Monday, March 8, 2010

Paths of Weaknesses -- Filled with Excuses

Personal weakness is a difficult subject for any individual to swallow. How far will you go to prove to yourself and others that things are under control? Identifying personal weaknesses and expressing them will open your eyes to life-changing paths that seem deceivingly impossible to travel down. A road that seems impossible to travel down is not an exciting discovery for most individuals. The problem with this fact is that I want to step beyond the general, common, or majority that is "most" people. Do you?

Recently, I have been fortunate enough to have my eyes opened to more than a handful of ugly, undesirable roads in need of being traveled. This month has been terrifying. I must admit that it has been hard for me to pull myself out of bed time and time again. Typically when faced with a path that I don't care to address, I dive into the safety of an outlet that removes me from world hurts around me. However, this month, the roads that I am facing have penetrated even my greatest outlet, the one escape from pain and darkness that fills my daily life -- sleep. My dreams have become painful, repetitive reminders of the choices I have made and the changes that I need to battle. So, in deciding what path to attack first I stare at the challenging options ahead of me. Fear is a natural instinct to change anymore for me. Every path seems equally challenging and excuses to turn away from each one start to fill my mind.

I think that is the problem that conquers most people at this point in the situation --they submit to their excuses. Excuses are powerful lies that we create to prevent ourselves from achieving what we truly desire. The best way to beat your excuses is to dismantle them for that lies that they truly are. Why take the time to dream and desire if you are just going to pile those dreams on top of a mountain of excuses? There is no need to torture yourself with thoughts of what you want if you are just going to follow it up with a reasons that you cannot have because...(fill in the blank)

For those that may be dealing with depression or unhappiness, I urge you to layout the paths preventing you from "doing" instead of barely "being." Draw yourself a physical map if you need to. Loose leaf paper and pencil is fairly easy to come by. Create a path of your life, then where you are now will need as many individuals paths branching off as you have weaknesses in your life. Identify them. Share them. People that have walked paths of pain and weakness before can help make your trek easier. If your living in tremendous financial debt then it deserves a path. Any unhealthy lifestyles (drugs, overeating, gambling...) need their own paths and so on. Along each individual path you should start to list the lies that you have created to prevent you from eliminating that paths existence.

My Current Paths of Pain
Look at the poor guy, so intimidated...

Don't expect to run through a difficult path without understanding the reasons that have continued to cause you to retreat backwards. As you dismantle excuses for the lies that they are, you will be able to replace them on the map with positive reasons to get to the end of the path. Instead of excuses, start generating passionate reasons for you to make it through each difficult adventure. Removing weakness and insecurity from your life will only help pull you out of depression and find the ever-elusive happiness in life. Imagine being able to fill every excuse you have ever given yourself with positive encouragement. Harboring personal weaknesses with your own excuses is the same as asking to not be everything you can or achieve less than you truly can.

3 comments:

Jason said...

For those that might have a financial debt path like mine above. CHECK OUT http://www.daveramsey.com/

If you are into Podcasts or Radio, LISTEN to Dave's. He is in buisness to provide tremendous, simplistic financial freedom.

May Be Miracles said...

I went to his 6 week course once a few years ago. Best thing I ever did...put me on the same page as Dan with our finances (I never respected money before the class). Dan's always kept us under control but with a lot of slack from me...now we got it together b/c of Dave Ramsey's course.

Also, wanted to say that you offer very good advice in this post. I still struggle with weight issues and try to dig up my excuses occasionally...a work in progress. It's great advice to tackle those excuses.
Take care...Dustine

Jason said...

Thanks Dustine! A lot of excuses are just so hard to dig up, especially after years of submitting to them.

I went through Dave's FPU also and it definitely paints a better picture than most people are living. I listen to his podcasts a ton on my phone just to inspire me from other peoples' experiences.