Put in the Work

 I'm working off a similar theme between my post on my other blog and this one, today.  That one was about making wise choices, which is important.  However, I also want to focus on putting in the work.  

You have heard the phrase (I've heard it in the last week) that you should "work smarter, not harder."  While it is important to work smarter, you shouldn't feel that is any reason to not also work HARDER.  There are limits, of course, if you want to maintain a balanced and happy lifestyle.  But, hard work pays off more than those that do not work hard, at all.  Those that are looking for ways to work less for the pay will soon find themselves without the pay, and... indeed.. the person that said that phrase had also noted how many times she found herself out of work and could not understand why.

This is true in relationships, as well.  If you are just giving the bare minimum because the other person is giving the bare minimum, you may soon find yourself without a relationship.  You can both comfort yourselves by saying it "just happened" and that neither of you felt inspired or loved by the other.  You can call it "falling out of love" and such.  However, the reality is that you both stopped putting in the work that BEGAN the relationship, because you were focusing on what you lost instead of putting in the work of actually LOVING the other person (a verb) and giving them a higher standard for them to reach back to you.

There is a movie that I have noted several times on my blogs that inspired me, a lot.  It helped me out of a hole of depression at the end of last year.  It's called The Secret: Dare to Dream and is on Amazon Prime... I HATE to recommend Amazon, but there are some benefits and this movie is one.  It stars Josh Lucas and Katie Holmes.  You can WATCH it, but I'll do a quick summary of the point applicable to this blog.

In the movie, a woman and her kids are living in a town in the years after her husband died.  They have jobs and a house and such, but they are always talking about the problems with the house... the storms that may come.. and more.  Then, they come into contact with a man that inspired them...literally running into his car, which presented an opportunity for him to impact them and inspire them, simply by freely caring for them.  He talked about the true he realized that what you expect impacts how you live, and how you live impacts what you receive.  Focusing on the negative and past will recreate it.  Focusing on what you desire and pursuing it will help create the life you desire to have.

I believe that, and my own recovery and where I stand in my life is a testimony to the fact that if you stop complaining and start putting in the work for what you desire, good things will come your way.  So, I hope I have inspired YOU to do the same in your life, as well.