🐢 TREE 743: Honesty with trajectory
Last week, on my post that said, ‘I am not the story I tell myself. I am what I do.,’ I finished with: ‘It’s easier to move towards a good thing than it is to move away from a bad thing.’
Jill Reeves replied: ‘Moving towards a good thing takes work. It’s a daily practice.’
She’s right, of course. Accomplishing a good thing takes a lot of work. The people who do are the ones willing to work consistently at the good thing for a long time.
The reason I wrote that moving towards a good thing is easier is because people move towards the stories they tell.
Imagine you tell yourself a story like, I am a person who does [bad thing]. I must stop doing it and become a better person. You’ve created a big job for yourself by defining yourself as a ‘person who does [bad thing]. Now you have to spend your energy trying to become a different kind of person while the gravity of the story is pulling you towards doing [bad thing].
Imagine instead you tell yourself a story like, I am a person who did that [good thing you did once]. I bet I can do more of that. Now the gravity of the story is pulling you towards [good thing]. Plus you’ve got momentum because you already did [good thing] at least once.
Acknowledge what you you want to leave behind but don’t focus on it. Focus on where you are going. That’s honesty with trajectory.
Grow slowly
Jeff
PS Poppy with my daughter on Sunday night. I didn’t go to the mosh pit, but once it came to me. Her live version of Hysteria was stunning.
Aim for the bullseye. I love to shoot my 9 or 22 long rifle or 22 pistol. I look where I want the bullet to go. I am like that with projects. Recently, I acquired many large plants to filter the air. My jungle has begun its purpose. It was researched and focused buying to please not my eyes only, but my lungs. Satisfaction having it finished, I hit the bullseye🎯
Thanks for referring to my comments! It’s hard to see the glass half full when we keep emptying it with our bad habits. I’m sitting here scrolling, condemning myself for that some, but going for a run next. Focusing on equaling the balance so one is not bad and one good.