How bad do you want it?

That is Giavanni Ruffin out of East Carolina. I admit I only knew that because it says so on Vimeo. That shouldn't take anything away from the message though. How bad do you want it? I think it's a question we all should ask ourselves on a daily basis. I also believe it's a question, that when asked, many of us subconsciously lie in our response or don't truly comprehend the sacrifices we must make in order to obtain it, whatever it may be. It's less about making a change in your life, and more about changing your life. That's perhaps a bit extreme in some instances, but the video isn't about those.

It's not uncommon to hear people on Facebook, any given internet forum, workplace, and pretty much anywhere talk about how they wish they were skinny, how they wish they were in shape (there is a difference), how they wish they could do [insert hobby/activity], or how they wish they had a certain job. Well, wishing never got anyone anywhere. My family is incredibly God fearing and spiritual. Your opinions on religion aside, my father always used to tell me that while we need to pray for that which we want, we must always strive to achieve those goals ourselves. We can't just sit by and let life happen all while hoping something miraculous will occur. You must invest time into your goals. You must invest a lot of energy and emotion. Success, in any shape or form, must be worked for and earned.  The journey is not easy, and more often then not it flat out sucks.

So many of us are prone to issuing strong declarative statements of our goals without first making the real promise to ourselves that we will do whatever it takes to achieve them. Let me re-emphasize the "do whatever it takes" part. That's fairly broad and all encompassing right? Whatever it takes. Let that sink in.

We live in a society that is over saturated with the now. I'll spare you the detailed examples, but you've read magazines covers promising six pack abs in a month. You've seen the ridiculous claims supplement companies dish out. You've seen the over saturation of pyramid schemes in America who promise their clients, I mean employees, the world. You've no doubt seen lottery commercials or have played the lottery yourself. How many people have experienced success in any of the aforementioned? I imagine very few compared to the number who have tried and failed. Whatever happened to reaping the fruits of our labor? Is there anything truly self fulfilling by not giving something our all and trying to cheat the "system", for lack of a better term? Well, maybe to some of you. That is sad, but a different topic.

Be real with yourself. Look in a mirror and ask yourself "How bad do I want it?" Are you willing to make the lifestyle change in order to achieve your goals? Do not lie to yourself. There's literally no point. People often ask me for help. Why? I don't know. I don't know everything, but I was blessed with an over abundance of common sense and an ability to problem solve. In other words I was clearly born a man. Kidding, ladies. I often ask people I help, after being informed that they have made little progress, "Which part of the "lifestyle change" wasn't clear to you?" after they tell me they don't want to give up a particular food or way of life that is detrimental towards their supposed goals (partying). I then generally ask the person to adjust their goals since their current ones will not be achieved with that mindset and/or lifestyle. That's simply reality. In response I'll receive a smile or a nod of the head, and it's clear they're not accepting my words. They'll show me they can do it and prove me wrong. After all, I'm not a certified trainer or "lifestyle coach" so I don't know what I'm talking about. Then 6 or 7 months down the road they look exactly the same and are wondering why "everyone else but me is getting results." While the "everyone but me" line of thinking is inherently untrue, it is still a dangerous mindset. That's when people tend to give up and let despair overwhelm them. Regardless, you will not achieve your goals only putting in half the effort. It's all or nothing. If you want something then you must do whatever it takes, and that usually means making sacrifices which are more often than not outside of our comfort zone. I ask again, when have we ever grown while being comfortable?

Make the tough decision. Push yourself beyond what you think you're mentally capable of. Work long and hard to get the job you want. Make sacrifices and change your life for the better. The journey can suck and be overly miserable, but the reward at the end more than makes up for it. Hell, somewhere along the line it may even become fun. You never know until you actually do it and quit making excuses. You're in control of your own life. Why settle for mediocrity?