On most occasions, gaining momentum is perceived as a positive concept. We imagine this phrase to be one that characterizes us as moving in the right direction, with some weight behind us, toward an objective, goal or destination. In this way, the traction we have acquired and put to use is valuable to our personal growth. Conversely, momentum can also swing in the opposite direction and we can often find ourselves "on a roll" that isn't so positive, is troubling or possibly even destructive. What we must remember, however, is that before we can start filling up the "hole" we dug for ourselves we first have to stop digging.
It is such a simple concept, but one that we often don't consciously address. When we wake up one morning to realize, for example, that the numbers on the scale are not gradually going down--but instead going UP--we immediately start worrying about how to LOSE weight. What we have to do FIRST, however, is stop GAINING weight and stabilize to create a ceiling. When we look at our bank account and notice that we are consistently short of our needs, we often focus on earning more money when we NEED to FIRST address the habits that got us there and stop the bleeding. When we find ourselves in a disturbing cycle of emotional discomfort, our first response is to seek out ways to make ourselves feel better or put "gas in our tank", yet we fail to realize that putting gas in our tank without plugging the gaping holes at the bottom will only perpetuate the cycle.
Think of it this way. If we are walking down a path and it becomes obvious that we need to turn around, some glittering wand doesn't come out of the clouds and magic us in the other direction. We actually have to STOP before we turn around and go. This step serves as our way of saying, "This is as far as I am willing to go down this road. I want to go back in the other direction." We will all gain momentum going down paths that may not be valuable to us, maybe even find ourselves in full-on nosedives, but deciding where to set the "end of the line" is up to us. We get to choose when enough is enough. Just remember, the day you are reading this is the first day of the rest of your life. This is your opportunity to change directions.
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