1) Disgust
One does not usually
equate the word "disgust" with positive action. And yet properly
channeled, disgust can change a person's life. The person who
feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is
ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, "I've had it!"
That's what I said after many humiliating experiences at age 25,
I said, "I don't want to live like this anymore. I've had it
with being broke. I've had it with being embarrassed, and I've
had it with lying."
Yes, productive feelings
of disgust come when a person says, "Enough is enough."
The "guy" has finally had
it with mediocrity. He's had it with those awful sick feelings
of fear, pain and humiliation. He then decides he is not going
to live like this anymore." Look out! This could be the day that
turns a life around. Call it what you will, the "I've had it"
day, the "never again" day, the "enough's enough" day. Whatever
you call it, it's powerful! There is nothing so life-changing as
gut-wrenching disgust!
2) Decision
Most of us need to be
pushed to the wall to make decisions. And once we reach this
point, we have to deal with the conflicting emotions that come
with making them. We have reached a fork in the road. Now this
fork can be a two-prong, three-prong, or even a four-prong fork.
No wonder that decision-making can create knots in stomachs,
keep us awake in the middle of the night, or make us break out
in a cold sweat.
Making life-changing
decisions can be likened to internal civil war. Conflicting
armies of emotions, each with its own arsenal of reasons, battle
each other for supremacy of our minds. And our resulting
decisions, whether bold or timid, well thought out or impulsive,
can either set the course of action or blind it. I don't have
much advice to give you about decision-making except this:
Whatever you do, don't
camp at the fork in the road. Decide. It's far better to make a
wrong decision than to not make one at all. Each of us must
confront our emotional turmoil and sort out our feelings.
3) Desire
How does one gain desire?
I don't think I can answer this directly because there are many
ways. But I do know two things about desire:
a. It comes from the
inside not the outside.
b. It can be triggered by
outside forces.
Almost anything can
trigger desire. It's a matter of timing as much as preparation.
It might be a song that tugs at the heart. It might be a
memorable sermon. It might be a movie, a conversation with a
friend, a confrontation with the enemy, or a bitter experience.
Even a book or an article such as this one can trigger the inner
mechanism that will make some people say, "I want it now!"
Therefore, while searching
for your "hot button" of pure, raw desire, welcome into your
life each positive experience. Don't erect a wall to protect you
from experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your
disappointment also keeps out the sunlight of enriching
experiences. So let life touch you. The next touch could be the
one that turns your life around.
4) Resolve
Resolve says, "I will."
These two words are among the most potent in the English
language. I WILL. Benjamin Disraeli, the great British
statesman, once said, "Nothing can resist a human will that will
stake even its existence on the extent of its purpose." In other
words, when someone resolves to "do or die," nothing can stop
him.
The mountain climber says,
"I will climb the mountain. They've told me it's too high, it's
too far, it's too steep, it's too rocky, it's too difficult. But
it's my mountain. I will climb it. You'll soon see me waving
from the top or you'll never see me, because unless I reach the
peak, I'm not coming back." Who can argue with such resolve?
When confronted with such
iron-will determination, I can see Time, Fate and Circumstance
calling a hasty conference and deciding, "We might as well let
him have his dream. He's said he's going to get there or die
trying."
The best definition for
"resolve" I've ever heard came from a schoolgirl in Foster City,
California. As is my custom, I was lecturing about success to a
group of bright kids at a junior high school. I asked, "Who can
tell me what "resolve" means?" Several hands went up, and I did
get some pretty good definitions. But the last was the best. A
shy girl from the back of the room got up and said with quiet
intensity, "I think resolve means promising yourself you will
never give up." That's it! That's the best definition I've ever
heard: Promise Yourself You'll Never Give Up.
Think about it! How long
should a baby try to learn how to walk? How long would you give
the average baby before you say, "That's it, you've had your
chance"? You say that's crazy? Of course it is. Any mother would
say, "My baby is going to keep trying until he learns how to
walk!" No wonder everyone walks.
There is a vital lesson in
this. Ask yourself, "How long am I going to work to make my
dreams come true?" I suggest you answer, "As long as it takes."
That's what these four emotions are all about.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
