WHAT IF you gave your all?

There is a question that I must ask you…
And…
I feel like it has to be just the right question
or else the answer -
the real answer
will never be found.

So, I’m going to throw a few of the many not “right” ones
out there in an effort to find just the right one

What would you rather be doing?
Seriously – right now at this moment,
what would you rather be doing ?
Are you doing it?
Close??

I got to thinking about my own answer to that one,
and at this moment in time, I am thrilled to be doing
exactly what it is I want to do!
Yep – at 2:36am Sunday night/Monday morning
I am completely psyched to be writing to YOU!
The noise and distractions of Life are but a distant whisper
of the passing day; the chores and challenges past.
Now…
I’ve go to tell you that, in a way it’s a bit sad and
disappointing to say the least that the majority of our
lives are spent NOT doing exactly what we want to do.
The best hours of the best years of our lives
are rarely spent pursuing our true Passions.
Instead, we forfeit our freedoms and relinquish our rights
to the greater pursuit of Happiness in a desperate trade
for what we believe to be safety and security.
Why?
And am I willing to be honest with the answer??

Well, to be brutally honest in my case;
it’s just been easier to go though the motions.
Sure, I’ve tackled many challenges – I’ve gone after
numerous pursuits; yet when the dust has settled and
despite knowing better – I’ve taken the easier Path.
You… you really have to know how tough that is
for me to say to you. For years I’ve poured my heart
and mind into trying to convince YOU not to give up;
tried to tell You that the rewards in Life are worth
the struggle and pain to achieve.
And for most of those years
I’ve been cheering you on from
the sidelines; not the stage.

I’m reminded of part of a song I heard the other day.
(Googling it… Getting lyrics… Getting song…)
((Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XKe2haD_9Y))
[ Buy the song HERE | Buy the album HERE ]

Here is the part I heard that hit me hard:

” I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions “

This is relevant – very relevant to my thoughts,
so here are the lyrics in their entirety:

——- The Motions by Matthew West ———

This might hurt, it’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care if I break,
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,
“What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?”

No regrets, not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love make me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something
‘Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of this life

‘Cause I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,
“What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?”
take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way
(’cause I don’t wanna go through the motions)
take me all the way
(I know I’m finally feeling something real)
take me all the way

I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,
“What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?”
I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,
“What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?”
take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way (I don’t wanna go, I don’t wanna go)
take me all the way (through the motions)
take me all the way
… I don’t wanna go through the motions “

So… back to my first question.
What would you rather be doing?
What would you rather do on a daily basis
that you aren’t doing now because, like me
you’ve settled for some easier path?

Another question:
What if you gave your everything – even if only for a while,
if it meant being able to finally pursue and obtain
the Happiness you truly desire?

Most people in this country (I’ll say the average)
have chosen to settle for taking sips of what they want
out of life instead of going for the gusto & drinking deeply.
They live within a certain comfort zone,
work about 40 hours a week,
take a 2 week vacation
sleep 8 hours a night.
They live for the brief freedom of their weekend,
doing those things that relieve the stress and
strains that they’ve spent the week creating.

Years ago I believed that the reason this was
the path of the “common” man must be simply
because they didn’t know any better.
What I’ve come to realize is that most people,
even if given a choice and the opportunity to change
their situation will STILL do the familiar and comfortable.
They go through the motions of Life; they settle for
what is given them and rarely stretch themselves
beyond what they know and believe is achievable.

Like I’ve said before,
it’s always easier to NOT do something
than it is to DO.
With that I should add that it’s far easier to tell stories
and create justifications as to WHY we live our lives
the way we do – and how we’re right to do so.
Now, I didn’t say out loud – though I’ve heard every
excuse in the book from people as to why they don’t
do the things in Life that would allow them to achieve
those things that they’ve shared they really want.
Typically the excuses & justifications are kept in the mind -
that way they aren’t open for any debate that might require
contemplation, change, and possibly confrontation
with the man (or woman) in the mirror.

So… what I’m wondering now that we’ve made it this far
is that maybe we’ve lost sight of what we really do want.

This could be the greatest and most rewarding
investment of time you will ever make, and that is
to take a few hours and really go over
AND WRITE DOWN what it is that you want.

If you’re really serious about it -
eliminate any and all limitations.
What I mean is,
don’t base what you want on exterior circumstances.
It doesn’t matter your current income,
profession / job / career, education,
ethnicity, ability, history, background,
beliefs; nothing matters – you have a clean slate.

And on that note – I’m going to end this,
because I don’t want to distract you from
taking the time to write down what you want.
Goals, dreams, ambitions, achievements;
no boundaries and no limits.

You know what else?
I’d love to hear what you come up with…

Dare to share ???