Push Yourself

What’s it like when you know that you have to get out of bed, but don’t want to? What’s it like when you want to stay home, but have to go to work? What’s it like when you’ve given a free pass, but don’t want to take it? What’s it like when someone has offered you a ride, because they know that you could probably use it?
Those four questions are very different. The first two require self-motivation. This is pushing yourself from the outside. The second two questions require self-acceptance. This is pushing yourself from the inside.
How do you push yourself from the outside?
My mom and dad lost a son when he was 12 and another when he was 17. Can you even imagine? Those two events occurred approximately 15 years apart. When asked how they kept going there was no silver bullet or “Ah ha” moment. It was very matter-of-fact, which in my family is no surprise. 🙂 They “just kept going.”
Somewhere, there was someone that was counting on them. Somewhere, there was someone that believed in them. Just in the other room, there were mouths to feed. The sun was still coming up tomorrow. They couldn’t change that, so they embraced that.
How do you push yourself from the inside?
Having the gratitude to accept assistance graciously isn’t always easy. For example, when a group of people repeatedly offer to “clean your house” this may be because it is “dirty” but you haven’t been able to slow down to notice it. (No, our house doesn’t need cleaned!)
Accepting a free pass doesn’t mean that you’re accepting a hand-out. It’s not charity or a welfare check. It’s your way of allowing someone else to “pay it forward.”
Being on the opposite end doesn’t have to be considered negative.