Taking Yes for an Answer

A motivational message from author and leadership expert Jim Stovall.

I’m a big believer in goal setting, but we have to be careful and specific when we set our goals. I have met people who have goals to be successful, wealthy, or to accumulate any number of material goods. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with having these types of goals, they are not specific and closed-ended.

When we have a goal to create success, notoriety, or wealth, we often fall prey to the “Disease of More.” This condition plagues people who do not have a specific objective or target. If you told me your destination was to travel West, I understand your direction, but you will never reach your goal. If your financial goal is simply to have more than you currently have, you will never be satisfied. The thought of being rich, famous, or having more is always in the future. I have met billionaires who are spending all their time, effort, and energy to get more. Unless there is a reason you want to have more money or fame, they can become empty, hollow destinations.

The best antidote I know to the Disease of More is gratitude and vision. If you are familiar with any of my books or movies, you have likely heard about The Golden List. The Golden List is a life-changing principle I learned from my grandmother. As a young preschooler, I was apparently very unhappy with the world around me on one particular morning. My grandmother told me, “You can complain all you want to as soon as we fill out your golden list.” She explained to me that a golden list is simply writing down 10 things we are thankful for. That process corrected my attitude then, and it still works 50 years later as I daily list the things for which I am grateful. If you couple gratitude with a vision for your life, you will know exactly where you want to go, and this will cure your Disease of More.

If you have a goal to fly to London, but when you call to make your airline reservation they offer you a trip to Tokyo for the same price, you will reject their offer even if they explain that Japan is much farther, so you are getting more for your money. More simply doesn’t matter if we know where we want to go and especially if we are grateful to be there.

You and I can live the lives we want and have anything, but we can’t have everything. Happiness, joy, and satisfaction come when we achieve our goals and reflect upon them, discovering that we have enough.

As you go through your day today, avoid the Disease of More with vision and gratitude.

Today’s the day!

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK  74145-9082; by email at Jim@JimStovall.com; on Twitter at www.twitter.com/stovallauthor; or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jimstovallauthor.

 

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One Response to Taking Yes for an Answer

  1. Christopher Lee Vollendorff November 8, 2018 at 11:55 am #

    I have never read any of his books, but I agree. If you are not grateful for who and what you DO have, you will never have enough. You will never be satisfied, More importantly, you will never be happy.

    So, take a minute, write a list or whatever else it takes and be GRATEFUL! Your soul will thank you!

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