But wait, haven't we already said that "A is for ACTION"? Yes, but besides the importance of APPLYING what we learn here, "A" also represents ATTENTION and AWARENESS, which must be focussed on our AIMS: what we desire to ACHIEVE.
Of course, we each must begin from the unique place where we are right now. But for any journey, we must decide where we are heading. Otherwise, how will we ever know we have arrived, or even if we are heading the right way?
So begin your journey with another "A": ASK questions about what exactly you AIM to ACHIEVE. In other words, put your ATTENTION on it and become AWARE of it at a deeper level. Get clear about precisely what it is you are aiming to achieve: in this life, in this year, in this month... Details, details, details. Numbers, colours, styles. Get clear about everything concerning your desired dreams.
The real questions begin after you have got to know the details of your desires like the back of your hand. You then need to go deeper and ask yourself, "Why do I want that?" When you have an answer, ask yourself, "And why do I want that?" Keep digging until you reach the very bedrock that lies beneath your desire.
Then ask yourself, "Will what I am aiming for actually satisfy my deepest desire, the thing that I really want?" Maybe it will, or maybe you'll learn that it would have been a fruitless pursuit. Either way, ask yourself, "What else might give me what I really desire?" Maybe there is a simpler path to it?
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This process is especially important when your desire is to have something. You don't really want to go to all the trouble of getting it, only to find it empty of what you really wanted (and perhaps loaded instead with extra problems).
Remember, besides having things, there are also doing and being to aim for. Ultimately, we usually find that the thing we really want relates to being. Having and doing are often found to be stepping stones to something we want to be. Maybe that's why we are called human beings?
Asking these questions will lead you to understand what you really want and what will really bring you deep and lasting joy.
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How often have you received a thing you wanted, but then soon found yourself even deeper in the same feeling of wanting? At an extreme level, how often do we hear of individuals who have hit the heights of fame and fortune, and yet feel so worthless they drown themselves in drugs or alcohol to escape from feeling suicidal? That's what can happen when we chase what we want without having really thought why we want it.
Lets take a simple example: "Jade" succeeds in her struggle to lose weight, after much pain, but then her weight just bounces back up again. She feels like a hopeless failure. Why? Perhaps because "Jade" was not in touch with exactly why she wanted to lose weight.
Digging deeper into her WHY, perhaps "Jade" realises that what she really wants is to be attractive to the opposite sex, and in particular to her ideal man. Will losing weight give her that? According to all the slimming magazines it is the only way; but there we have an example of something that someone else makes us feel we ought to desire. Those desires are empty of what we really want; we should kiss them goodbye, quickly and forever.
So "Jade" looks around. She notices lots of tubby people in happy relationships. So maybe her "love handles" are not really the problem? She learns to smile more and to show keener interest in other people rather than just herself. Bingo! In no time, she gets her man without losing an ounce. (Perhaps "Jade" also gets herself into better shape too, when her WHY for that shifts to a desire for health and vitality to better enjoy her new relationship.)
See what difference it makes to be clear on WHY we desire WHAT we desire?
So get busy. Start writing down a "wish list" for yourself. Keep adding details to get totally clear on WHAT you desire. Then dig deep to discover what you really desire, your WHY.
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Just one more question. One for you to ask, rather than answer. When you are clear about exactly what you desire and precisely why, you then possess the acid test for always choosing the course of action that is right for you. "Will this bring me closer to satisfying my WHY, or will it take me further away?"
Ask yourself that question frequently. If you are clear on your WHAT and its WHY, that question will help ensure that in each action you choose, your aim will be true. And your resolve will soon become stronger even than the attraction of cream cakes.
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So, we now find that it was "A is for ACTION" after all! But AWARE ACTION that properly AIMS our ATTENTION at what we really want to ACHIEVE.
Don't be confused by all those "A"'s. Just start writing your wish list and interrogate it thoroughly to discover your deepest WHY. This will form your foundation for all that follows in this "A to Z" series of posts. By the end of the series, you will most likely be well on the way to fulfilling your wish list ... if you take the actions at each step of the way.
Don't let your self be stunted by APATHY. Don't waste your energy in ARGUING. Take ACTION, and watch what starts to happen.
This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.