I'M BACK AND SERIOUSLY MOTIVATED!

That's right, I've found the motivation to do this. What was it you ask? First I'll mention that I've been going through some pretty heavy depression (though I'll spare you the details) and except for a brief time of feeling motivated by fear to do daily cardio (the doc says my cholesterol is out of wack and I need more exercise) I've had no interest in exercising, yet still dream of being in shape.

Okay, so here is what motivated me. It from an artist named Hugh Macleod. I stumbled upon
his website ( www.gapingvoid.com ) recently and was struck by this truth. Heavy, huh? All too true. I've experienced it myself (AM experiencing it) and have seen it all around, in most people in fact.

If you're not convinced yet, go ahead and ask yourself or anyone you're speaking to when they say they really want something or wish they could do something, just what they are doing to make it happen. I think you already know the answer...nothing.

Anyway, I don't mean to preach. I'm just saying this is what motivated me to look deeper at what I 'want' and ask myself "am I willing to work my ass off for it?". What follows that question is either starting the process of working my ass off, or discarding the thought as not worth it.

Wow. Very freeing. You'll feel quite a load taken off when you can finally just let something go instead of lusting after something you're not even willing to work for. You'll also feel great pride and focus in that thing you ARE will to work your ass off for.

BTW, focus is what will make you successful. Consider this before taking on your next challenge, a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh:

In the United States, I have a close friend named Jim Forest. When I first met him eight years ago, he was working with the Catholic Peace Fellowship. Last winter, Jim came to visit. I usually wash the dishes after we’ve finished the evening meal, before sitting down and drinking tea with everyone else. One night, Jim asked if he might do the dishes. I said, “Go ahead, but if you wash the dishes you must know the way to wash them.” Jim replied, “Come on, you think I don’t know how to wash the dishes?” I answered, “There are two ways to wash the dishes. The first is to wash the dishes in order to have clean dishes and the second is to wash the dishes to wash the dishes.” Jim was delighted and said, “I choose the second way–to wash the dishes to wash the dishes.” From then on, Jim knew how to wash the dishes. I transferred the “responsibility” to him for an entire week.

If while washing dishes, we think only of the cup of tea that awaits us, thus hurrying to get the dishes out of the way as if they were a nuisance, then we are not “washing the dishes to wash the dishes.” What’s more, we are not alive during the time we are washing the dishes. In fact, we are completely incapable of realizing the miracle of life while standing at the sink. If we can’t wash the dishes, the chances are we won’t be able to drink our tea either. While drinking the cup of tea, we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands. Thus we are sucked away into the future and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life.