It’s been a loooooong time since I posted on this blog. You could say I’ve been hibernating — gestating on some ideas. Look for a new post in the next few days. The theme for the next few months is “The Art of Expanding”. Looking at events that occur in life and finding ways to see them as opportunities for growth.
Today I ran two miles! Okay, it was more like a jog. 
I’ve been out of an exercise routine and it’s starting to make a difference around my waist line. So I’ve made a commitment to get back into shape. (It’s also a little easier because the weather is getting warmer and I can run outside!) As I was running today I realized why I haven’t been exercising. Because it hurts! It’s tough getting into a rhythm when the legs are burning, the breath is heavy and the brain is yelling, “Why are you doing this to yourself? Are you insane?!” Around the one mile mark I wanted to stop. And I almost did! But a thought flashed through my mind that made a difference.
The idea was “Get leverage on yourself!”. It’s a phrase spoken by Anthony Robbins. It means that if you want to make a change, you need to make the change seem less painful than what you already have. In other words, you need to make your current situation seem unbearable and envision your desired change as intensely pleasurable. As a result, you will propel yourself into action.
For example, when I was jogging and a part of me wanted to stop, I looked at my beliefs. I realized that I believed jogging an extra mile would just feel excruciatingly painful and wouldn’t really help me get into better shape. I also believed that stopping the jog would feel wonderful and pleasurable. Once I realized this, I found a way to change my beliefs. I said to myself, “If you stop now, you’ll stay out of shape and you’ll just get fatter and depressed.”
Immediately, a part of me became alarmed while another part of me sarcastically replied, “Oh really!”
So I added a sales pitch: “But if you run an extra mile, you’ll feel a runner’s high, a sense of accomplishment and healthier!”
I started to become intrigued, but the idea of continuing to exercise still seemed more painful than stopping. So I added a visual image and a feeling to the thoughts. I imagined myself with a huge pot belly sitting in a darkened room in the middle of the day while a TV flickered the latest taping of Dr. Phil. “This,” I said, “is what will happen if you stop jogging right now!”
I felt slightly upset. The idea of having my life dissolve into a depressed, gigantic mess was unbearable. So to perk up my spirits I thought about what life would look like after the second mile. I imagined myself as a muscular and super toned athlete looking at myself in a mirror while golden beams of sunlight poured into the room and made everything glow. “This,” I said, “is your destiny if you keep exercising!”
At that moment, I got excited. My entire body seemed to fill with joy, and I just kept running! The second mile wasn’t easy. I kept wanting to stop. But the new thoughts and images motivated me to keep going. Finally, I reached the two mile mark and I couldn’t believe it. I was flooded with joy and did the only thing that made sense at the time — I yelled, “Wa hoo!” 
So what about you? What’s something in your life that could use some leverage? Maybe you want to get that bikini body you’ve always wanted (guys, you know I’m talking to you! ). Maybe you’re tired of the work you do and you want to pursue your dream job. Maybe your relationship has fizzled and you want to add more romance into the equation. Whatever it is you want, you’ve got to change your perspective to make it a reality. The fears of uncertainty and pain are what’s been stopping you. They’ve been making it easy for you to slowly suffer in resignation. So flip the tables! Start finding ways to see those extra pounds, that 9 to 5 monotony, and that boring relationship as uncomfortably painful. Make it so unbearable that you are compelled to take action to change it. And envision your desired future as incredibly pleasurable so that you’ve got motivation to stay in action. It all starts with a thought shift. So what are you waiting for? Get leverage on yourself!
February has come and gone, and I’m left in awe of how wild this past month has been. I’m reminded of a scene in O Brother, Where Art Thou where the blind railroad man says, “And though the road may wind, and yea, your hearts grow weary, still shall ye foller the way, even unto your salvation.” What the events of February have taught me is that the road does wind. And sometimes the destination is nowhere in sight. But if you stay on course, you rediscover the personal power that has always been deep within you. How do I know? Because I’m writing this as a man who is officially debt free! Dave Ramsey, get ready for a call-in — “I’M DEBT FREE!!!”. It’s been a long road to get out of debt. A road that I committed to over three years ago. And now that I’ve finally achieved it, I’m stunned. I feel lighter. But I keep pinching myself because I can’t believe it has really happened.
Money is energy. And now that I have extra money freed up, I’m feeling a little unbalanced — as if I’ve grown wings and a strong wind is taking me up to the sky. I have to keep reminding myself not to go on a spending spree. Over the last three years I’ve been pinching pennies. If I could save $3 a meal by eating at home, I would find a way to make it happen. If I could save $2 by ordering multiple sides on a menu instead of an entree, I’d do it. If I could save $20 on a new shirt by waiting for it to go on sale, I would wait. Basically, my will to get out of debt made me hunker down on my finances to make the dream a reality. But some days it felt like the dream would stay a dream. Some months I had to scale back what I was paying towards my debt in order to accommodate some emergency expenditures. And when this happened my heart did grow weary. Sometimes I feared that the odyssey towards financial freedom would never end. But now the Scylla and Charybdis of debt have been slain, and I’m excited to enter a new realm of thinking. A mindset where the idea of building wealth finally seems like a viable possibility.
It’s amazing what can happen if you just stay on course. It’s easy to get discouraged when you face a long and difficult road. It’s easy to give up and sink into a state of resignation. But if you stay on course and foller your way, you will eventually find a great fortune. You may find financial freedom. You may find “true love” and companionship. You may even find success beyond your wildest dreams. But you’ll only find it if you start the journey and keep on traveling.
Is there something you’ve given up on? Or is there something you’ve been wanting to do that you haven’t done? Well, then get off your butt and get started! Fear not the obstacles in your path because the road is pregnant with adventure, and Fate has vouchsafed your reward.
