Recently, and I can't remember where, I read a piece about the difference between "I am willing to" and "I want to." At first glance, it seemed to me that "I am willing to" was a much weaker statement than "I want to." "Willing" seemed to imply that I
would do the thing, I
could do it, it was
possible, but there was no burning desire to do it, while "wanting"
did carry that tone of desire and passion. Gosh, wasn't it way better to WANT to do something than to be WILLING to do something?
Well, as it turns out, no, not so much. I
want plenty of things: I
want my house to be clean, I
want to be in better shape, I
want to have more time for my hobbies/avocations. And wanting gets me how far? Not far at all, unless I am also WILLING.
Willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish what I
want.
For that orderly house, am I
willing to get out the vac regularly, do the dishes and make my bed every day? For better health, am I
willing to shop for whole, unprocessed foods and spend time cooking,
willing to get out for some kind of exercise no matter what? For more time for what I enjoy, am I
willing to spend less time on the computer (ack!),
willing to work efficiently and not let myself get distracted when taking care of necessities before picking up the crochet hook or sitting down at the spinning wheel?
Unless I'm
willing, "I want" gets me nowhere at all, whether we're talking about daily business or crawling out from under a crushing load of dysfunction and fear.
Here is one reading on this topic from the website "Maximum Strength Positive Thinking" found here:
I am willing to do whatever it takes. Positive change isn’t a matter of the will. Rather, it’s a matter of being willing to do whatever it takes. When I am not willing, no matter how much I say I want to change, it will not happen. I am only playing a word game, and everyone understands what I am saying.
The difference between the will and being willing is great. Making my dreams come true doesn’t require an iron will. I don’t need an indomitable spirit before I start the journey. I don’t need to spend years pumping myself up in preparation for the moment that will takes over, sweeps me off my feet, and carries me to total victory. That is a fairy tale of the will. No one has a mountain of will that sweeps away all opposition.
I don’t need a massive will to succeed. I do need a willingness to do whatever is required to make my dreams happen. Although I don’t have an iron will, I do have a willingness to work around or go through, over, or under whatever obstacles get in the way. This is a quiet willingness. Eloquent speeches of dramatic resolve aren’t part of the script. I simply get on with the business of living my dreams. Every day I focus on my purpose and act on my plan, because I am willing to do whatever it takes to make my dreams come true.
I never understood why steps 8 and 9 were 2 distinct steps, or why 6 and 7 were separate, either. Why was there a separation between becoming
willing to make amends and actually
making the amends? Why would we have to be "entirely ready" for our HP to remove our defects before we asked for it to be done? I think I begin to understand that now.
