Motivation Information |
Every Passing Minute Is A Chance To Turn It All Around
Every passing minute. When I first heard this line, in the movie Vanilla Sky, it struck a powerful chord in me. Sure, it's a sentiment I'd heard countless times before, that at any given moment you could set changes in motion that would alter the course of your life. But something about the phrasing. Every passing minute. It's immediate, it's powerful, it's crucial and present. It's right this minute. It doesn't break your destiny into flows of days or months. It's not, "This month you could change everything." What is a month anyway, an amalgam of moments and days, good moods and bad, energy and lethargy? A month is impossible to get your arms around, impossible to master and control. Even a day has that vast quality, with its moments of sadness and hope and the many mundane things that we artificially lump into a whole. But a minute. This minute. This passing minute. Right now. It's the only thing we control and the one thing we overlook so completely and consistently. We spend our days thinking and dreaming of the future, or dreading what's to come, and regretting and remembering days gone by. And in the process we forget this precious minute, this lovely second, the one in which you move and breathe. Right now. Right now, you could get up from where you are and you could leave everything behind. You could buy a one-way plane ticket and go somewhere new. Right now you could call that person you haven't talked to in years. Right now you could propose that crazy idea to your boss or to that company you want to work for, or to that person you've imagined could finance your dream. Right now you could seek out a homeless person and have a conversation over a meal. Right now. Of course you probably won't do any of those things. You'll probably keep doing whatever you were doing a minute ago, and what you'll be doing next minute. The only thing that's certain about this minute is that it's passing. It's passing you by and will never be back. Accepting and understanding that truth fully gives you a fluidity, a momentum, like understanding that one day the body you now cherish and inhabit will no longer have motion and breath or the pulse of life. At first blush this may seem counterintuitive, that knowing you'll die and that this minute will never come should paralyze and frighten you. But, contemplated fully, it will actually give you energy and drive like nothing else. Because measured against that stark and immovable truth, all the things that hold you back are puny and inconsequential. A disapproving mate or family. Financial circumstances. Even all the collected and disjointed moments which you regard as your "past" actually pale and tremble at this truth. One day all this will be nothing. And still you have this passing minute. It is your only hook, the thing you can grab onto to seek out joy and fulfillment and fame and stardom. This passing minute. Every passing minute is a chance to turn it all around. Just what can you grab and turn around in this one tiny minute anyway? Possessed with the image of stopping an oncoming truck, grabbing it by a corner and physically turning it around, you may imagine the puniness of this minute compared with the screeching 18-wheeler that is where you've been and where you're going. How can you grab hold of that in this one tiny, fragile passing minute? But the truth is that this passing minute is all we have. If your life has been a speeding 18-wheeler bent on destruction, only right now can you do anything about it. But how? First, by deciding, and that's a powerful action you can take at this very moment. You can decide. Decide you'll be rich, or that you'll leave this miserable job, or this mate that makes you feel unhappy and alone. Don't worry about how that will happen, because it won't happen in this passing minute, but in a collection of minutes, as the result of actions taken in sequence. But the decision comes right now. Quickly! The minute is passing. Then in this minute, the one that follows the minute in which you made your decision, you will outline what you need to do. Perhaps you can complete your whole dream right in this minute. Perhaps you can walk into your boss' office and resign right now. But chances are you'll need to plan, make another series of decisions. And of those plans, at least ONE of them are something you can do right now. Buy the paper to look for a new job. Make a phone call to that long-lost friend. One thing. Now. Action vs. contemplation. The crux of the matter, the difference between people who consider themselves happy and contented vs. those who are thwarted and resentful is that the happy ones acted, simply acted, while the thwarted ones contemplated. It doesn't even matter is the action is "right," or causes the intended result, just that it ends the inertia and fuzziness of inaction. Every passing minute is a chance to turn it all around. Where will you take this minute? What decision will you make? What action will you take that will lead you down the path you desire? One thing. Right now. Go do it. About The Author Maria E. Andreu is a coach who helps people get brave - and live big. Her interactive blog, Living Undaunted, is a place where you can get links to some of the coolest sites on the net for getting stuff done (big dreams and mundane every day "gotta get it done" stuff), get access to free resources and more. Find it at http://mariaeandreu.typepad.com/livingundaunted/.
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Motivation: Small Changes, Big Results When I was 8 years old, my parents let me go to the toy store with my buddy Mike and his Mom.My dad gave me a whole dollar to spend. Glass Half Full YES MY GLASS IS ALWAYS HALF FULL AND YOURS CAN BE TOO!Clients, friends and colleagues often comment on the fact that I am a walking and talking field of positive energy. They wonder, often in amazement, how I keep a balance of calm and joy on a day to day basis. 7 Steps to a New Life Overseas Research shows that at any one time more than half of us are dreaming of a new life overseas, but few actually succeed in making the transition from fantasy to reality.To completely turn everything on its head and start your life all over again in a foreign country is an incredible undertaking and one that many dream of but most ultimately shy away from. What Does Your Future Hold? Do You Have A Plan? Or Are You Just Waiting To See What Happens? We often find ourselves in a situation in which we either accept the change that someone else imposes upon us or in which we ourselves effect the change we would like to see happen. We sometimes stammer and hesitate and procrastinate with regard to decision making. The Answer Is The Question ... Asking The Right Questions! We all have questions about our lives, directions, and destinies. It is the curiosity of the unknown that intrigues us to ask of the future. A Quick Observation of the Low Class We can all learn a valuable lesson about the types of behavior and attitudes to avoid like the plague, simply by observing the characteristics of people we all know are low class. Being low class is not a function of the lack of money or social status. The Thrivers Secrets to Success?: It Starts With Your Attitude - Get a Grip and GoŽ! What impact would it have on your professional and personal life if you could learn the secret of successful living known by about 25% of the people? Think about that for a minute and even pause right now and write some thoughts down. How would your life be different if you operated like a "thriver" - a person who thrives and flourishes no matter what life throws at him or her?In Webster's II New Riverside Dictionary, the definition of thrive is: "(v) (1) to be healthy or do well: flourish. Are Millionaires and PhDs Really Smarter? The Answer May Surprise You! I've had a vast array of job experiences. While in high school, I worked as maid for a local motel. Do It Now! "At the end of our lives we never regret at the things we failed at but at the things we hope for but never attempted." Richie Dayo JohnsonFew months ago, I went to Ashburnham Place, a Christian conference and prayer centre set in glorious East Sussex countryside for church groups, retreats, holidays and conferences with one of my mentors Joe De Souza, a top rated motivational speaker. How To Deal With Denial Denial is a coping mechanism commonly used when something happens that we really don't want to see. Doing this is actually quite natural. 10 Ways to Overcome Procrastination: The Challenge for Tomorrow! Did you realize that as much as 47% of the time we spend on-line has nothing whatsoever to do with our work? In 1978 15% of the population stated that they do procrastinate somewhat. Only 1% admitted to chronic procrastination. Change 101: How to Get the Changes You Desire Here's a bold statement:Change can be simple and easy.It really does not have to be so hard, although sometimes we make it much harder than it needs to be. Just Do It! If you run a business like I do, you probably have limited time to do all the things you need to do each day. In order to make sure I get to exercise each day, I have to get up BEFORE the chickens do - between 4:30 AM and 5AM. How to Use the Power of Words to Your Benefit Someone I know maintains that "motivational words are great coming from philosophers, but that's because they're not in the real world." The power of words can be an incredible aid to helping us remain motivated and focused. 5 Keys to Maintaining Personal Change I look out my window at daybreak as the sunrise creates tiny sparkles on sheets of frozen snow. Two mornings later, the snow and sparkles are gone. Stick With the Winners Here is an interesting quotation from Stephen Walsh."We're building up and tearing down, in everything we do. To Boldly Go For the first time in many years, Star Trek Fans will no longer be able to explore those new frontiers where no man has gone before. Thank heavens for reruns, videos and DVD's! One reason for the success of this TV series is because the storyline appealed to the human desire to explore the unknown. Why it Pays to Have a Definite Life Purpose When was the last time you were asked, what is your "Definite Life Purpose"?It is not like everyday we go around asking friends or family what their definite life purpose is or even talk about it. However, knowing what your definite life purpose is, will help you stay focused, accomplish your goals faster, and bring about the kind of results you would like to have in your life. Motivating Yourself To Take Action Daily Daily action towards a goal is the fastest way to achieve your goal. As you take daily action you see the results of that action fairly quickly if not immediately. The Downward Spirals Of Life - Top Ten Steps For Freeing Ourselves From Some people call them vicious circles or cycles. I prefer to think of them as downward spirals of life. |
home | site map | contact us |