Goals, perseverance, & karma
Setting and achieving goals can be a great challenge, though we know that we will feel far more satisfied when we reach them. Why is motivation so difficult? Going into the new year, many people take this ‘fresh-start’ opportunity to set new boundaries and specific goals that we want to work on. Some don’t bother, and many dreams lay waste after the initial excitement and motivation of the clean slate that is January. But if we know that improved quality of life awaits us, how is it that goals are often not met?
I have grown in many ways this past year, and many of the changes I have gone through have been unintentional. And by that I mean I didn’t have set resolutions to grow in this way, it simply happened due to my reaction to outside forces. The choice I made was in the way I reacted- I chose growth. I became a far more organized person and I created the habit of writing and/or sketching out my thoughts at times I feel are important or necessary to archive. I became more intentional with my life. As proud as I am of these and some other newly developed habits, they were not my goals. Because the most rewarding changes are the ones that you conquer of your own free will. The challenges that require full mental, spiritual, or physical effort– perseverance. Perseverance is a vital life skill and a prime example of ‘easier said than done.’ I learned about perseverance at a very young age, but have not understood the weight of this concept until recently. When you persevere, you are willing to give everything to overcome something. The kicker is, sometimes you give everything to the wrong challenge. A challenge that will not benefit you, even one that may harm your progress in understanding yourself and your wants in life. See, this is where many decide to end their battle and retreat from their goals. But that’s the tricky part- that wouldn’t be perseverance. It is a vital life skill, as I mentioned, and it is never not present. Perseverance is understanding that you gave everything to something, accepting the outcome, and moving forward to achieve your goal. Shifting focus but never minimizing effort. It can be tiring, but then again, if you are intentional with your goals, the reward of personal growth has already begun. And rewarding it is.
Karma is a concept that I have always believed in, though sometimes standing with that belief can be difficult. Unfortunately for a person as impatient as I can be, rarely in life is there immediate satisfaction, which was a hard pill to swallow. All that I can control are my own actions and reactions, and this is what defines us as who we are. In high school, my dad started writing me notecards with a new quote each week. If you’ve read my last post, you understand how much I appreciate art that triggers thought, and finding solstice in the words of others as they relate to your own life. There are two quotes in my collection that I think fit well with this post.
“How people treat you is their karma, how you react is yours.” -Wayne Dyer
“Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it.” - Charles Swindoll
All we have control over is ourselves. We create our own karma. I have to repeat this to myself on occasion because I am the type of person who enjoys the comfort of knowing. Many believe that ignorance is bliss, but I have never understood how that concept brings any security, and I believe the opposite. As difficult as it can be, I have always been the type of person who wants to know all the details in any situation. I realized when I was 19 that the point isn’t knowing versus not knowing, it’s the energy that you give, and what you choose to give that energy to. We control our effort, and we consciously decide where that effort goes. School, jobs, relationships, growth, they all require effort, as do their many subcategories. And as beings who have a set amount of time in the world, we have a finite amount to give. This is why intentions are so vital to who you grow into as a person. The same reason people argue that you are who you surround yourself with.Controlling your reactions is the only way you can lead yourself down the path you want. Because that's all you can do, and you have all the power necessary to do it. One more quote that has stuck with me is one that I think about daily. “Life happens for you.” Not to you. For you. I was told this quote by someone special to me about a year ago, and though they are not part of my life anymore, I can be ok with that because of their encouraging words. Hearing this quote helped me to realize that this is an amazing example of a good versus bad reaction. Are these events that occur throughout your life happening to you or for you? Is your glass half full or half empty? The beauty is, it's your choice. I choose to believe that everything happens for me, and for a reason.
I believe that giving yourself fully to something is a beautifully difficult task, but more importantly, it is a conscious decision. For some, it may come naturally. For others, like myself, it can be difficult to surrender to the effort without knowing the outcome. But this is where we gain strength, this is the part where the growth truly begins to show. As typical as it is, it really is about the journey. The lessons lie within the experience, not the reward. This reminds me of a quote I read earlier today, as follows: “I imagine it’ll feel like the moment everyone forgets whose turn it is during a card game. I think I could soundtrack a whole future with the laughter that comes after realizing the point never was to win.” Living is the challenge we all face throughout our existence. Filling our time on this earth with memories, laughter, squabbles, dancing, music, good food— that is the only way to ‘win’ at this blissfully treacherous game that is being alive. And that is a challenge that will not end until we do. Choose to give in to life. Choose to give yourself fully. Practice Meraki, the act of doing something with soul and intention– the essence of yourself. And with that create your own story, and live despite fear and struggle, for it makes living that much sweeter.
