Pushing Your Weight Around: Who is pushing you?

Have you ever thought about your legs carrying you around? What I mean is that your legs have a strength that we take for granted. For example, there are large muscles in your legs that have had to carry a good portion (about 60%) of your overall body weight for years.  For me that’s about 103 lbs. My legs are carrying around 103 lbs on a daily basis. My thought on this was “If my legs are doing this type of work and expending energy because I have things I need to get done, then who is moving or pushing me to get things done?  Do you “push” your weight around or are you being pushed? I thought about this after my divorce and trying to balance work, kids, church, music, martial arts, and the other various activities. I kept trying to get things done and I was feeling like I was swimming up stream. I couldn’t get any “momentum” in doing the things that I felt were a priority. When there are a lot of things that have to be accomplished and there is only one of you, then you have to decide what, when, where, why, and how these tasks will get done. Some things, I can tell you, weren’t getting done. When I analyzed my situation, I felt that I was being pushed by forces other than myself. In other words, I wasn’t doing the pushing; it was the circumstance and people who were doing the pushing. Are there times when you will be pushed? Yes. We cannot control all things. This type of situation will keep you frustrated and not accomplishing anything. Of course we all know that we need to set priorities to the tasks that we need or want to accomplish. Assign a number next to the task (from high to low), then accomplish the tasks in that order. Don’t stop until you have accomplished all of them. I always feel like I’m being pushed when I am under a time constraint and I am rushed to get somewhere fast. I am always frustrated and irritable. Most of us probably already know this. The question is who is pushing you? According to Al Hollingsworth in his book Vertical Leap: How to birth your dreams, visions, & ideas into reality (Insight Publishing Group, 2000, p. 104) say’s to “Ask yourself, who is my because?” Be means ‘to exist” and cause means “to incite unto action”. Whatever pushes you becomes you’re because. He goes on to state that we can consciously choose what will push us. At the end of the day, I want to reflect on the things that I did and really understand who was pushing me today, who was it, and did I do what I was supposed to. A little planning or forethought can be invaluable in helping you (and me) into not feeling pushed. By taking a few minutes and asking yourself “how can I do this in the most efficient way possible? Or “What’s the best way for me to do this?” You will come up with some good answers.

Just remember when you are feeling like you are ‘behind the eight ball”, then ask “Am I pushing myself towards my goals, or I am being pushed?” Make sure you are doing the pushing most of the time.

September 23, 2013