Some Things Need to Bother You

What bothers you?
Those annoying, anxious concerns that wake you up in the middle of the night may actually be good things.  Think of them as prompts.  Just like an actor follows cues, these bothers should send you into action.
A troublesome question in your mind is a clue that you need to explore further.
Let it bother you.  Let it annoy you so much that you simply cannot stand to procrastinate any longer.  Let it be the catalyst that gets you off your duff and leads you to finally fix the bother.

Things that Need to Bother You

What kinds of things am I speaking about here?  Well, they are going to differ a bit from person to person, but I think there is some common ground that should bother us all. 
You need to be bothered if you aren't performing as well as you can in the following areas:

1.  Your Marriage

How's your marriage?  Does it bother you the way your relationship is going?  That nagging little concern you have is trying to arouse you to do something to improve your marriage.  It is often said that who you choose to marry will determine 90% of your happiness in life.  But, that's a very passive way to think.  One that won't get you anywhere except divorce court.  You can make a big difference in your marriage if you'll take the initiative to improve yourself first.  Let the bothered feeling you have push you into taking a step in the right direction and see if your marriage doesn't become more of what you want because of it.

2.  Your Finances

"A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money," jokes W.C. Fields.  How rich are you feeling after the holidays?  Are you worried about what the bills are going to be when they come in?  I hope you get really bothered about it.  In fact, I hope you get so fed up with how you've mishandled your money that you actually do something about it.  Nothing will improve if you keep doing what you've always done.  I'd suggest you find a new way to manage your finances.  The relief you'll feel will revolutionize your life.

3.  Your Career or Business

What direction is your professional life going?  Have you made any progress lately?  I'm tired of hearing all the whining from everyone about the economy and how it is holding them back.  It is such an easy excuse to claim right now.  However, while many continue to grouse, a few are out there flourishing.  They are finding ways to leverage the situation to their benefit.  They are working smart and hard to succeed.  There is no reason that you can't do the same.  You just need to put your thinking cap on and get creative.

4.  Parenting

"Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you," writes Robert Fulghum.  Are you happy with your children's behavior?  How are they doing in school?  They learn their habits from you in all the areas of life that we are speaking about today.  What kind of example are you setting for them?  Perhaps you need to step it up a bit in some of these areas in order to demonstrate to your child what it takes to succeed.  They need and want your undivided attention.  If they aren't getting it, then this should really bother you.

5.  Your Health

Our bad choices result in many of the most common and detrimental health problems today.  The risk goes up dramatically for things like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke because we don't take proper care of ourselves.  We are literally shaving years off our lives and yet no one seems to care.  How's your health?  Are you overweight?  Do you exercise regularly?  You could save yourself (and your family) a lot of heartache, money and grief by just eating the right foods and overcoming your resistance to exercise.  You are lying to yourself if you think, "it won't happen to me."  This really needs to bother you in a profound way.

6.  Your Happiness

Are you happy?  Would you rather I didn't ask?  By asking, I force you to take stock.  It is easy to fly through life on autopilot avoiding this question altogether.  However, you deserve happiness.  That's right, YOU have earned the right to be happy and if you aren't happy, then you should be bothered by that fact.  The thing is, you don't have the slightest idea how to make yourself happy.  We think we know what will make us happy, but scientists who study happiness have found that we get it wrong most of the time.  So, what can you do?  Well, there are actually some very simple, but effective things you can do to significantly increase your happiness.  Try a few of these and see if they don't make a difference.

7.  Your Bad Habits

We all cling to some bad habits.  I don't know what yours are, but I do know they probably bother you.  They make you feel guilty and weak.  They undermine your self-confidence, self-esteem and often even your health.  Bad habits rob you of well-being.  "I just don't have the willpower to stop," is usually the excuse given for continuing bad habits.  Well, I don't buy this.  You control YOU.  However, I have found that there is a secret to breaking bad habits.  Understanding this secret will greatly assist you in changing your ways.  If you have a habit that bothers you, then maybe you need to focus on making a change.
What else bothers you?  What are you going to do about it?  Leave a comment and let me know.