Have you ever wondered why success and stress seem to be inseparable companions in our world today?
Success in business means long hours, political jockeying, and the never-ending struggle to achieve. Success in love means constant sacrifice and “working on the relationship.” Success in school, art, music, science and sports means the ever-increasing pressure to perform.
When we take a step back and look at the whole picture, it’s hard not to wonder, “Is success today worth the cost?”
Is the fear and anxiety we feel in the present moment worth the promise of some perfect moment to come? If we look objectively at the fruit of our stressful days, and the deteriorating state of the world, we begin to realize that this is not a profitable trade. Compromising ourselves in the Now to insure a positive moment to come is a flawed formula for success.
On the other hand, in those rare moments when we happen upon a pure moment of peace and contentment — a glorious sunrise, holding the hand of the one we love, the clarity of an insight or epiphany — it is obvious that true success is an integral part of life. It is in these moments that we can hear a faint voice whispering from deep down inside our hearts, telling us that we were born to be successful; and as human beings it is our natural right to strive toward excellence and enjoy the fruits of achievement.
This is the voice of intuition telling us that striving toward success is not supposed to be a drag — it’s supposed to be light, bright, happy and fun!
It is trying to reveal the beautiful truth that success without stress is possible. The only problem being that we have ceased to listen to its wise counsel because we have been conditioned by society to place our attention on the objects of success, instead of on the principle of success itself. When we realize this simple misdirection that has taken place, we take the first step in learning to attract everything our heart desires.
And that’s the main point of this article: It is possible for us to learn to attract success, instead of trying to chase it down though years of toil, disappointment, and heartache!
So how to we do it? How do we learn to attract the success we want instead of letting the desire for the objects of success push us around from problem to problem?
The answer is simple: We begin to doubt what compromises us.
We begin to doubt stress when it tells us we have to rush through our day. We begin to doubt fearful thoughts when they tell us we need to worry. We begin to doubt feelings of greed and inadequacy that bully us around by telling us that who we are isn’t enough.
The reason that doubting negative states is a great key along the path to gaining our hearts’ true wish, is that this action separates our true self — who we really are — from whatever dark thought or feeling happens to be passing through us in the moment. We realize that we don’t have to listen to dark thoughts and feelings; instead we understand that there is a choice, whenever we remember it, to not sacrifice happiness now for a future happy time that may never come!
One specific technique you can use to begin doubting these dark states is to ask yourself this question whenever you find yourself trying to overcome any person or situation that stands in the way of winning some imagined future success: “What would happen right now if I were to want what Life wants, instead of wanting what I want?” This may sound like a strange idea at first because we are so used to trying to get hold of what we want. But, when we begin to experiment with the power contained in this question, we realize that this simple action has the power to raise the level of our entire life!
To understand this more clearly, let’s look at what happens When We Want What We Want:
- We are often stressed and unsettled because life may not go the way we want it to
- We are often tired because we spend our energy struggling against the natural flow of events
- We are unable to sit quietly or go to sleep peacefully because our mind is always busy trying to resolve problems that stand in the way of our desires
- We are easily agitated when someone or something interrupts our plans
- We harbor resentment toward those who have “wronged” us in the past
- We lose sight of our true nature, because we mistake what we possess for who we really are
Now lets look at what happens When We Want What Life Wants:
- We are free from stress, anger, and anxiety
- We maintain confident self-command in any situation
- We are never sad or disappointed because things didn’t go our way
- We are fluid and responsive to what the moment asks
- We are free to be kind and compassionate, even in the presence of perceived “enemies”
- We are never bored, because we are perfectly happy just being ourselves
- Our mind becomes quiet, peaceful, clear, and sharp
- We are always on the winning side
Can you see the power in this simple idea? When we invite life — instead of resisting it — we are freed from the stress and negativity that drains the positive energy required to be truly successful. We are given the ability to participate more deeply in the present moment, which allows us to access the higher mental and emotional states required to be more kind, creative, intelligent, and loving human beings…everything our heart truly longs for.
Want what life wants, and harvest the fruits of true and lasting success for yourself.
Adapted from “The Secret of Letting Go” by Guy Finley
Guy Finley
Guy is the best-selling author of more than 40 books and audio albums on self-realization. He is the founder and director of Life of Learning Foundation, a nonprofit center for self-study located in southern Oregon where he gives talks four times each week. For more information visit www.guyfinley.org, and sign up to receive a free Starter Kit (incl an e-book, a 60 minute MP3 of one of Guy’s talks, access to our Wisdom Library and more).
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