how do you find and maintain a burning desire?
I just finished reading Think and Grow Rich for the second time. The first time I read it (little over a year ago) I rushed through as I was in a pattern of reading as many self improvement books as I could get through. This time I slowed down, taking time to reflect, to examine, to reread. In other words, this time I didn't just read the book; I really studied it. (I strongly advocate reducing the quantity of self-help consumption that you may increase the quality of it.)
Here is one thing I have been reflecting on.
Many of the self-help gurus have different answers as to what is the starting point of achievement; the most foundational and essential of all principles of success. Brian Tracy's answer is self discipline. Jack Canfield's is taking 100% responsibility.
As much as I love and respect Brian and Jack, I am convinced Napoleon Hill had it right more than they. The starting point of all achievement is a burning desire. If you look at the men Brian and Jack study and use to support their answers, you'd see a burning desire was behind the self-discipline and taking responsibility. If you have a truly burning desire within you, these things will flow out from it. If you don't have a burning desire, self-discipline will only lead to burn-out.
But here we must ask two important questions:
1-What is it about a burning desire that makes it so essential and powerful?
2-For those of us who have a tendency to succumb to apathy and indifference, how can we instill/renew a burning desire within us?
1-What is it about a burning desire that makes it so essential and powerful?
People change for one of two reasons: desperation or inspiration. Tony Robbins makes much of the the pain/pleasure principle, and rightly so. We all do things for one of two reasons: to avoid plain or seek pleasure. Changing for desperation is the former, changing for inspiration is the latter.
Change caused by desperation is having something that is pushing you to change. Changing for inspiration is to have something out in front of you that is pulling you towards it. Pull is easier and more powerful than push. Having a burning desire creates the inspiration that pulls you.
Furthermore, burning desire mixed with faith enacts the law of inertia (which precedes and is then followed by the law of attraction), which states that things in motion stay in motion and things not in motion remain not in motion until acted upon by some outside force. As Einstein once said "nothing happens until something moves". A burning desire is that something, that outside force, which gets you moving. The law of inertia will take over from there, getting you moving until something stops you. And inevitably, something will stop you. It is then that you must return to your burning desire and fan the flame again. Which leads to...
2-How can we instill/renew a burning desire within us?
Let's start with identifying what your burning desire is. In so many of the books, videos, posts, etc. that I have seen, the desire many are going after is money. Money is awesome. I love money. But money is not the end. It's fine to desire money (which the exercise I'll close this post out with utilizes) but realize that money is merely a tool to get you towards the end. But what end? Everyone's answer to this is different. The following exercise helped me:
What would you do if you suddenly and unexpectedly came across all the money you would ever need? (You are not allowed to give it away.) All your finances are taken care of and you have to decide now what you are going to do with yourself.
(I know, I know. This exercise is so cliche. So much so that it was poked at in the hilarious comedy, Office Space. Don't let that deter you. Seriously, do it.)
Sitting on a beach all day (or simply doing nothing as Peter Gibbons said in Office Space) will eventually get boring. (As much as we may enjoy chilling at the beach, does anyone seriously have a burning desire for such?) Besides, you know good and well that we are not here to be lazy and do nothing. If you did, not only would you find yourself bored, but lacking in one of the most basic human needs: a sense of contribution, a knowing that your life is positively impacting the lives of others.
You have to come up with something that you would enjoy doing on a daily basis and that makes a valuable contribution to others.
Once you have identified this, you have found your burning desire. (I dare say you already had it once and lost it. It's time to reclaim it!)
Now all you do to make money (via internet marketing or any other means) is all done with that end in mind to get you money as the necessary tool to make it a reality.
The next step is to identify exactly how much money it will take for you to start, and setting an aggressive yet realistic time frame to have the money in your possession. (Note: There is likely a way to make money doing what you love, so it is not as though you have to save up enough money to support yourself the rest of your life. But I'm assuming you're not in a position to just make an immediate leap from where you are to making good money doing what you love overnight.)
But you're not through yet. You now have to really fan the flame to enact the law of inertia on your behalf. You will need to do this continually, especially when you see yourself starting to wind down; i.e. the fire is burning out and your actions show it.
How do we do this? Well, fortunately Mr. Hill gave us the answer to that, and with this I close.
"The method by which desire for riches can be transmuted into its financial equivalent consists of six definite, practical steps.
First. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say, “I want plenty of money.” Be definite as to the amount. (There is a psychological reason for definiteness which will be described in a subsequent chapter.)
Second. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as “something for nothing.”)
Third. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
Fourth. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.
Fifth. Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
Sixth. Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. As you read-see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.
It is important that you follow the instructions described in these six steps. It is especially important that you observe and follow the instructions in the sixth paragraph. You may complain that it is impossible for you to "see yourself in possession of money" before you actually have it. Here is where a burning desire will come to your aid. If you truly desire money so keenly that your desire is an obsession (which you will if you follow the steps I gave above, -JJ) you will have no difficulty in convincing yourself that you will acquire it. The object is to want money, and to become so determined to have it that you convince yourself you will have it."
Following these six simple steps will keep the flames of your desire burning.
Post your thoughts and comments below. I'm especially interested in your answer to this:
For those of us who have a tendency to succumb to apathy and indifference, how can we instill/renew a burning desire within us?
Here is one thing I have been reflecting on.
Many of the self-help gurus have different answers as to what is the starting point of achievement; the most foundational and essential of all principles of success. Brian Tracy's answer is self discipline. Jack Canfield's is taking 100% responsibility.
As much as I love and respect Brian and Jack, I am convinced Napoleon Hill had it right more than they. The starting point of all achievement is a burning desire. If you look at the men Brian and Jack study and use to support their answers, you'd see a burning desire was behind the self-discipline and taking responsibility. If you have a truly burning desire within you, these things will flow out from it. If you don't have a burning desire, self-discipline will only lead to burn-out.
But here we must ask two important questions:
1-What is it about a burning desire that makes it so essential and powerful?
2-For those of us who have a tendency to succumb to apathy and indifference, how can we instill/renew a burning desire within us?
1-What is it about a burning desire that makes it so essential and powerful?
People change for one of two reasons: desperation or inspiration. Tony Robbins makes much of the the pain/pleasure principle, and rightly so. We all do things for one of two reasons: to avoid plain or seek pleasure. Changing for desperation is the former, changing for inspiration is the latter.
Change caused by desperation is having something that is pushing you to change. Changing for inspiration is to have something out in front of you that is pulling you towards it. Pull is easier and more powerful than push. Having a burning desire creates the inspiration that pulls you.
Furthermore, burning desire mixed with faith enacts the law of inertia (which precedes and is then followed by the law of attraction), which states that things in motion stay in motion and things not in motion remain not in motion until acted upon by some outside force. As Einstein once said "nothing happens until something moves". A burning desire is that something, that outside force, which gets you moving. The law of inertia will take over from there, getting you moving until something stops you. And inevitably, something will stop you. It is then that you must return to your burning desire and fan the flame again. Which leads to...
2-How can we instill/renew a burning desire within us?
Let's start with identifying what your burning desire is. In so many of the books, videos, posts, etc. that I have seen, the desire many are going after is money. Money is awesome. I love money. But money is not the end. It's fine to desire money (which the exercise I'll close this post out with utilizes) but realize that money is merely a tool to get you towards the end. But what end? Everyone's answer to this is different. The following exercise helped me:
What would you do if you suddenly and unexpectedly came across all the money you would ever need? (You are not allowed to give it away.) All your finances are taken care of and you have to decide now what you are going to do with yourself.
(I know, I know. This exercise is so cliche. So much so that it was poked at in the hilarious comedy, Office Space. Don't let that deter you. Seriously, do it.)
Sitting on a beach all day (or simply doing nothing as Peter Gibbons said in Office Space) will eventually get boring. (As much as we may enjoy chilling at the beach, does anyone seriously have a burning desire for such?) Besides, you know good and well that we are not here to be lazy and do nothing. If you did, not only would you find yourself bored, but lacking in one of the most basic human needs: a sense of contribution, a knowing that your life is positively impacting the lives of others.
You have to come up with something that you would enjoy doing on a daily basis and that makes a valuable contribution to others.
Once you have identified this, you have found your burning desire. (I dare say you already had it once and lost it. It's time to reclaim it!)
Now all you do to make money (via internet marketing or any other means) is all done with that end in mind to get you money as the necessary tool to make it a reality.
The next step is to identify exactly how much money it will take for you to start, and setting an aggressive yet realistic time frame to have the money in your possession. (Note: There is likely a way to make money doing what you love, so it is not as though you have to save up enough money to support yourself the rest of your life. But I'm assuming you're not in a position to just make an immediate leap from where you are to making good money doing what you love overnight.)
But you're not through yet. You now have to really fan the flame to enact the law of inertia on your behalf. You will need to do this continually, especially when you see yourself starting to wind down; i.e. the fire is burning out and your actions show it.
How do we do this? Well, fortunately Mr. Hill gave us the answer to that, and with this I close.
"The method by which desire for riches can be transmuted into its financial equivalent consists of six definite, practical steps.
First. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say, “I want plenty of money.” Be definite as to the amount. (There is a psychological reason for definiteness which will be described in a subsequent chapter.)
Second. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as “something for nothing.”)
Third. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
Fourth. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.
Fifth. Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
Sixth. Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. As you read-see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.
It is important that you follow the instructions described in these six steps. It is especially important that you observe and follow the instructions in the sixth paragraph. You may complain that it is impossible for you to "see yourself in possession of money" before you actually have it. Here is where a burning desire will come to your aid. If you truly desire money so keenly that your desire is an obsession (which you will if you follow the steps I gave above, -JJ) you will have no difficulty in convincing yourself that you will acquire it. The object is to want money, and to become so determined to have it that you convince yourself you will have it."
Following these six simple steps will keep the flames of your desire burning.
Post your thoughts and comments below. I'm especially interested in your answer to this:
For those of us who have a tendency to succumb to apathy and indifference, how can we instill/renew a burning desire within us?
Measure, manage and incentivize customer referrals with ReferralCandy.
PS: Looking to get more repeat customers for a physical store? Check out CandyBar's digital loyalty cards!
Get the Best, Cheap Web Hosting Without Monthly Fee &Turn Your One Time Hosting Expense Into an Investment & Lifelong Passive Income
Web Design, Graphics for Web, Kindle Book Covers, Fiction & Non-fiction Writer