Being sick and tired of your self and circumstances is probably the most underrated steps to getting out of old habits and achieving your goals and becoming successful that no one really mentions that often. What is mentioned and is a true fact is that the single most effective way to make change of any situation is through Action. Although this may seem very simple in essence, a lot of people find it very hard to even get to the first step which is Taking Action. Why, because they are not tired of themselves and not tired of their current situation.
Many people go about the everyday lives unhappy or just completely miserable with work, life, friends and family and continue everyday to be content with the way things are. In other words, they just accept the bad hand life has dealt them without attempting to find solutions to their problems. In all honesty, I believe that majority, not all, but the majority of people has the power to completely change their financial, social, and mental situation. The reason I said majority and not everyone is because you also have to take into consideration real medical disabilities, your environment and natural circumstances but for the majority of people, it's not a mental disability but rather mental restrictions and distractions that CAN be overcome.
After reading "Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success" by Steve Harvey 4 maybe 5 times since I have owned the book, one of the chapters, which turns out to be the first chapter, inspired me to curate a quote by Mr. Harvey that may have been the top leading source of motivation for millions of successful people around the world.
Most of the time, we might seek motivation from outside sources and other avenues like horoscopes, quotes by famous authors, scholars, etc and some also finds their motivation by just taking action but of all the places people tent to look for their motivation, they neglect to use probably the single most powerful source of motivation that they can tap into. The power of being Sick and Tired.
That old saying "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired" has literally changes the lives of many people who has went on to become what we would refer to as "successful", from your everyday person to celebrities but until you have reached your apex of exhaustion, until you are completely worn out, until you are mentally consumed with your situation that it gets you pissed off, you will not be able to harness the power and motivation that comes along with being sick and tired.
The quote "sick and tired of being sick and tired" originated by Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights leader who started out as a volunteer of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and later, a field secretary for the committee. She also went on to help co found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) and in 1964, they officially asked the National Democratic Party which consisted of all white members, to seat their delegates at the party's upcoming National Democratic Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The members demanded that the Credentials Committee reject the MFDP's request but because of the ongoing civil rights movement at the time, it led the Credentials Committee to invite Hamer and her group to make a presentation to them during the Democratic National Convention. After refusing the offer of two non voting seats by the committee, she went on to explain how African Americans in many states across the country were prevented from voting through illegal tests, taxes and intimidation. The question was asked why she persisted in her civil rights efforts, and her reply was
"All my life I've been sick and tired. Now I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired."
In the book, Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success, Steve opens up Chapter 1 explaining how he was tired of himself and his situation, being broke, not feeling like his life is going anywhere and just completely exhausted with life which his mother, paraphrasing Fannie Lou Hamer, told him, "Sometimes, son, nothing is going to change until you get sick and tired of being sick and tired."
Listening to his mother and applying the power from the motivation of changing from a life of poverty to a life of prosperity and success, Steve's next step was to take action. Steve Harvey has became not only a successful comedian, but also a successful businessman. For a broader example of how being sick and tired of yourself and situation can change your life, in the book, Steve stated that at one point he was sleeping in his car and practically homeless, to the free amateur, then his first paying gigs at $25 a night, then becoming a featuring act which took him from $350 per week to $750 per week, then as a national headliner which would net him anywhere between $1,500 - $60,00 per week depending on the venue and later earning $25,000 per night.
Steve has retired and moved on from the world of stand up, but you can still hear and feel his presence everyday on radio, The Steve Harvey Morning Show and on TV, Family Fued, Steve Harvey and reruns of The Steve Harvey Show, through books such as Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success, Straight Talk, No Chaser, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man and a few others. Steve has also partnered with numerous companies and brands over the years which has accumulated into a diverse portfolio of brands in several industries like entertainment, fashion, health and foods, auto and many others.
All of this would not have been possible had Steve not become tired of himself, his financial situation and as Steve stated, he got tired of EVERYTHING and began to take action towards his goals. Many of us, including myself, has been living and acting far below our potential and it's not really much standing in front of us from us being able to tap into that potential and utilize it to make your dreams, goals, and vision come to life.
What are some of your dreams, goals and/or vision and what are the things holding you back from achieving them? Please feel free to leave your comments below!
Check out the origins of the quote "Act Like A Success, Think Like A Success"
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