When Pain Is A Good Thing

In 1996, I needed a change.

I hated my job. I lived in a small apartment because it was all I could afford. I drove a piece of crap car for the same reason.

In short, I was in pain. My pain stemmed from the fact that others controlled my life. I felt like a slave. I worked my butt off just to pay the rent and feed myself. What kind of life is that?

My pain, however, propelled me to something better. The minute a friend of mine brought up network marketing, I jumped on it. I didn’t know you could make that much money without being a real estate mogul or an investment genius.

Like most marketers, I failed miserably at first. I made every mistake a network marketer can possible make. Yet, the alternative kept me going. I knew that if I didn’t succeed in network marketing, I faced a life of slavery.

That was enough for me.

I literally marketed as if my life depended on it because, in a very real sense, it did. Whenever I felt like quitting (which was quite often at first), I’d picture my boss’ scowling face, saying, “I need you to work a double today.” I can think of no greater motivator.

They say we’re either motivated by pain or pleasure. If either the pain of your current situation or the pleasure of making a change is not great enough, you’ll probably have a difficult time finding the necessary motivation.

Of the two, I think pain motivates me more. Sure, sitting on a beach sipping a cool drink while working a couple hours a day on my laptop would be nice, but it’s nothing compared to avoiding the gray, lifeless existence that comes with working for someone else.

If you want to change, find your pain.