There is always such a big deal being made about taking action -- any sort of action will do the job. People say to stop being lazy and stop procrastinating.
Quite frankly, all this talk about constant, automatic action drives me crazy because I feel it puts so many people on the wrong path. Telling people that as long as they are taking some sort of action that they can expect a certain result is misleading and leads to disappointment, among other things that make us feel horrible. Pointless action makes us spin our wheels and get absolutely nowhere.
Action is an important factor in getting things done and growing as a person, don't get me wrong. But it has to be the right type of action. Flailing your arms around for no good reason only makes you look and feel like a fool. Sure, you were taking action, but you were doing nothing except going through the motions. You're better off waiting to determine the right type of action instead of trying to "just do whatever."
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The worst implication that I've seen that this "action for the sake of action" movement has is that it pushes people from one end of the spectrum to another -- that is, to where they eventually take no action at all; they become chronically paralyzed and disillusioned with life. Their mindset is that they took action before and it didn't work, so why bother? Failing to take any action at all forces people to resort to living life by default, which means that other people make decisions and take action for them. Like "bad" action, chronic lack of action is a sea of frustration and disappointment. Later is better than never.
Going from one extreme to another rarely fixes anything.
What a weird statement for me to make, right? Action is action is action, right? There is not right or wrong when it comes to action, right?
I am of the belief that there are two types of action:
1. externally motivated/forced urgency type of action
and
2. internally inspired action
Even if externally motivated/forced urgency action lights a fire under your butt and gives you short-term (usually fear-based) results, it's never lasting and it's never genuine. This type of action is not intrinsic and it doesn't make you happy.
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This is why getting motivated or guilted into going to the gym rarely turns into a long-term, joyous habit. You end up resenting the gym because you never went for the right reasons in the first place. For example, maybe you went for the health benefits, but that wasn't the main reason. Perhaps the main reason was so that you can impress other people.
Inspired action is where it's at. When you've found your inspriation, you've found your life source. If you can't find a source of inspiration for what it is you need to do, you're better off waiting until you can find it. Inspiration makes action less like a chore and more like a pleasurable creation that flows from you effortlessly. No one has to tell you to do anything because you're already doing it. You never feel guilty or lazy because you're too busy making a difference in your world and in that of others.
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Life doesn't have to be so hard. And yes, you can still have everything you want and need, so long as you live a life of inspired action.
Don't do things for others; do them for you. By default, the action done for yourself will also be in the best interest of others. After all, this life has a mysterious way of working out.
Photo source: pixabay.com
