Why Choose The Burn

11/18/2022

Dear Why Team member,
I hope this weeks message finds you well and encouraged. If not, hopefully the pain will lead to gain.

Last week, we reviewed the importance of nurturing our roots, especially the roots of our thoughts. But just like everything worth doing, it may take a few tries hence, this week we explore the importance of putting forth effort that can be painful, emotionally and/or physically.

Audio:🗣

Everyone has heard the phrase ‘no pain, no gain’. As contemporary as it sounds, it was Ben Franklin who coined these famous words back in the eighteenth century when he wrote, “There are no gains without pains.”
No pain, no gain, as the saying goes. You know me well if you knew I was going to encourage you to embrace the pain since you can’t avoid it in pursuit of your gain.

So here is the message:
Feel the burn.
Why?
To light the fuel within.

Rocket Fuel serves no purpose without fire to ignite it, to explode it, into purposeful action. And Rocket Fuel can take you to the Moon and back – literally 😄

Do you play it safe? Why?
Are you storing up for a rainy day and creating the very rain in your life by doing so? Where is your faith?
Do you see your value as measurable or immeasurable?
When you serve others, the impact is immeasurable, it can go on and on as others pay it forward. Is that your true measure of wealth, your impact that goes beyond your self?
When we become overly fearful and anxious, we lose the eyes to see the possibilities, we forget the immense life we have already had the great privilege of living . A self-focus can limit our impact to arms length, providing us limited measures of wealth. An other-focus, however, is......limitless and can return dividends beyond measure.

One of my acquaintances recently had the opportunity to talk with a Christian monk. She was relaying to me how he had such an indescribable serenity on his face, a calm posture and soothing voice perfectly inflected. I experienced this while visiting Asia and meeting some of the monks of a place of worship that was part of our tour. No matter the religion, there are people who dedicate their lives to the service of others through rigorous prayer and/or meditation.
Full abandonment of this earthy life to serve and pray for others seems to be the ultimate pain and sacrifice and not all of us are built for it but, with small and frequent acts of kindness, we can be of service to many starting with ourselves; filling others’ cups will surely fill ours.

As you work towards your gain, you will often feel the burn of your efforts. But there is also a joy that only a good burn, for others, can access. Those who train regularly, no doubt, have experienced what I'm talking about.
I can say with 100% certainty that I am physically where I am today because I hired a trainer. I already have enough to keep track of in my life. My trainer knows me, he knows how to push me, test me, he knows what I can physically accomplish better than I do. I show up, trust and hit it as hard as I can, and certainly harder than I would were I alone.
Oh sure, there are days I could go it alone, but it's on those days when I need him most that I need him most.

Where we enter into an accountability relationship, we find greater discipline. Where we find discipline, we find success. And the greater the discipline, the greater the success.

In my youth, I mostly worked out for me, with limited success. Today, after over fifteen years with a trainer, and because it's important to me, I train for others, to be physically and mentally strong for all and anyone I come in contact with starting with my family and ending with every member of my audience.
We owe it to ourselves and others, to do our best, to fully live and enjoy each BEST DAY EVER as the best Present we ever received, to bring our "A" game and nothing less.

If this is your experience, I hope this message affirms and encourages you. If not, I invite you to lean more into the discomfort - to more fully experience a joy and abundance born from a life more committed to serving others - knowing an immeasurable wealth of purpose that can never be taken from you.

Choose the burn, light and ignite the best within you, to help light and ignite the best in others.

Make it a great week,

Steve Luckenbach

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