Action is Proof

Faith, hope, and charity are active principles. If we do not do them, we do not have them. It's that simple. —Janet Tanner

We all need to remind ourselves of this concept every now and again. Action is proof of your willingness to change. It's also proof of what you believe. You can say “I don't believe in lying” all you want, but that holds you to the obligation to do what you say and not lie. Although the quote for this post only relates three principles in life, the concept is much bigger than that.

I hate to criticize, but if a group of people tells you that it's all about one thing that you think or say at one time, and that makes all the difference, walk away. The only things in your life that are important to you are the ones that you live, continually. The things that stick in your heart even when things are hard,in fact, they are the things that come to you mostly when things are hard. They are the things that are going to give you place and purpose for the rest of your life and beyond.

We're talked about the-hard-path. It's worth it. Some people will try to give you ways to cheat life, they will tell you how you can be happiest with the least amount of effort. That's no different and no more realistic than a get-rich-quick-scheme. It's a sale, and that's all.

Most things in life are only worth the time and effort that you put into them. If you don't make sacrifices to be happy, you're happiness won't be all that wonderful.

If you haven't sacrificed for love, you haven't loved very much.

Not only is cheap happiness fake, it's counterproductive. If you are settling, you're missing out. Remember how I said that happiness is basically unattainable—something we must continually strive for? It's true. Never settle for the happiness you've got. There's something better out there.

Action is the action word of action words, and action is proof of what really matters to you. If you realize something is right, and you don't act on it, you are missing the ferry. It must not mean that much to you.

This can be a difficult reality for some; they'd rather watch from the sidelines than run the race. They think they are safe there.

Well, know this: you are in this race, whether you want to be or not. Pretending to be a bystander won't dismiss you from the expectation to finish it.

You are not safe to stand at the side and pretend you aren't involved. Do you want to reflect on your life and realize that it was good for nothing?

The only way to satisfy your conscience is to keep on moving, keep on acting. Endure. Pick what's important to you, put it in your backpack, and carry it to the finish line. Make sure that what is in your bag is what really matters.

Prove. Prove to yourself, and prove to the people around you, that whatever you are staring in the face is important to you. Don't just sit here! If you have a guilty conscience about anything in your life, every single one of your possible solutions involves acting. If it doesn't, your conscience is going to remain muddled.

If you're putting off doing something you know you need to do, JUST DO IT.

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Confidence is a key aspect in life. Once you're an adult, you should know who you are. You should hold yourself accountable to You, in addition to whoever else you might be accountable to. If you know that something is wrong, act against it. If you know something is right, do it. You are a judge of your actions. You know what you feel.

Listen to yourself.

If there's no reason to wait, stop waiting.