Act Like You Want It

I heard a very intriguing quote the other day. It went something like this: "It is easier to act your way into new thinking than to think your way into new actions." How very true is this? How many of us have said I'm going to be a happier person, I'm going to be more spiritual/ religious, I'm going to be more financially responsible. We read books on the topic, come up with grand ideas but we never DO anything. The problem is this desire to make changes stay in the cerebral realm. We think, think, and think, but we never do. As the quote points out, it may be easier to achieve major life changes by using action not by pondering, wondering, or studying. It's the "fake it until you make it" philosophy. If you want to be a happier person, act like a happy person. Start smiling and being nice to people even if you don't feel like. If you want to be more financially responsible, start acting like a financially responsible person. Start forcing yourself to put money away every paycheck (even if it's as small at $10 or $20), freeze your credit cards to stop using them. If you want to be more spiritual/ religious start going to church on a regular basis, praying everyday or reading the Bible. The point is to start behaving like the person you want to become even if you aren't sincere and the actions seem forced. Your mind will eventually catch up with your actions. For example, suppose you wanted to be a physically fit person and exercise daily. You force yourself to get up every single morning to walk for 30 minutes on the treadmill. Initially this feels like torture; you moan and groan because you hate getting up and you don't feel like walking, but you are committed to your fitness goal. Then slowly, over the course of several weeks it starts getting easier to get out of bed, the 30 minutes go by very quickly and you even start to increase your speed. One morning you have to skip your routine because of an early flight or meeting. Much to your surprise you MISS that 30-minute walk. The simple act of forcing yourself to walk every morning has now changed you into a more physically fit person. No pontificating, no contemplating, just pure action. ======================================= NOTE: The following information must be included if you reprint this article: