by Janet M.
Shlaes, Ph.D.
“Success is
like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you are tired – you quit when the
gorilla is tired. ~ Robert Strauss
Authentic
success is a personal experience, derived from achieving something that is both
personally meaningful and aligns with your core values. Non-authentic success,
derived from the accomplishment of something motivated by external factors can
feel meaningless and empty. Authentic success often results after a struggle with both internal and external factors. I have found that
authentic success is worth the struggle that comes before the result. Most
people will end their struggle when feeling the inherent exhaustion in the
challenge; this profound feeling of fatigue can be quite seductive in terms of
ending the pursuit of a goal. This is
the exact moment when you need to revisit your initial motivation and recommit
to your goal. When I am faced with the inherent exhaustion of “wrestling a gorilla,” I
have learned, over time and with experience, to step back for a moment to reconnect with my original
motivation and recommit to the task at hand. I will actually ask myself: “Am I
still committed to this goal?” The answer is usually “YES!” Somehow, this very
simple question serves to elicit the requisite energy to move forward.
What do you
tend to do when you experience exhaustion in pursuit of a goal? What question
or action could serve to provide you with the inner resources to move forward?
Janet
For addition insights and observations, check out the
following posts:
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