The sigh was a deep one, the next breath that was exhaled carried three words…..”it’s not easy.”
I was nuking my morning peanut butter sandwich when the ‘sigh’ had appeared behind me, I discovered years ago that a hot peanut butter and honey sandwich in the morning kept me ticking over until mid morning when at work. So while the coffee is filtering the bread is heating, all good.
My wordy colleague had nothing more to add to this statement, he shuffled off with my retort, “who said it would be” resounding in his ears, to make his own coffee and begin scrutinising his tabloid information. I can’t bring myself to call them newspapers any more!
The truth is that loads of people say it would or should be…..easy.
We are continually sold the lie that we too can have an easy life, all that we need to do is send x amount for this new book/dvd/or resource. I will tell you in ten steps how to be debt free and living the life that you dream of. What they neglect to mention at this stage is the years of struggle that they themselves endured before ‘discovering’ the thing that finally made their fortune. How many of these books clutter attics, basements and landfill sites having never been opened past chapter one?
I have lived long enough to know that there is no quick fortune. I have bought the starter packs and trudged the rain soaked streets with products and catalogues. I have seen the amount of volume required and lacked the evangelist zeal to recruit a team who will feed their commission up to me. I don’t have the level of product enthusiasm required to sell tat to unwilling recipients.
The list is long of wonder products that appear which will change your life with one sip per day, or 3 minutes of frenetic exertion. They will transform you physically and financially as you then sell them to all and sundry.
The problem with them is that they don’t work.
Maybe they worked for a section of society like the ten steps, but in reality, we are all so genetically different that it is an insult to creativity to suggest that one programme is that good as to fit all.
The same applies for the principles contained in any self help book, there are general ideas that can help in most of them and that can be a help along the way. We all know those sturdy souls who are always trying to convince you of the latest ‘wonder’ product, I have friends who did make it good with a lot of these faddy businesses, but they always last for a time and then they need to diversify into something else.
Saturation point is a salesmans nightmare.
I suppose my point is simple, everything takes time. One sit up doesn’t flatten a stomach, I cannot get fit by just joining the gym, I need to go, repeatedly. No billionaire got there without years of work (even the dotcoms) it just doesn’t happen!
There is no ‘big easy’ in life.
The history of mankind is a story of continual struggle. These shiny speakers edit vast periods of their history in order to focus on the good bit. What they are trying to do for you is to by pass the necessity of those learning years. We cannot ever do that successfully, they are an essential part of the journey, and that applies in every area of life whether business, family or church.
The sooner that we stop evading, and embrace the process, the ‘easier’ it will become!