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How to Be Content in the Midst of the Struggle · The Daily Writer

• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome everybody to the Born to Create Podcast.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Kent Sanders, and I'm your host.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm an author, musician, and teacher, but most importantly, I'm a husband and a dad.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Here on the show we talk about practices, habits, and strategies that help us live out our creative calling.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 22, and today we're going to be talking about how to be content in the midst of the struggle.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: You can find the post that accompanies this episode, as well as all the links at KentSanders.net slash struggle.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Are we there yet?
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: If you're a parent, you've probably heard this phrase coming from the back seat of the car on a long trip.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: The patience of your kids is run out, but the trip isn't over yet.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: However, it's not only the kids who have trouble waiting.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: We adults are just as impatient, especially when we're in the midst of the struggle to reach our goals.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: So time for a little bit of transparency.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Over the last few weeks, I've struggled with feeling irritable and unhappy at times.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: The strange thing was that I was experiencing some cool wins in my personal life and business, but for some reason I wasn't finding any joy in these victories.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: More than once my wife and son asked, What's wrong?
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: We can tell something's bothering you.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: You seem off somehow.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I didn't have a good explanation for why I was so out of sorts.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Then it dawned on me.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: I was impatient because I couldn't reach my goals fast enough.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: I had zero contentment and couldn't find any joy in the blessings all around me.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: I had become impatient with myself and everybody around me.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: I knew I had to change my perspective and my attitude if I was going to find joy in the midst of the struggle to achieve my goals.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I sat down and worked through several principles that have helped me get back into the right frame of mind and find a sense of joy again.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: If you're struggling to find contentment in the midst of the fight, I think these will be helpful to you as they've been helpful to me.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, it's about the journey, not just the destination.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever reached a goal then found out it wasn't as fulfilling as you thought it would be?
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: Me too.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: When we focus on the goal itself rather than the process that gets us there, we're missing out on the joy of the journey.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: I've always loved the Cheryl Crow song called Soak Up the Sun.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: At the end of verse one, she says it's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's a great principle to keep in mind.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Our contentment in life can't be dependent on just reaching periodic goals.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: There has to be more than that.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: We must learn to find joy not only in the final product, which is the goal, but in the process of producing it.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: If you can't be happy on the way, you won't be happy when you get there.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: If you're struggling, you're in good company.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: George Lucas was rejected by multiple Hollywood studios before twentieth Century Fox agreed to finance his first Star Wars movie.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: Thomas Edison saw years of work along with priceless records and prototypes go up in flames as ten buildings and his plant burned to the ground.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Abraham Lincoln dealt with depression, a tumultuous marriage, and enemies within the government all while managing the Civil War and trying to get the Thirteenth Amendment passed.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: What did these Titans do when they hit a brick wall?
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: They kept chiseling away until they broke through.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: So what is your brick wall?
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Is it developing a new habit?
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Struggling with their relationship, overcoming some kind of personal challenge, figuring out some aspects of business, wrestling with financial issues?
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: No matter what it is, you've got to keep chiseling away.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Don't give up and don't quit.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, it's hard work to achieve a worthwhile goal.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: Depending on which statistics you read, somewhere between eighty and ninety percent of people want to write a book.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: So why do so many people never even get started writing a book?
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: And why do even fewer actually finish and publish a book, either through traditional or self-publishing?
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: Well, the answer is pretty simple.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: Writing and publishing a book takes a lot of work.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: The same logic applies to any worthwhile goal.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're working on finishing a record, launching a website or a podcast, starting a business, making a certain income, losing weight, or finishing a degree.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Those are all worthwhile goals, but they all take time, knowledge, and persistence to complete.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're struggling to be content in the midst of achieving a goal that's important to you, remember that it will be worth it in the long run.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: When I was getting ready to self-publish my book, The Artist Suitcase, I ordered a proof copy from Create Space to check for mistakes and make sure the cover and formatting looked correct.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: I can't begin to tell you how satisfying it was to open the box and see the first print copy of my book.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: Suddenly at that one instant, all the time I spent writing the book and figuring out the self-publishing process was totally worth it.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: And it continues to be worth it because of the people who have read it and told me how it helped them.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: So these three principles have helped me to regain the proper perspective to keep pressing on with joy.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to dive into this topic even more, I highly recommend a book called The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holliday.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: I just finished it and it's given me a big picture view of why struggling with obstacles is valuable, and it also reminded me that it's a vital part of the creative journey.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: So what keeps you going when you're in the midst of the struggle?
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to hear your thoughts.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: You can join the conversation and find the post and the links that accompany this episode at KentSanders.net slash struggle.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: When you visit my site, you'll find all kinds of great resources to inspire your creativity.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'd also love to share a gift with you when you subscribe to my newsletter.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: You can check it out and learn more about my books, writing, and services at KentSanders.net.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to connect with you and you can tweet me at Kent Sanders or find me on Facebook and Instagram as Kent Sanders.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: I hope that you'll also check out our Born to Create Facebook group by visiting Kent Sanders.net slash Facebook Group.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, remember that you were born to create and designed to make a difference.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: What will you do with the time you have left?