Is Your Dream Compelling Enough to...? (Read Time: 3 min.)

Is your dream compelling enough to:

... stop eating out at restaurants for 3 years so you can become debt free?
... stop eating dairy, sugar, gluten, and wheat so you can lose weight and have more energy?
... go to a therapist so you can improve your relationship communication?
... put together a resume and cover letter so you can stop working at a soul killing job?

Is your dream compelling enough 

to do what you HAVE to do 

so you can do what you WANT to do?

When people talk about dreams, they often talk about their wishes, fantasies, and visions of how life will be "when" but how many people talk at length about how excited they are to give up, sacrifice, endure, or go through whatever it is they have to go through to achieve their dreams?  Even when you talk to people who've reached massive levels of success, they spend far more time talking about the glorious aftermath of the dream than about all the land mines, obstacles, and bumps in the road on their way to achieving it.  Achieving your dream requires that you be compelled enough to stay consistent in the turbulent parts of your dream journey.

Right now, I'm on Day 2 of Body Ecology and the caffeine/sugar withdrawal has kicked into MASS EFFECT.  I'm lethargic, tired, and not able to do ALL the things I'd planned to do today.  In the midst of all of this, there's a part of me that says, "You've got way too much to do.  You NEED your coffee!  Grab some sugar and get that burst of energy that will get things done!" and then there's the other part of me that says, "Don't sell yourself short.  Don't exchange short term energy for long term vitality."  Guess which side is winning?

I'm still on Body Ecology because I have a super compelling vision.  I see myself wearing those size small Victoria PINK sweats, t-shirt, and hoodie, rocking a fabulous HM sweater dress, and giving my next talk in a sharp size 8 Victoria's Secret suit (pencil skirt and heels).  I see myself living in a space of vitality, energy, and enthusiasm ALL the time, waking up energized, going to bed peaceful, and feeling no 3 pm slump.  I see myself feeling great in my body, wearing my favorite pair of jeans, and NEVER again wearing black sweatpants and a sweatshirt because I'm not in the mood to dress.

My vision is compelling so I'm going through pain right now and I'm tempted, in every moment, to drop the ball but NOT dropping the ball means way more to me, in this moment, than running to Starbucks, downing some chocolate chip cookies and paying later with the extra weight, the extra guilt and the lack of self esteem.  Yes, I'm not getting what I want to get done today but I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be doing what I'm supposed to be doing. 

And here's the point:

Everything in life boils down to choice.  

Whenever you say 'Yes' to something, you say 'No' to something else.  

Whenever you say 'No' to something, you say 'Yes' to something else.

Can you have your cake and eat it too?  Sure but not without a stomach ache. 

You CAN have both but you have to understand that decisions will require choice and choice will involve timing.

So I come back to the bottom line: if consistency is your issue, if focus is your problem, how compelling is your vision?  Dreams come true when you have a vision that pulls you, not when you have a goal that you push.  Is your dream journey a downhill slide or an uphill climb?  When in doubt, go with what moves you and keep the feeling of that passion ever in front of you.  It makes the painful parts easier to persist through.