Recently I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Eric Thomas, “the hip hop preacher.” I have watched and been inspired by him through countless YouTube videos – some of which made me want to run through walls. He is someone I would characterize as being committed to the grind. To grind means to exert maximum effort in the pursuit of some goal or vision. Are you committed to the grind?
Another famous motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar said, “Most people who fail in their dream fail not from lack of ability but from lack of commitment.” Ability is most evident when it is exercised in the completion of a goal. That being said, being committed to “the grind” will at times overshadow a lack of ability.
Your commitment to a task or goal will ground your motivation and accentuate your ability. Your purpose is partially directed by the abilities you possess, which is why the first step is to define your purpose in life. When the something is undefined, the motivation tends to decline. The moment you understand why you are motivated to do a certain thing, that is the moment that everything begins to make sense and your life begins to take shape.
What are you committed to? What are you grinding to accomplish? Into what area of your life are you pouring maximum effort? Those that grind often outperform those with degrees. I’m not denigrating education. I’m only highlighting the fact that an intense devotion to a purpose is evidenced by the passion of your grind in the fulfillment of that purpose. In the long run your grind will produce a more sustained impact. When it comes to living a life on purpose with purpose are you grinding or just going?
CLARIFY THE GRIND
Why do you wake up in the morning? A slogan that Dr. Eric Thomas has made famous is, “Thank God It’s Monday!” There was a movie that came out about 20 years ago called “Office Space” where one of the office worker’s made a joke about “having a case of the Monday’s.” Many people have a ‘case of the Monday’s’ instead of saying ‘Thank God it’s Monday!’ because they lack clarity on why they should be thankful to see Monday. It’s difficult to grind when you’re dreading the assignment. We are all less likely to be completely committed to what we view as a chore. Even if your job is difficult, dull or dreadful there is something that you were born to pursue. Dedicate at least a portion of the day to focusing on that goal, purpose or vision.
COMMIT TO THE GRIND
Eric Thomas’ associate, Inky Johnson, said, “Commitment is staying true to what you said you were going to do long after the mood that you have said it in has left.” Don’t live life according to your mood. Commitment is goal-based not mood-based. Commitment is based on your understanding of the purpose you’re looking to complete. Commitment is about honor and dedication and can’t be negated by feelings or obstacles. If you’re going to commit to the grind the most difficult part is keeping that commitment during the rough, long, and stressful days. Anyone can stay committed when things are easy. The true test of commitment is forged through our response to adversity. Keep grinding when they reject your idea. Keep grinding when they don’t understand your vision. Keep grinding when you can’t see how your purpose will be fulfilled. Commit to being committed!
COMPLETE THE GRIND
Eventually, you will see the fruit of your labor. Eric Thomas said, “everybody has a dream, but not everybody has a grind.” For those that may not know, at one point Dr. Eric Thomas was homeless and was forced to eat out of trashcans. Now he is one of the highest paid and most sought after motivational speakers worldwide. Who will you be when you complete your grind? Remind yourself that who you will be is a direct result of what you do now.
We are the product of the choices we make everyday. Therefore, I choose to persevere when I don’t see the immediate results I’m looking for. We sometimes think that we have to ungraciously accept whatever happens to us in life. However, we always have a choice as to what we do with every “no” we receive. We have a choice to live the life we want or take the life we’ve been given. Your purpose is the reason you were born. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t have to grind to bring that reason to reality.
https://www.alexrmcelroy.com/bookalex/