Paying Dues - Day 3

Desiring instant gratification can sabotage our efforts at paying dues and working toward specific goals.

We want what we want, when we want it, which is usually now.Other people tell us if we want a relationship, just go after it. If we want a certain career, all we need to do is go to college and get a degree. If we have a dream, all we have to do is set a goal. They leave out the paying-dues part.When we find ourselves being tried and tested, we may think the obstacle is a sign that we’re heading the wrong way. Sometimes it is. Other times an obstacle is challenging us to invest more of ourselves so we can genuinely own the endeavor.We may have spent years investing energy in a bottomless pit. We were giving to someone who had no intention of giving back.We may have decided not to give that much of ourselves again. The problem with paying dues may be deciding which people and projects deserve our attention and efforts.

Challenge: The biggest challenge to paying dues is that we may think we’re exempt. We think things should be easy. But if things come too easy or cheap, we may not realize how valuable they are.

From the book: 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact