Winner: 2013’s Blog of the Year #10
When you put the pill in your mouth you’re saying it. When you list what you can’t do you’re saying it. When you want to be healthier you’re saying it. When you tell people you’re healing you’re saying it. These are all just disguised ways to say to yourself; I’m sick, I’m weak, I’m incapable.
You’re literally crippling yourself with those thoughts and actions. That kind of self-perception is an easy way to lose friends and lovers because it is thoroughly unpleasant to be around. Not just for them—for you too. So if you’re in pain please don’t add any suffering. Pain, people have plenty of patience for. Suffering not so much.
I have no idea how many of you might need psychological medications but I do know that most people I meet have no awareness whatsoever of their own consciousness and so they cannot take responsibility for its behaviour even though they must face the consequences. When I listen to people’s “problems,” I can often literally hear them processing their lives in very unhealthy, unproductive ways that would very obviously lead to mental distress. But the problem isn’t the chemicals. It’s that the chemicals were requested.
Let’s say two people stumble onto exactly the same great idea for a business and both realise it immediately. One sees the benefit, but in discussing the idea with herself or with others she focuses on all of the reasons it may not work. She focuses on what may go wrong.
The other woman sees the same benefits, and she sees the very same challenges. But she says, “how would someone get past challenges like that, because I really want that benefit?” And the verb of that is what causes her to succeed while the other person is sitting still discussing their limitations and describing the active lady as being lucky. It’s not that the problem was hard it was that one woman never did engage with resolving it. She just told herself and others a series of justifying narratives about why she couldn’t.
You don’t say I’ll start my life again once I feel better about this thing—because that’s what you are doing. That’s your verb. You’re sitting still and imagining things being different. Which is why that day never comes. Because you didn’t do anything to make anything different. You just told yourself stories about how life would be after you’ve changed. Each day is something you actively create. So better times cannot be created until you transfer your energy from explaining how it could be better to actually saying the words or taking the actions that actually make it better. Get it?
You don’t want to be healthy you be healthy. You enact health. The guy who wins the Gold Medal at the Olympics—the guy in the wheelchair—well it hurt for him to lose his legs too. Physically and emotionally. He’s got real limitations that are far greater than most people. He might even still be in pain. But he didn’t sit around listing all of the things he couldn’t do. Instead he said “I am a vital, living breathing Human Being and I still love sports and I want to find one I enjoy that I can excel at Now.” And then he just kept being the person he was before he lost his legs.
He’s still an athlete with those same attitudes and drives. And his path emerged from him simply following his nature and ignoring any self-critical analysis or judgment. He didn’t focus on what he lost or didn’t gain. Instead he simply saw his current situation as an opportunity. And that’s because it always is. The same goes for your life. The big question is, what are you going to spend your opportunity on? Are you going to churn thoughts about your misfortunes? Or will you use the very same energy but focus it on the things you are grateful for in the Present Moment? That’s what will motivate you. The choice is yours.
No one owed you a good life. But you were definitely given all of the tools you need to create one. I hope you’re choosing to do that in your Now.
Much love, s
Scott McPherson is a writer, public speaker, and mindfulness facilitator who works with individuals, companies and nonprofit organisations around the world.
I help people achieve better mental health by teaching them about reality.
Love your conviction and way with words. Such truth here.
Thank you for your kind words. The conviction is sincere. I know this by living it. I’m honoured to have you as a reader.