My wife thinks I’m obsessive… and she’s right. When I get an idea or become motivated I throw myself into it completely. And that isn’t exactly a bad thing. It’s enabled me to do some pretty great things. Without this obsessive quality, I never would have been able to quit drinking, write a book, get into shape, or fix my mental health.
I was struck with an idea last night and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since. It’s been an idea that I’ve been kicking around for the better part of 5 years but never took real action to support it. This morning… it’s pulling at me!
Our lives are filled with things that push and pull us. It’s an important distinction to make.
When things push us, we feel as if we don’t have a choice. We are not moving under our own power nor do we feel fully in control of our momentum. Push also implies that there is a bit of resistance to the forces that are moving us in a certain direction. The force is behind us and is trying to get us to move forward.
But when we are being pulled towards something, the force is different. It is attracting us to something that lies ahead of us—something in our future. It’s a power drawing us towards it and making us feel as if we want to move in that direction by choice. And when I feel that pull, that obsession comes into play.
I become obsessed with the pull because it’s so attractive to me. This is great when the pull is coming from something that is good for you but can be challenging when it isn’t. I’ve been pulled by unhealthy things in the past. Because of this, doing research is a big part of my obsessive quality. It isn’t always about just jumping into action with both feet without looking. I’m a firm believer in jump first and build the plane on the way down… but do enough research to know that you need to build a plane and not a tugboat.
I say all this because I want you to find what pulls you. To some, it’s a passion or a calling. To me, it’s simply something I’m drawn towards. I don’t always know why but I’ve learned to follow that pull to see where it leads. It’s a practice I started a few years ago and it rarely steers me wrong.
It’s my way of telling the universe, “I trust you. You point me in the right direction and I’ll go that way and see what I learn.” And in following this, I’ve managed to reinvent my life in amazing and surprising fashion. And so I will continue to follow this practice of letting the universe pull me towards whatever it is that is ahead of me, knowing full well I will either succeed or I will learn.
So, take a moment and listen to the universe. Do you feel pushed or pulled? And which feeling do you let dictate your action?
