It’s easy to get caught up in thinking we don’t already have what we need. We think that what we need is somewhere in the future; in an opportunity that hasn’t come, or some Ape-to-Man Missing Link perpetually undiscovered.
We think we don’t have the time (but we all have the same amount each day), energy, money or tools we need to do what we want. Yet, somehow when these resources do show up, we’re often surprised to find we now need something else. The conditions still aren’t just right.
I used to have this mindset with my Jeet Kune Do training. I would itch for a new pair of focus mitts, better headgear or different sparring partners. But when I got these things, did it improve my skill as a martial artist? Not much.
What had a much greater effect on my development was an elevation of spirit, heightened mindfulness and fiercer determination. The training tools are at the periphery, the internal qualities are at the core.
Whenever you want to kick ass — in life or in martial arts — it’s best to start from the core and the belief that you already have what you need.
I see a lot of people play this limited-resources game when they want to start their own business. He’s waiting for his wife to give him permission. She’s waiting for more supportive friends to arrive. And somehow even when these circumstances do change, there’s another reason queued up to explain why now isn’t the right time.
Relying on ideal circumstances to dictate your point of liftoff is a dangerous game. Waiting for the approval of others is even riskier.
But here’s the good news…
You already have all the resources you need right now.
If you need time and only have a little, that’s what you’ll use.
If you need space but it’s crowded, go outside.
If you need energy, try drinking a green smoothie for breakfast.
If you need love, it’s already inside of you.
If you need peace, breathe.
If you need permission, you can say yes to yourself, right now.
If you need a friend, you can email me.
If you need mentoring, get a library card.
If you need freedom, minimize your commitments.
If you need clarity, go for a walk.
If you need creativity, daydream.
Sometimes we think we need to put things off until the right resources come. And in some situations that can be the truth. But most of the time, it’s a sham. It’s better to be resourceful than to wait for resources to show up.
And what about all the resources you’ve yet to tap into? The books you’ve bought and haven’t read, the courses you enrolled in but haven’t finished, the advice you’ve received you have yet to take action on…
The truth is: there’s more in alignment right now than you think.
You have everything you need, because what you need is what you have. The best opportunities are created, not found.
Woohoo! I love this one Jonathan. I was nodding my head and grinning all the way through it. Recently, it’s become clearer than ever that whatever our circumstances and goals in life, what we’re really ultimately looking for is a change in how we feel. You might pin all kinds of external symbols and conditions to that feeling, but ultimately it’s something you need to find on the inside. And it’s already right there waiting for you. The other stuff lines up when you get in touch with what you’ve already got inside of you. When all is said and done, freedom is a feeling.
Yep, and it’s pretty crazy to think about how much we have access to that at any time without having to do anything about it.
Great! It’s interesting how all journeys end up at the same place where they began, but still we keep looking for things outside of us when they’re really in us.
We venture out and end up in the same place we began.
Great post.
It’s amazing how much people are willing to help those who are willing to ask for help. More than the library card… go ask someone who’s already doing it for mentoring. Might think they’d be resistant to helping someone who would be ‘competition’ but if they’re successfully doing it already, they likely left that mindset behind long ago.
You’re absolutely right David. People are definitely more kind and generous than we think. And I agree… the competition mindset is for suckers.
Love this simple list man…Great post.
Dope post dude.. Crafty with that link placement!
I think your building a new design? anyways if you are or not you really need to link the comment number to the comments i keep clicking it. But that might just be individual case and not a mass one. lol.
Cheers.
Hi Jonathan
Really enjoyed this. I don’t usually like ‘bland lists of obvious things’ but this one is really well crafted and rises above the norm. Well done!
Glad that I could violate your expectations :)
Hi Jonathan,
We’re in the same zone. I just posted three on basically the same topic to open my new artist blog, different language, same idea – unpacking the wealth we already have, innocence and vulnerability (core aspects of my trade), and gratitude and creative power. Good! Maybe worldviews are shifting…
Rebekah
Love this. My mentor always says its this illusion of separateness that causes pain. Separateness from this moment, from joy which is always here, from our inherent divinity and our ability to share and give. Every moment has its meaning, its just for us to see. Fantastic points. Thank you for sharing.
Separation is a sham. It’s impossible for us to disconnect.
“You have everything you need, because what you need is what you have.”
This is it, isn’t it. Sums it up, hits the nail on the head and all that jazz.
There is a momentum with gratitude. The more grateful we feel, the more reasons we have to be so.
Thanks Jonathan. As always, you rocked it.
Jenny
Mmm… momentum from gratitude is a delicious thing.
Jonathan –
And … If you need happiness, remember –
“For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”. -Shakespeare
Shakespeare was a wise man indeed.
What uuup Jonathan,
Amen to that brother. Glad you brought this point out into the open.
All that we need in life surrounds us, literally its all at our finger tips. We just need to reach out and grab it. Ditch the excuses and the what ifs and just go out and do it.
bLAZE yOUR tRAIL
Jonathan,
I love this post and just about every other post you create. Your discussion about resources really resonates with me and I can feel the strength of your convictions coming through with every word. I’ve recently started a blog about resource management and will definitely link to this excellent post of yours in a future post of mine.
This comment isn’t intended to inflate your ego as I know you’re a humble person and I would imagine mostly impervious to flattery. It’s posts like these that inspire though and remind me why your blog is my favorite of all of the many, many other there in cyberspace.
“It’s better to be resourceful than to wait for resources to show up”. This should be words of wisdom that more people take to heart.
Believe me or not, this is exactly what I needed to read at this very moment. What I imagined to be my life path has taken a somewhat turn, & I was just so unsure about whether or not to proceed or not… Basically these past few days especially have not been some of the greatest but I have been reading & yours & a few others blogs bring some sort of clarity to this hopefully temporary hazy view on things. So… Thank you is all I wanted to say. Holding thumbs & a bum I can put some of this good advice into practice. :)
I’m glad this came at the right time for you. :)
I really dig this post. It’s so true, we have resources. The problem is making better use of them.
There was a time when I could always find an excuse, hoping that things would somehow be better tomorrow. Doesn’t work that way. :-)
If we would spend as much time being productive as we do creatively manufacturing excuses life would be so much better.
Enjoyed the post.
Really a powerful post that I hope wakes a lot of people up. I know personally I was like this in the past, then once I started to work on self-development I realized that that feeling of happiness and success really does come from within, and that it’s already there, we just have to tap into it.
Very enlightening and it’s inspired me to write a post about the same topic.
Cheers! Jeff
This is great stuff, Jonathan. It amazes me how many people say “Oh, I wish I could do that…” when I talk about my business. But they can!
I’m guilty of falling into this trap, too, though. It seems to be human nature for us to find an excuse. But your last point nailed it: you have to create your opportunities. Everybody that’s done something great has created their opportunities. Great post!
Wait… Let me get this straight…
Are you SURE I don’t need to upgrade to a new computer with the latest just-released software versions? I mean…that new computer is a LOT shinier than the one I have now…
;)
Thank you sir. What a great reminder.
Can we think reversely. Let’s said If we don’t have a thing we need, can we think that we have it ? And what is the effect of it ?
I totally dig this! Your insight is clear and well-stated. Very useful.
Oh, I love this post! Now I feel all fuzzy and happy and ready to start doing great shit. Thanks, Jonathan :)
Great post Jonathan. I always aim for experiences rather than ‘things’. doesn’t stop me wanting the stuff but helps put it in perspective!
Cathy
This is great Jonathan. Most of us don’t really know what we WANT anyway – so we spend a lot of time talking about wanting ‘more’ but its not clear what that is.
This is great Jonathan. Most of us don’t really know what we WANT anyway – so we spend a lot of time talking about wanting ‘more’ but its not clear what that is.
This is great Jonathan. Most of us don’t really know what we WANT anyway – so we spend a lot of time talking about wanting ‘more’ but its not clear what that is.
Stumbled across this doing a Google search. Love IT!
Thank you, this helped
I enjoyed this post. Motivation to be resourceful is a question that hangs in the air. Motivation to be motivated is the hard part.
Any advice?
– A