STOP! Ask yourself these questions...

There are so many times when we feel trapped by what we have to do.

Ask yourself this question:
"Why do I have to do these things?"

Think about it.

If the answer is:
- Because someone told me to.
- Because it's my job.
- Because I can't think of anything else to do.

Then, rethink those things.

If you have to do something that someone told you to do, ask this question:
Is that person my boss?

• If so, can you talk to your boss about it?
• Can you get a new job?
• Can you quit your job and start your own business?
• Can you run away to another place and start over from scratch?

- If that person isn't your boss, is it a family member?

• If so, can you talk to that family member about why you don't want to do it?
• Is that family member really in a position to tell you what to do?
• Does that family member have your permission to control your life in any way?
• Do you have control over your own actions?

- If the person telling you that you have to do something is YOU, then:

• Can you stop doing the thing you don't want to do and still survive?
• Would anyone else that you care about be hurt if you didn't do that thing?
• Would anyone else even notice if you stopped doing that thing?

- If you feel that it's your 'job' to do the things you don't want to do:

• Why are you doing that job?
• If you have to do that job to survive, then don't you actually want to do the thing?
• If you don't have to do that job to survive, could you find another job?

- If you can't think of anything else to do:

• Can you give yourself 30 minutes to think of something else to do?
• If 30 minutes seems like an impossible amount of time, then can you give yourself 5 minutes to think of something else to do?
• What do you enjoy doing?

Sometimes, after doing an exercise like this, we may realize that we actually want to do the things that we 'have' to do.  In that case, your job is easy.  Just keep doing what you're doing and change the language from, 'I have to...' to 'I want to...'

However, sometimes we discover that we don't want to do the things we 'have' to do.  In that case, your job is more difficult.  You have to find a way to stop doing those things.  Then you have to find a way to choose other things.  You may even have to keep doing the things you don't want to do, while searching for the things you do want to do.  This is challenging.  Sometimes it's easier to keep doing the things you hate doing, simply because you're used to doing them.  

STOP!  Don't waste one more precious second just drifting through your life!  Don't do things you hate to do.  Don't do things you have to do!  Do things you WANT to do!  You might already be doing them.  Only you will know that.  You will only know if you ask yourself the questions I've written.  That's what I did.  I had to make some serious changes.  Change is challenging, but the alternative is horrifying.