Many are not at all happy with their current life circumstances. Some, accept their misery, as if it were a prison sentence, while others embark on massive change that completely transforms their lives and sets them free.
What drives people to take the path towards transformation?
In short, Emotions.
There are many types of Emotions that can act as drivers. Some come from a negative place and some come from a positive place.
During the summer of 1980, when I was 19, a girl I liked very much broke my heart. I remember crying on a bench, by myself, completely hurt and broken.
I wallowed in my depression for several weeks, not wanting to do anything.
Then, one morning, I woke up and joined a local gym. I worked out hard that day and it made me feel good – something I had not been feeling for many weeks. The next day, I returned to the same gym and, once again, I felt a little better.
By the end of the summer, I had put on 15 pounds of muscle and transformed my body.
When the summer ended, I threw myself into school. I went from a C+ college student to a straight A student. I even made it onto the Dean’s List, which made me feel proud of myself.
I think about that girl and that summer a lot. The pain she caused me helped change my life.
We can use both negative and positive emotions to change our lives for the better.
Negative Emotions That Drive Massive Change
- Disgust – You’re disgusted with yourself and with your life. Family and friends are likewise disgusted with you. That disgust gives you the willpower and motivation to toss away all of your bad habits and thinking and pursue a path that leads to massive transformation.
- Envy – You see the lives that others are living and want to have what they have. Your envy stimulates you to work harder than ever before until you are able to acquire the life you desire.
- Hate/Anger – Someone pisses you off enough that you seek revenge in the form of drastically improving yourself. You’re new and improved self is your quite revenge.
- Remorse – You let family, friends or someone you love or admire down. You vow to never let that happen again. This remorse drives you to become the person, those you let down, hoped you would be.
Positive Emotions That Drive Massive Change
- Love – Loves drives you to do whatever it takes to provide your family with a good life.
- Optimism/Hope – Optimism and Hope drive you pursue Dreams and Big Audacious Goals that will improve your life and everyone around you.
- Insatiable Curiosity – You have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and truth. Your Insatiable Curiosity takes you down rabbit holes that cause you to improve and grow.
- Courage – You see something challenging, something few would have the courage to attempt, and you pursue the challenge as if your very life depended on it.
Know Thyself.
When you know why you do what you do, your life will come into complete focus.
Tom Corley is an accountant, financial planner and author of “Rich Kids: How to Raise Our Children to Be Happy and Successful in Life”, “Effort-Less Wealth”, “Change Your Habits Change Your Life”, “Rich Habits Poor Habits”, “Rich Habits: The Routines Millionaires Use Daily to Build Wealth” and “Rich Habits Wealth Academy.”
I enjoyed reading this article. Thanks for sharing.