used an iron lung longer than anyone who's ever lived (66 years). I spent my summers with him as a child and through to my years as a young man. I had to work very hard, sun up to sun down on our family farm.
The whole day, as I did my hard work, he would push himslef along in his wheelchair throughout the field with his one good leg. A very hard task for someone with 75% of their diaphragm having been atrophied. He would use he good leg and foot to grasp a water hose to painstaking water the garden and dozen or so fruit trees. He would pull weeds with his toes, slowly push chopped branches from felled trees and cleared brush. He worked harder than anyone I've ever seen, (And I worked as roughneck in the oilfield.)
His example is the one and only reason that I have the persistence and work ethic that I do today.
Sorry for the wall of text.
You know @maverickfoo, looking out for your posts is becoming a habit for me 😄 .... have fun at your networking event
I'm also trying to form the habit of early morning writing over the next 21 days.
thank you @maverickfoo your words can me my motivation early in the morning, best regards
Good morning! Only for our Asian friends on Steemit, unfortunately. Some have to read it before sleep, which is great too!
Good motivation early in the morning. Today im going to post two articles...after I'll have my coffee... Good morning to you!
Awesome morning to you too! Will look out for your 2 articles.
Can you elaborate more on Mini Motivation? Where are you finding these 3 minute reads?
On my own, actually. I collect quotes over the years, and using Illustrator, that's how I created the banner.
Then each morning, within 30 minutes of waking up, I'll pick a quote and write on it for 5 minutes.
Oh gotcha, that makes sense
Thank you @maverickfoo for these lines of motivation. I like to call you "Mr Motivator" just for now. I am getting out of my comfort zone. Like you said that upvoting will be a good motivation for you, I have upvoted.
Regards.
@geekis (marriage and relationship content creator)
Thanks bro! In the process of motivating others, we something motivate ourselves too. Funny how life works.
Positive motivation is so valuable in a world where there is so much negativity....thanks for posting this :)
Yeah, it's hard to tune out or turn away from the negative energies. It's like we're being tested all the time.
Agreed. Sometimes it can be challenging.
Thanks for your motivational post. Getting out of our comfort zone is always the key to punch through the roof. Good reading.
Punch through indeed! Metal Gear Solid fan?
Yea, Metal Gear fans here. haha