The Trap of Doing Nothing!

September 30, 2008 by Milton Kamwendo
Filed under: Unleashing Greatness 

Whenever we do nothing we always get a predictable result – anyone can guess what the result is. A farmer who plants nothing and hopes for success is a true traitor. A trader who sells nothing and hopes for profits is a thief. A person who sleeps all day and dreams of being something will harvest a long and yawning nightmare. If anything is to be different we have to take different action. To change consequences we have to change action. To change a harvest we have to change the seed we are planting. Doing what we have always done and expecting different results is a sign of self-deception, narrow-mindedness and insanity.

In life people are recognised for the work that they have done – not just merely imagined or passed a comment about. Without doing anything there cannot be any achievement or track record. It is amazing to note the number of people who dream of success and hope for a big break while the lounge around the whole day and stroll along easy street. Laziness is never a substitute for thinking. All thought that does not result is action is wasted capacity. Human mental and spiritual processing capacity cannot just be wasted on idle chatter. But what stops people from taking action?

Avoidance of pain
Action is can be painful. Stretching an idle, lazy muscle is painful. With all the known benefits of physical exercise how many people exercise regularly? To avoid pain many would rather procrastinate. Procrastination has many short-term benefits. In the short term it feels like work and achievement, yet and in the long term it haunts us. In life there will always be some pain – there can never be a joy of parenting without the pain of labour. It is the obsession with short-term and instant gratification that mothers all known mischief. Greatness is synonymous with delayed gratification.

Tyranny of fear
Fearful and timid souls hate taking action – and fortune favours the bold. Fear is the greatest thief in life. Some people fear other people. Others fear embarrassment. Others fear both the known and the unknown. Some fear failure. Others are terrified by fear itself. Whatever it is, fear is an enemy when it robs us from taking resolute action. Fear is always false evidence appearing real. We can all testify that 99,34% of our fears never happen. So why waste vital imagination imagining the worst possible when we could equally imagine the best possible. Why be a prisoner in the cells of our minds when we can experience the exhilaration of action?

Stubborn laziness
Laziness is a natural tendency that afflicts all humanity. However, it is bad when it becomes chronic and wears sophisticated veils. The brothers of laziness are excuses; its sister’s initials are GRQ – standing for “Get Rich Quick”. The route of action sometimes seems slow and tedious. Laziness is a desire for self-preservation and unfortunately laziness has no upper or lower age limit.

It is amazing how many people want seed given to them, and the ploughing done for them together with the harvesting. It is amazing how many people clamour for business and yet they are not willing to put up with its burdens and challenges. It is amazing how many people love roses and would rather not have the thorns. It is amazing how many people love honey but they would never dare come near a beehive or even consider a beekeeping project. The only free cheese in life is usually on the mouth of a mousetrap or in the dream of a lazy person.

Nothing changes until we change. Nothing happens until we start happening. We have to take action. While we wallow in our self-pity and dabble in our laziness – the world will never stop turning. The world belongs to those who take action and make things happen while others stand by talking, thinking, whispering and wondering what is happening. The longer we take to take action the harder taking action becomes. Try rolling a dry ox-hide and you will know the mean of this isiNdebele proverb: “Isikhumba sigoqwa sisemanzi (The hide is rolled while it is still wet).”

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Comments

8 Responses to “The Trap of Doing Nothing!”

  1. Shepherd Makanha on September 30th, 2008 8:05 pm

    Your messages are so inspiring, I have been following your articles for the past three years, and I feel very much inspired by all the issues I do receive. I would like, at this point, to record my appreciation of Issue 210, which I believe did touch the hearts of anyone who read it. Please keep up the good work, as purpose is a journey and not a destination. This reminds me of the following quotes:

    “He does not live in vain, who employs his wealth, his thought, his speech to advance the good of others.” - Hindu Maxim

    “Imparting Knowledge is only lighting other men’s candles at our lamp, without depriving ourselves of any flame.” - Jane Porter

    So in closing, I would like to encourage you once again to keep up the good work, or rather, to excel even further.

  2. Samuelle Dimairho on October 1st, 2008 11:01 am

    Keep up with the excellent and inspiring work Mr Kamwendo! Sharing your wisdom with us has greatly made us to change the way we look at life and also motivated us to be on a mission of persuing greatness in life

  3. Dodzo Munyaradzi Kenneth on October 1st, 2008 4:11 pm

    Your Greatness Series is really stimulating. It is making champions. If it is not making any champions elsewhere, at least there is already one in me. Continue with the good work and GOD bless you richly!

    Regards.

  4. Edward K. Muwanga on October 2nd, 2008 10:04 am

    Your articles are so insipiring and I like them so much. Please keep me posted when ever you release them and thank you.

  5. NELLY.KADDU on October 8th, 2008 10:51 am

    Mr.Kamwendo, i would like to express my sincere gratitude for all the insipiring issues. they have not changed me as an individual but by entire family. please keep up the spirit and God will reward you for the wisdom and words of knowledge you share with the entire human race.

  6. NELLY.KADDU on October 8th, 2008 10:52 am

    Mr.Kamwendo, i would like to express my sincere gratitude for all the insipiring issues. they have not only changed me as an individual but by entire family. please keep up the spirit and God will reward you for the wisdom and words of knowledge you share with the entire human race.

  7. Elizabeth on October 8th, 2008 6:55 pm

    It’s like God was always waiting for me this side of the world. All I’ve been yearning for to shoot me forth in life has been wrapped in Mr. Kamwendo all along, at least at this point in my life. For 3-4 months now I’ve been feasting on the goodness of God wrapped in you Mr. Kamwendo! God truly bless you and continue to expand your territory of influence so many more lives will be blessed and helped to manifest greatness! All the articles are so inspiring and I must find a way of sharing even with those who have no access to these facilities. Please be blessed with;- Hebrews 6:10, as you continue to help us.

  8. Kumbicoms [Kumbi Chawatama] on October 11th, 2008 1:29 pm

    It’s really amazing how much potential I never knew I had, until I read “Increase Your Confidence and Self Belief”. Now I am fully on the way to making change happen in my life. I’m gratefull to you, immensely.

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