Marketers have known for a long time the power of appealing to our senses, but their attempts to reach human psyches have now led to our being inundated with their influence every day. It seems marketers have almost perfected the art of stirring emotional responses, resulting in us making decisions based on root “feeling” rather than rational thought.
Do you think McDonalds randomly chose their Red and Yellow colors? Or that the kinds of music played while you shop in different stores are chosen by accident? Or what about those TV commercials that have you dialing in your order, or your support for something you can’t live without, even though five minutes prior to the commercial, you weren’t even giving them a second thought? We get hooked with the promise of a result we want, or need, or have discovered
I’ve heard people say they want to be an entrepreneur so they don’t have to answer to a boss and can set their own hours–not giving a seconds thought to the incredible hard work and pain they will endure. It is easy to see the result we desire and the appeal it has to our senses, before we fully understand the impact or commitment of the decision. I remember when I first heard the scripture that said we can get anything we want…if we just ask for it through the Lord. AWESOME! Of course…what I heard was: “I can ask for a Ferrari and get it..if I just pray for it.” If only it were that easy. Actually “easy” has little to do with the whole concept. Here are a couple scriptures that talk about this matter.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
Basically the scriptures are not saying START with the end result, even though that’s usually what gets us all excited. If indeed we “abide in Him” and we “delight ourselves in the Lord,” then the things we will ask for are not Ferraris and cash-ola, but rather things that actually matter. You know: things that can’t be consumed by fire.
But here is a thought: what if we lived our lives focused on the HOW and less on the WHEN? What if we lived each day abiding in Him, and being content with Him and not even thinking about the “one day I’ll get______”? Our emotional desires would subside and reorient in the right direction. It is said often that God doesn’t want our money or our volunteer time or our donations…he wants our HEARTS. And if we do those aforementioned things with the right HEART, then He is going to be very pleased.
Even on a strictly human level, despite what we do, at any level…nothing guarantees our success. Life is not a guarantee…I saw a perfectly healthy triathlete that spent every day as a living tribute to a healthy lifestyle, walk out his door and slip on the ice and that was that. There is nothing for sure except mercy from God and death (and taxes…but ugh). So does that mean the healthy dude could have skipped all those salads of Kale and eaten an ice cream cone? Maybe..but he lived his life focused on a healthy lifestyle and I am sure it brought him a sense or pride and accomplishment, and maybe even an example to someone else.
So live each day with purpose and with zest. Don’t worry about the “prize” that could come to you; just be content with what you have. Don’t make your satisfaction the success, but rather the recipe for success. You will have a MUCH deeper feeling of purpose and happiness.
Also, never stop making you a better you. I have a saying: “Earning starts with Learning” – if we aren’t moving forward, we are standing still and they who stand still get squished by trains and buses. But seriously, if you want to be outstanding…you need to stand out. Do what others don’t do. That’s an easy place to start. Read books, learn skills, learn a new language, study the solar system..anything. Just do something. Once I heard a butcher say out loud: “I make $350 a week…there’s no reason for any person on this planet to make anything more than $350 a week!” – well, it’s been about 30 years since I heard him say that, and although I don’t have contact with him any more, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he’s still making $350 a week. Now, if he is happy and content and satisfied with that..then cool! He won. But I have also seen people who seem to be void of any dream or goal…and they kind of live like they are fighting against the current. It’s always someone else’s fault that they don’t have better opportunities; they blame just about anyone or anything for their inability to move forward. You gotta push to get out of the gravitational forces of the “comfort zone”. It takes courage, discipline, vision and the drive to be a better you. If you are happy with who you are, where you are…then great. Nothing wrong with that. But if you think you could do more or be more…then why not?
When I was coaching football, I identified a group of boys that I called “Yeah-yer-fines.” They were the ones who showed up to practice, put on the football costume, stood on the sideline and never volunteered, spoke up or tried harder than they had to. And all the while, coaches were on the field working one-on-one with the boys who were “standing out” and want to do more than stand on the sidelines. Then if a coach happened to be walking by the water station, and one of these boys said anything to the coach…he responded with “Yeah…you’re fine,” and then he walked out to work again with the select few who showed promise. Was the coach right in this selective behavior? Absolutely not! It was quite hard to watch. But the sad truth was, the boys could have indeed done more and showed they could also “stand out,” but they were safe in their comfort zone. There was no need to make more than $350 a week. In life, there will be MANY of these coaches who treat people as a Yeah-yer-fine: bosses, neighbors, relatives etc etc. But what are you going to do? Accept it and stand on the sideline, or run on the field and prove yourself?
If you take the steps that are needed to reach your goals, you just may find out that the steps themselves are the best part of the process, and whatever comes next is just gravy. Find satisfaction in doing what it takes, without worrying about getting a reward for your commitment.