Keep the Fire for Success Alive: How to avoid quenching your excitement and fuel your passion

You have a fire in your belly. You want that change, I can feel it.

• Losing weight.
• Getting off sugar.
• More sex.
• Less fighting.
• More clients.
• More money.
• Less worry.

And yet, no matter how much you desire an outcome, there are days when that summit shrinks in the distance, almost pulling away from you. The discouragement comes in a variety of forms:

• Well-meaning advice.

Be patient, they say. Don’t beat yourself up. Maybe now isn’t the right time. The person offers you advice in the spirit of love, to be sure. But somehow it leaves you feeling. Wow, you think, I may be further away from my dream than I think!

Your fire may make others uncomfortable. The cultural norm, really the goal, is to find a place of safety and hold that position. You are out there wanting, working and waiting and it can be hard to watch. That’s okay! Yearn for something better. Let that feeling in your stomach push you out of what you know into new skills and understanding. Of course it’s okay if you don’t realize the pinnacle of your dream today. Just don’t stop wanting it because it didn’t happen right now.

• A “no.”

You want to help others. You reach out and offer your skills or services and in response you hear a NO or a NOT RIGHT NOW. They throw a bucket of water on your fire and for a second, you feel diminished and misplaced. Maybe your belief is misguided. Maybe you aren’t on the right track. After all, if you were so right, wouldn’t the yes’ outnumber the no’s?

Don’t evaluate your path by the frequency of yes. Your fire will be out in no time if you keep that up. Instead, look at the benefits of what you offer. Understand the growth you experience as you change your life today. Of course you want to accumulate wealth, clients, supporters, success. Just remember that every day is filled with lessons, no matter what the outcome. Focus on learning the lessons. The  affirmations and confirmations are on their way.

• Silence.

In the beginning, the excitement came easily. No matter what you did, as long as it was constructive, you felt the growth. You began to work out and the pounds came off. You wrote in a gratitude journal and the blessings rushed in those first few months. Then suddenly, nothing. No growth. No phone calls. The pounds are stagnant or even moving up. You have to search for new blessings. And you feel your energy drifting away.

There is a season for everything. Sometimes I want to punch someone in the face when I hear that one, but there is truth in the statement. Everything on the planet has a season. Humans are the only beings to try to transcend the concept of season. In the stages of growth, there is a place for rest—it’s called winter. To recover, clean up, reminisce, ponder, sleep. And as quickly as it dies away, growth comes forth and spring is here. Things grow. It’s time to save, learn, push, become stronger. Don’t skip the winter because it’s quiet. Take a moment and ask yourself, what can I do right now to ensure my fire burns even more brightly when spring returns? Plan dates. Learn more about nutrition. Learn how to amplify your voice. I promise you the time of growth will return. Be ready.

• Self Doubt.

Perhaps it’s been a while since you began this climb. You have been fighting the good fight for a long time. You have been diligent and focused and consistent and positive and even though you have seen amazing results, the summit seems just a little too far off in the distance. You start to wonder whether this is all there is. Maybe your lot is to struggle. You might not be one of the chosen people to experience the fullness that life has to offer. Maybe it’s time to accept this is your new normal and some progress is better than no progress at all. Because the wanting that comes from the fire feels exhausting.

If you are a person who never experiences self doubt, you need to try harder and stretch further. The inspirational fire is based in the unknown, in the power of the “what if.” Doubt is your friend, it is a thought designed to keep you safe. The trick? Enjoy every little morsel of progress. Celebrate every step in victory. Live in thankfulness for all that is now. And keep pushing. It is better to die trying than to live without passion and purpose.

Let’s move past all that threatens to quench your passion and focus on this question: What do you need to do to make your fire burn even brighter? Imagine sitting around a fire and for a second it grows quiet. What should you do? That’s right, you grab a log and throw it in there. And the embers, the smoldering bits of passion will grab hold of that object and consume it, making the fire burn brighter once again.

• Take a class
• call a friend or encourager
• write in a gratitude journal
• meditate
• invest in yourself
• buy some equipment
• look at the amazing things others are doing
• interview someone great
• watch encouraging videos or listen to inspiring podcasts
• encourage others
• offer to teach others- it will remind you why you are doing what you are doing
• create a group and work together

Will you release the fire? Or will you work to make it burn brighter. I choose fire. I hope you will too.