Willingness Opens the Door to Endless Possibilities

We seldom do anything to the best of our ability but only to the extent of our willingness.

Marquita Herald
4 min readJun 23, 2022

All day, every day, from the time you get up until the time you go to sleep you are measuring and negotiating willingness.

Many of these negotiations are so small, so mundane they barely register as conscious choices while others require more thoughtful consideration, especially if there is the least bit of resistance.

How important is this? Does it really need to be done now? Will it take long, maybe there’s a quicker way? What are the risks? What if you just ignore it?

Why not put off dealing with that difficult problem for now and do something easier? Who knows, with a little extra time you might come up with a better solution, or maybe it’ll resolve itself.

And if you need more time, you can always reshuffle priorities — again.

It works because it is so simple, and it sounds like you’re just being practical.

Unwillingness — to act, to make the effort, to risk uncertainty, discomfort, or failure — can become a pattern of behavior that ultimately determines the quality and course of your entire life.

Too often what prevents us from achieving our most important goals and building our best life is not lack of ability, but the sobering reality that we are simply unwilling to make the effort. ~Author Unknown

Willingness is a Process

Willingness is generally defined as an attitude of readiness, desire, inclination, or preparedness.

But reaching a state of willingness is not a switch that you turn on and off, it’s a process that begins with a decision to be made, then evaluating your options, and finally determining the anticipated cost.

Do you risk a confrontation by having a difficult conversation, or wait to see if the problem resolves itself? Eat the rabbit food prescribed by your doctor, or treat yourself to pizza with friends?

Give up the struggle to achieve your goal or keep trying?

The cost could be time, effort, money, discomfort or fear, your health, a relationship, loss of privacy, or peace of mind.

It’s worth emphasizing, that there will be a cost whether you choose to act or not.

Following your doctor’s advice to lose weight will require changing your eating habits and taking the extra time to prepare healthy meals, while the cost of ignoring his advice could be your health, if not your life.

Whatever the choice may be, your challenge is to weigh the potential costs and decide how willing you are to pay the price.

We tend to associate this mindset with pursuing goals or managing change, but willingness has the potential to influence virtually every area of your life.

It can open the doors to …

  • Consider other viewpoints and beliefs.
  • Admit without shame that you need help.
  • Pursue a dream despite the odds.
  • Increase knowledge and new skills.
  • Accept yourself unconditionally.
  • Build more intimate relationships.
  • Find opportunities for growth in adversity.
  • Embrace the healing power of forgiveness.
  • Make your health and well-being a priority.

Even the most longed for experiences such as a promotion, marriage, or starting a family, inevitably come with unexpected challenges and how much effort we’re willing to invest will have a direct impact on the quality and outcome of the experience.

Whatever you desire to do, acquire, or become in life, the ultimate test of your commitment is how willing you are to make sacrifices to create that reality.

I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a Champion! ~Muhammad Ali

It Means Taking Ownership

One of the most common misconceptions about willingness is that it requires you to be happy or welcome the opportunity to act without reluctance.

Sounds inspiring, but it rarely works that way.

Think about someone recovering from a serious physical injury and facing months of rehabilitation. If you’ve ever had physical therapy then you know it’s painful, and not the least bit fun, but it is well worth the effort to regain your strength and mobility.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Am I too old to (fill in the blank)?”

This is a question that frequently pops up on social media. It may be about going back to school, changing careers, getting married, or even starting a family.

Whatever the choice in question, your age does not determine your ability to achieve or acquire it.

There will be challenges to pursuing meaningful goals no matter what your age. They will be different when you’re twenty than when you’re forty, fifty, or beyond, but only insurmountable if you decide the cost is too high.

Too often it’s not the obstacles in our path that prevent us from achieving our important dreams and goals, but our unwillingness to pay the price.

We either settle for an easier path to a less fulfilling outcome or simply give up.

Willingness opens the doors to knowledge, direction, and achievement. Be willing to know, be willing to do, be willing to create a positive result. Be willing, especially to follow your dream. ~Peter McWilliams

The Takeaway

Willingness is not about doing more; it’s about being more.

Every day you make dozens if not hundreds of small choices that add up over time, forming a pattern of behavior that ultimately defines who you are and determines the quality and course of your life.

When you are willing to face the small problems on a day-to-day basis and stretch yourself a little beyond what is comfortable to fully engage with life, it builds the confidence and skills that increase your ability to thrive in even the most challenging environments.

When you consider the endless opportunities that come with a willing heart it’s easy to see this as much more than an attitude, but a philosophy on life.

Ask yourself now, what am I willing to let into my life?

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Marquita Herald
Marquita Herald

Written by Marquita Herald

Resilient Living Strategist | Transformational Author & Guide, unapologetic Introvert, lover of road trips, peanut butter cookies, and a dog named Lucy,

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