These are the qualities I want from my Internet connection:
ANYWHERE ACCESS no matter where: Vegas, Nepal, my porch.
ANYTIME ACCESS: 24 hrs/day, 7 days a week.
SOLID SIGNAL. Strength.
SPEED. Accessibility right now.
EASY SET UP, no hassle.
SIMPLE CUSTOMER SERVICE to do the hard stuff.
Since I run my business online, all of the above are requirements, must-haves,
not just things I notice if they fail.
These are also the requirements I have of my will power - a tool I use to live a
productive life and do things I don't always want to do. You know it: will
power is the force you muster when you don't want to do something beneficial
like exercise, eat healthy, write, finish your work, take the dog out, etc. At it's
most basic, will power is what allows you to wave hello, pick up a chopstick,
and get out of bed. It's also what people argue about: "It's not will power but
systems that trick your mind that work." "No, It's about will power to help
you trick your mind."
I live in a world where whatever works I'll use, so I use will power to get things
done and trick my brain into doing things. I keep sneakers near my bed so I trip
over them to remember to go to the gym, but when I fall back asleep, will power
forces me back up. And no amount of will power in the world stops me from
eating less than twenty cookies in a box, so I trick myself by not buying them.
Whatever works.
Anything worth doing is worth doing with enthusiasm, and will power is great
because it's a tool you actively make stronger through practice. Each time you
use will power to do something good, you create new grooves in your brain that
enable you to keep improving and to keep doing good things. It's the perfect
virtuous cycle: you harness your will to do good things, those good things
create new grooves in your brain, those grooves strengthen your will, and
a strong will enables you to continue to do good things.
Since my success or failure partially depends on the degree to which I can access
my will power, it's a great way to live to always be strengthening your will. For
the curveballs life throws, and they will come, a strong, fast, reliable will power
is one of your best defenses.
At it's most potent, will power is deeply connected to a "why" - the reason you're
doing what you're doing in the first place. To strengthen your will, your reason and intention have to come from a deep part of you that knows why you're doing all this.
I believe that along with a "why," will power is directly connected to the Infinite -
a vast, abundant source of energy in the universe that we tap into when we need it.
Call it God, the cosmos, whatever, there's a source that combined with your own
will, is tremendously powerful and available anytime. Like how moms suddenly
lift cars when their babies are underneath them. Where does all that power
come from all of a sudden? I know exactly where: that mother's exertion of her
own strong will (internal) combined with a greater source of power (external.)
And that's how babies get saved, ya'll.
Though I haven't lifted cars, I've seen my own will in action more times than I can
count, and it's grown to be a very reliable tool in my life. I've willed very specific
things into existence like mentors, helpful resources that come exactly when I
need them, be they financial or emotional, and solutions to problems I'd given
up on. I once used my will to make it through a college exam while so severely
sick and feverish that I emanated heat to the guy next to me. I used my will three
years ago to design exactly the life I am living right now down to the people I
work with, my circle of friends, even to the necklace I'm wearing right now.
You are your own powerhouse with a strengthened, responsive will.
Since it's clearly that important, here are ways to think about and work with your
will power, no matter what your station or situation in life.
1.) ANYWHERE ACCESS
Remember that no matter where you are, your will power is with you.
Will power is your ability to manifest enthusiasm and energy. For anything. You can
use it to finish your Monday to-do list, write your article, or go to the gym. Don't
worry if you're down and out, discouraged, or simply lazy. You still have access to
your will power and it won't judge you. Just remember to use it, that it's there.
Instead of numbing out or doing exactly what you did yesterday, exert a little
will power to push through the mental barrier of "nothing will change." Screw that
voice. Screw the fact that you've repeated behaviors for years. It makes no difference
because you have, at your disposal this very minute, the exact amount of will power
you had then, years ago when you thought you could accomplish something. It's still there! How lovely that our reserves doesn't go away even though our enthusiasm and energy do.
So go use it right now.
2.) ANYTIME ACCESS
You can access your will power anytime. In a conference room, on the subway,
in the smack dab middle of an awkward situation where you've just said something
dumb. No matter what, tap into the well of wisdom and energy within you and
remember that you're not alone. The vast source of energy is here with you, so use
it to rectify the situation. Correct yourself, excuse yourself, initiate the difficult conversation with your girlfriend or boss. It's okay. To come back to a moment
unflustered after embarrassment, rejection, or discouragement takes enormous
will power. And grace. But remember, you have both of these qualities in droves,
so simply use them and don't beat yourself up.
3.) SOLID CONNECTION
There's nothing more annoying than an internet connection that fails you when
you need it most - like the beginning of your TED talk. Similarly, when you
need it most, like in challenging situations where you're lost and not sure what
to do, or the rug's been pulled out from under you, or you're just getting
smacked around by life, USE your will power to center yourself. This one
takes training and doesn't happen overnight. Use your will to remember that
your core is strong and getting stronger by the day because you are practicing.
The stronger the breeze, the stronger the trees. Your willpower will help you
remember that when you need it most.
4.) SPEED
You don't want to wait for access to will power when you're thrown off center
by a rude comment, a selfish person, a bad seafood allergy. Your ability to regain
balance and a semblance of control without freaking out is controlled by your
will power. In situations where you have to recover almost instantaneously, you'll
thank yourself for practicing with your will for as long as you have. Use it to
overcome automatic behaviors and reactions you may normally exhibit, like
panic or anger.
5.) EASY SET UP
You've seen that will power is worth it's weight in gold if you train yourself
to consistently use it. This however, can only be done by you. Unlike someone
who can hook you up to the Internet, strengthening your will is a solo job, and
like the Internet, it can be frustrating, awkward, and take getting used to. You'll
need to go through the sucky phase of being a beginner before your will
serves you, but I know from experience that if you practice without beating
yourself up, progress happens much sooner than you think.
6.) CUSTOMER SERVICE
Remember who the customer service department is in your life
When solving your problems in life, the sources you get help from are important.
It's not your best friend, or your mom, or your boss that ultimately solve your
problems, it's your job to deal with life's annoyances at the end of the day -
whether you get yourself out of a bad mood or finally do that thing you've put
off for two months. You do that by accessing your will power. And just like
any customer service department, you get ahead by being polite to yourself
while going through the process.
Remember, anything worth doing is worth doing with enthusiasm and vigor.
Will power with a deep "why" is your greatest tool in accomplishing what you
want to in life, but it's up to you to channel it. With practice, because training
your will takes as much if not more energy than actually using it, you'll see
just how beneficial a strong and ready-to-fire will really is.
Ishita
We all have two choices: We can make a living or we can design a life.~Jim Rohn
Live The Life You've Dreamed,
Derrick Carpenter
Dreams By Design Team
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