The Power of Necessity
Forget about what makes you “look good” — what do you really want?
This essay is adapted from my forthcoming book Cosmic Habit Force (Jan 2022). If you find it useful, please consider preordering the book. — MH
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How badly do you want what you want? The greatest single factor that delivers you to your goal is a sense of urgency.
My friend and co-seeker Lucas Whelan offered this formula for self-change and achievement: “You’ve got to be in a place that’s more painful than growing is.” Maybe you have had the experience. A day sometimes arrives when addiction, self-sabotage, self-doubt, or mistreatment at the hands of others finally fills you with such a sense of despair or yearning that the impetus for change naturally arises. It could be one of the most painful but rewarding days of your life.
“You’ve got to be in a place that’s more painful than growing is.”
We may also face a circumstantial need that hits us with the force of necessity, such as experiencing the wish for financial independence. This struck me when I was fifteen years old. It occurred to me with the impact of absolute truth — what William James called a “conversion experience” — that my parents would be unable to support…
