The message from the world-class professional speakers that I heard at the recent Speakers Conference was simple and straight forward. They all referred to Lao-Tzu who had said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So, the question is how we take the first step especially when it is painful. Accomplishing anything that is of value consists of two pains: the pain of discipline and the pain of regret.
Pursuing a dream or the purpose of your life is all about discipline. It is only when we painfully focus and follow through on our purpose in life every day, we achieve success. When we do what we need to do on a daily basis, it becomes a habit and part of us. We no longer see it as a chore and we have a desire to accomplish that something that we want to accomplish in life.
When we do not do move, we end up with the greater pain of regret. Sydney J. Harris wrote, “Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.” When we are ready to make changes to our lifestyles, Anais Nin’s words become true for everyone: “There come a time when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Mastering a skill now may seem very stressful but in the long term makes a person very happy.