Monday, June 25, 2007

the Success Principles ~ Principle 16


Principle 16 of Jack Canfield's Success Principles is Be Willing to Pay the Price. Ooh, good one. This changes things, doesn't it?

Ages ago Laini wrote something on her blog that really stayed in my mind. As an artist, she hears lots of people say, "I wish I could draw." And her response was something along the lines of, "Do you wish you could draw, as in your Fairy Godmother taps you on the head and *poof* you can draw? Or do you mean you're willing to sit down and practice and practice and hone a new skill? If it's the latter, I guarantee you that you can draw." I am paraphrasing, but I hope I've captured the point.

Canfield identifies some common price tags associated with dreams: money, time, effort, the willigness to be awkward while you learn and develop. If you don't make the investment, how will the universe know that you actually want it? How will you know?

The good news is that if you are willing to invest those things (and more), you are way ahead of the game. For all the people who say, "I want to write a book," how many sit down to the task? How many stay there long enough to finish? How many find the courage to submit it? At each of those junctures, some people decide it's not worth the cost. If you are willing to pay the price, you will move through those stages and find that the competition gets smaller, the universe supports you and your confidence grows as you know you are committed and moving towards your dreams.

And deciding that something is just too darn expensive is also a gift. It allows you to let go of things that are simply not worth the price to you. Maybe you wanted to be a dancer on cruise ship and every year your heart fills with yearning and you wonder why you never pursued that dream. If you look at your garden or your boyfriend or maybe your little one that's just starting school, you realize that you chose something else, that when it came down to it dancing on a cruise ship was not worth the cost of a sense of home or these relationships or whatever else you chose instead. And now you can discover what part of that dream you can work into your current priorities, at a price you can feel good at investing. Do you want to perform? travel? express yourself? What form might it take that honours your choices and priorities?

The beautiful thing about recognizing there is a price involved is that you get to decide whether you're willing to pay it. The choice is yours.

11 comments:

liz elayne lamoreux said...

i kind of want to stand up and applaud as i read this sitting here in my little room with the sun shining through the window. this is so true. but sometimes, i take that path of wishing i could just wrinkle my nose and attain success instead of doing the work. but i must do the work. and it is good to remember this. it is good to own it too.

Suzie Ridler said...

Very wise Jamie and so true. Everything exacts a price, finding what is worth the price to you is the real quest.

Shannon said...

This one is so true, and it's so easy to come up with excuses but it is so better to know what the deal is and make it, or break it. Very eloquent Jamie!

Anonymous said...

Hi Jamie,

Dang, this guy is good. Thanks for breaking it down for us.

A friend and I have been having a long conversation about structure, discipline and discomfort. As I try to embrace discipline, she embraces discomfort. She finds that it is more bearable than one would think, and she swears that it brings about the desired results.

Her only caveat is this: discomfort brings change, but it never brings comfort.

Vedrana M. said...

true...i never liked it when some people wanted me to feel bad because i tried something in my life just because they didn't dare.
it's like that "I wish I could draw" thing...
thank you for beautiful post :) xxx

Michelle (a.k.a. la vie en rose) said...

you do not know how i needed these words today!!!! they stepped on my toes a little...reminded me that i'm on the right path and that i am indeed doing it...and they wrapped around my heart and gave it a tight squeeze.

Fiona said...

i love to take blind leaps of faith and commit to a dream by putting my money where my mouth is! Thanks for the reminder!

meghan said...

yes yes yes. Oh, and YES. You're right. He's right. I think I need to go back and read through your latest posts again... YES.

Anonymous said...

Excellent post, Jamie! It *is* all about the price we're willing to pay...and the choices we're willing to make.

Jennifer Hicks said...

I see bars in your photo...

a great new skill to hone...!!!!

couragetocreatewriteandlove said...

Great writing! Great reflection!