Accepting vs. Willing

Accepting = belief and purpose

Willing = Strategy 

When we think about accepting vs willing we really first want to understand what these two things mean. When we talk about accepting this does not mean doing nothing and just letting things happen. This means that we need to fully have a purpose in what we are doing and have a strong why to what that situation/decision is. When we talk about willing we go more into strategy. Strategy is something we focus so much time on and is important but if we are implementing a strategy we need the belief and purpose behind it or any strategy will not be as impactful as we want.

Starting with willing, we all want things to happen in business, life and sports. As we start to will things to happen we begin to lose sight of the why. The why being the big purpose when we are doing something, if we move out of alignment of this purpose that is when we get into the willing. When we are in a will stage we tend to move towards something we do not want and we aren’t living our best self. In business and in sports we focus a lot on strategy and making sure we are checking off the list of things we have to do for that day, this is the will we have on a day to day basis.

Willing also goes into a mindset basis, as individuals our minds work in a way that wants immediate satisfaction in whatever we do. We see this a-lot in health, tons of people start a “diet” and want results the next week, we all know that losing weight/gaining muscle does not happen overnight. Our minds want this satisfaction right away and if we do not get the results then our unconscious mind wants to put us back into that comfortable state. When we fall back into that comfortable state we start to relive old habits that are no longer serving us with our new vision. That is the will in our behavior and why we need to accept our purpose/why.

Accepting what is happening and what we know to be true is a very hard task and also a very rewarding one. When we are in alignment with our purpose and fulling accepting that we are living our best self and will get the best results whether that is the athlete we strive to be or a successful business owner. We must believe in the process and believe in ourselves in order to achieve on a higher level.

As I think about this in my life no time has been wasted when I am doing what I love to do and that is when we see the most success in individuals. As you begin to accept what is happening and stop willing you will find yourself running into challenges that are not as hard as they used to be. When we are serving through our purpose and accepting that then we move through challenges and hard times stronger and faster.

As my family was hit with a life changing accident, I knew I could will everything to happen that I did not like about the situation or I could accept what is and find my purpose within it all. Everything happens for a reason and I was put in this situation for a reason and really accepting that was very peaceful. The same goes in business and sports, we are faced with decisions everyday, hard times, fun times, amazing times, and crucial times but if we are in alignment with our vision and have a strong purpose then all those times will be huge in our process.

As an athlete I was always in will mode with practicing physical corrections each and everyday for more than 3 hours a day. If I would have known and believed what I believe now I would have spent those 3 hours a day focusing on my belief, my vision, and my purpose as an athlete. The fun part about that, is I would have been more successful working on those aspects than the physical changes.

If I could give anyone one piece of advice within this post it would be to find your purpose, accept that purpose and really believe in your purpose. If you are an athlete, coach, or small business manager I am very confident that you can accept your strength and begin to empower individuals around you.