This is an email I received from Mike Gillette, http://www.mikegillette.com/
I know this is against copyright but think he wouldn’t mind. The message is clear and can be applied in any area of any of our lives. I post it hear because I found it profound, and relevant. Enjoy.
“Ever had a battle in your mind over what you’re doing and what you know you SHOULD do?
Ever struggle over what you should do when it’s different
from what you WANT to do?
The relationship between what we want to do and what we
should (or should not) do illuminates the presence or absence
of Personal STRENGTH in our lives.
Although Strength may seem like something permanent, it is
often a fleeting thing.
We are only as strong as our last strong choice.
I repeat…
We Are Only As Strong As Our Last Strong Choice.
And if that last strong choice is a distant memory, then so
is your Strength.
When you look at someone who you consider to be strong,
you are actually looking at a paradox.
You might see a person who appears to embody power or a
collection of achievements and presume that this is all because
they possess the quality we call Strength.
But strength is not an internal quality or external attribute.
It is, instead, a by-product of accumulation.
It is only through the accumulation of choices, Strong Choices,
that a person reveals the presence of Strength in their own life.
So where’s the paradox?
The paradox is in our own understanding of the Strong people
in our midst.
Although a strong person may seem impervious to The Forces of
Weakness all around them, in actuality they are not.
Only a person who prioritizes making strong choices will
realize just how many weak choices surround them all the time!
you are likewise forced to consider the contrasting Weak Alternative.The temptation to make weak choices is just as great for a strong
person as it is for anyone else.
Herein lies the less obvious and more humbling aspect of the pursuit
of strength.
For people who follow the path of least resistance and make
choices based upon expedience or comfort, no such self-examination
is necessary.
Why?
Because weak choices are easy.
They don’t require any struggle. And, in many cases, weak choices
are the more attractive choice to make.
Strength, like Weakness, is cumulative.
It is both a habit and an end state.
The pursuit of Strength (in all its forms) becomes easier
the more it is practiced.
But it never becomes so easy that it can completely displace
weakness.
This is why, ultimately, Strength itself is a struggle.
A struggle to attain and a struggle to keep.
Because of this, Strength has enormous VALUE. A value that
cannot be overestimated and should never be taken for granted.
How Strong Are You?
As Strong as your last Strong Choice. THAT’s how strong you really are.
So Choose Strength For Your Self.
Right NOW, and in every moment.
Then Keep Choosing It.
Yes, you will struggle. But that’s a good thing. If it were easy,
everyone would be strong.
The more you continue to choose Strength, the more you
set your self apart from weakness.
The more you Choose Strength, the more you Strong and
Powerful you Become.
Sincerely,
Mike Gillette”