Writing a book is like dieting; you don’t do it until you really want to. Then, and only then, you’ll sacrifice, stay committed, and willingly suffer the pain for the gain.
People ask me “How did you find time to write a book?” My standard answer: “I gave up TV.” Which is actually true, I substituted writing for a lot of what typically had been television time. Was this a sacrifice? Not really, because I’d made the decision I really wanted to write the book. So what seemed to be a sacrifice before the decision was made turned out to be enjoyment.
Turning perceived sacrifice into enjoyment gets back to transforming desire into drive, no matter what you aspire to do. This is why I say “Dreamers dream; writers write.” Writers, real writers, don’t sit around thinking about writing. They write.
“If wishes were horses beggars would ride,” so sayeth the old English proverb. Wishing isn’t enough.
I find that people sometimes struggle with turning a dream into decision into drive. There’s something there, that bridge between dreaming and decision, that’s getting in the way. It could be laziness but that’s a bit harsh for most people.
Or to stick with the metaphor, there’s something not there between dreaming and decision. The bridge is missing or in disrepair or disuse.
It could be there’s no bridge because the desire isn’t yet strong enough. Or there’s no bridge even with compelling desire because a capacity to forge ahead is simply missing.
To build a bridge to decision-making, taking us to a drive capable of fulfilling our dream, we must sometimes delve deep within our moral fiber, search our very soul. Who are we? How strong is the skinny person hidden within the obese and does he or she really want to be revealed? Do we have the strength of character to decide?
Taking “One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind” can be the most consequential step in our lives. It starts us on the path to authorship, to healthy weight loss, to becoming a better me, to crafting a brighter future. Deciding to take the step encourages the drive that enables you to accomplish your goal. Once you’re on the path, what earlier appeared to be sacrifice turns into satisfaction.
There’s no magic potion. Doing begins with Drive, which begins with Decision, which begins with Desire, which begins with a sense of yourself treasured by God.
You matter, and because you matter what you do matters to an infinitely loving and creative Sovereign God. You build the bridge from desire to decision out of your understanding of your eternal worth as a creative human being. You do as unto the Lord as part of your reasonable service to him. He will empower, he will never leave or forsake you.
Writing a book, dieting, or any other worthy goal depends upon the first step, desire building a bridge to decision. The rest of the journey begins here. Build the bridge, take the step, do.
© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2011
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