Don’t Suffer Before It’s Necessary
“He who suffers BEFORE it is necessary suffers MORE than is necessary.” — Seneca
I found this quote while reading Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris and suddenly realized what I’ve been stuck on these past few months. We are making heavy investments in our company, goBRANDgo!, and these investments mean our profitability, and subsequently my income, are taking a beating. While intellectually I know we have to invest (Sow) now so the company can enjoy (Reap) larger rewards and growth in the future, the short-term consequences still sting. (For more on reaping and sowing, check out my recent article in Forbes titled “How To Cautiously And Successfully Reap The Rewards Of Your Hard Work”.)
I’ve noticed myself cutting way back on expenses, questioning every penny that gets spent, and have even had thoughts about whether I should sell my car! I realize now the immense amount of energy these thoughts are consuming. After reading the quote I see that I am truly “SUFFERING” before there is ever any real suffering taking place.
The facts that I am working to keep in mind are:
- our company is at it’s highest revenue ever,
- we are growing healthier than ever,
- my work hours have been drastically reduced,
- we are earning an income that is higher than it’s ever been, and
- the investments we made are already yielding amazing results, even though the cash hasn’t hit just yet.
I don’t have an answer for anyone on how to get through situations like this, but I do believe it’s worth questioning and thinking about your life. Where in life are you suffering from something that HASN’T HAPPENED yet? I think we all do this from time to time and where could / should we be putting that energy?
Energy is finite. We can choose to spend out energy on positive or negative thoughts. I’m geared to be a positive-minded person and need to clear my head of these negative thoughts. If I don’t, I fully believe they will continue holding me back from operating at my full potential.
That’s it. I’m done suffering. Time to move on. Thanks for listening, I feel much better 😉
#YouRock