How many things do you have to do today, this week, this month? If you’re like most people, your life is filled with lots of tasks, and often not much else.
Why do we do this to ourselves?
I believe it’s partly because it’s a lot easier for most people to “do” than to “be.” We are proud of the length of our “to-do” list. The longer it is, the better person we are — or so our culture says.
At the end of the day, though, we’re always left with more to do.
People are not taught to stop and ask, “What do I want? What is my desire?”
Because then we’re labeled as selfish. So in our culture, if you think of yourself first, you’re selfish. To counteract that, you start giving to others as another form of doing. But where are you giving from? From fullness, or from depletion?
What you focus on, expands.
Your ability to give and to accomplish your goals will multiply, once you begin focusing more on yourself – on being instead of doing.
Here’s a little formula you can use, which I call the “AAA Formula”:
1. Awareness: Stop and be willing to look at yourself.
2. Acceptance: Accept whatever comes to the surface when you look at yourself.
3. Action: Then — and do this only after awareness and acceptance — take inspired action, which will take you toward what you want to create.
We need to be willing to stop the car, step out and get a new view. If you keep pressing the gas pedal, it doesn’t matter if it’s a Ferrari, it’s going to burn out. It needs to be maintained in order to be a safe ride.
It’s not enough to just drive the Ferrari and get to the end of the road. We also have to learn how to enjoy the ride: look at the scenery, feel the steering wheel, admire the instrument panel. Because wherever you go, you take yourself with you.
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