Tip#40: Why Getting Stuck Is Good - The Pursuit of Happyness

The Pursuit of Happyness

I got a call last weekend letting me know that Chris Gardner, author of the book and movie The Pursuit of Happyness,was going to speak at Indigo Books in Toronto the next day on March 19th. My friend who'd called felt like an angel sending me a gift because I had been in a low energy funk. I was feeling stuck in my life and needed some inspiration. So yes, even motivators need motivation too sometimes.

Though I wasn't feeling well I pushed myself to go that night and found all the seats were already full and so I stood in the back behind the roped off areas. There I met an acquaintance I hadn't seen in years. Soon she was recommending that I contact this well known author and radio host she knows. I wasn't sure why she did this but I felt it was another synchronistic message for me. So I just accepted the information and chatted more while we waited for the guest of honour to appear.

The Answer

Chris Gardner finally showed up with a great and confident presence about him. He was dressed for success and was a truly big guy! He was interviewed on the stage area by the CEO of Indigo Books & Music, Heather Reisman or as she playfully refers to herself as 'Chief Book Lover'. Gardner inspired me with his casual confidence, positive attitude and stories about his life struggles.

He mentioned several times how much of a passion he had for being a stockbroker and you could feel and hear it in his voice. Gardner talked about the movie version of his book with Will Smith playing him and I remembered how the film showed the way his passion for being a stockbroker sustained him through his intense poverty experiences.

Then later Gardner said something that struck me deep...

 "Don’t think about money, just keep doing what you love doing."

This hit the heart of the matter of my current situation. I have been following what I loved doing for years, motivating and helping others, but haven't been seeing the income levels I'd been expecting. I was also overwhelmed by many exciting opportunities but just didn't know which way to go. I felt stuck and lost. And yet Gardner's statement lifted me right up and helped me to keep going and focus on my number one passion right now. And that passion is writing these motivational tips on this blog.

A Vision of The Future

Right then I began to see it was time to get my blog published as a book. I started to picture myself in Gardner's place on stage at some point in the future. His book documented his struggles, solutions and successes which is what my blog is all about. Being at this event helped me visualize my dream of having a self-help book published. I began to imagine my book as a national best seller and mentioned this to my old acquaintance standing next to me. She corrected me and said, "You mean INTERNATIONAL best seller!"

Once again synchronicity played it's part and guided me to solutions for getting unstuck, showing me the direction in which to focus my time and energy. I just need to trust that the money will follow as it did with Gardner. The synchronicities didn’t stop there.

The very next day I was invited to a Mediabistro networking event and realized when I arrived that most of the people there were writers! I had stumbled into a nest of experts that could help me understand the publishing world and give me invaluable advice. I even met a literary agent who was excited about my concept of a motivational tips book using movies that motivate.

The Gift In Being Stuck

So remember that being stuck can be a useful time for reassessing your direction in life or career. It may not feel comfortable but it's a necessary pause to let the important choices of your life float up through your inner noise. Life can get so cluttered that having the courage to step off your regular routine can bring your top priorities back into focus.

And by following your passions you'll enjoy your journey much more, especially when you learn to trust that synchronistic signs and messages are always there to guide your way. And in my case, Chris Gardner reminded me that I was already moving in the "write" direction! You will too if you keep doing what you love doing.

"Find something that you love. Something that gets you so excited you can't wait to get out of bed in the morning. Forget about money. Be happy...  ...The money thing will come. I know so many people who have so much more money than I. They are miserable. It is so important to be happy."  
Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness

Emmanuel Lopez
www.motivatorman.com
© Emmanuel Lopez 2007