As we see it, there are two distinct ways of living (approaching) your life. One is working to get allllllllllll the things you want. The other is working to want all the things you’ve got.
If you’re in the first camp, you move through life with an empty bucket and a tremendous appetite. Occasionally you get to drop something into the bucket. You shout for joy for a moment or two, and then you get back to the work of fighting for things to put in your bucket.
When you’re in camp one, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that your focus stays on what you don’t have (while you're busy collecting things for your bucket). The world is filled with things that aren’t in your bucket. Each new shiny thing grabs your attention and fills you with loss because it’s not yours. Not exactly the summer camp of anyone's dreams.
Some of you might identify with an anxious feeling that can come when you shift your attention from filling your bucket to actually enjoying what’s in it. How many of you vacation with your work phone ON, or sit down to dinner with your family with your cell phone dinging incessantly? Are you enjoying what’s in your bucket or still trying to get more??
Let’s look at the second camp. Here, the daily endeavor is to be present with what you have and exercise the muscle of being grateful, even in the face of strong emotions and challenges. The second camp is the ah-ha scene in most movies, when our hero realizes what they’ve had in front of them all along. In the second camp, we cultivate our ability to be joyful and at peace with whatever is present. This is not an easy endeavor. Not by any measure. But, in our humble opinion, it is a truly worthy endeavor that pays dividends for a lifetime. Note: wanting what you have is not synonymous with settling.
Next week, let’s talk about how to experience satisfaction with what you have while maintaining the enthusiasm and passion to produce and create your vision.
To working your gratitude muscles!
Workability
January 5, 2021
workabilityinc