The message of “hustling” has become so mainstream (not to mention celebrated) that if you’re doing anything less than grinding out a 12-hour workday, society says you’re not doing enough.
Everything requires some hustle – I’m not denying putting effort into what you do. What I’m suggesting, is that maybe there’s a better message to send: a little less hustle, a little more alignment.
What is alignment?
The simplest way I’ve heard it described is this:
“Alignment looks like someone operating with a purpose”
To be in alignment means to be in line with your spirit. Your spirit is pure, positive, love. It never deviates from that place, and only sees love in all things (yes, even the bad things).
Alignment is the person who seems to have everything always working out for them and floats through life happily vs the person who seems to have all of the bad luck and stumbles through life miserable.
They both “hustle” but one will likely yield better results faster with a higher level of fulfillment compared to the one who struggles more often feeling like they’re constantly swimming upstream.
So, what is the difference between a hustle out of alignment, vs a hustle in alignment? One word:
I N S P I R A T I O N .
You know that feeling when you’re in “the zone” – that flow state when the pieces of a puzzle fall into place, you’re checking things off your list (and feeling like you’re doing so effortlessly), you’re just crushing it, and suddenly an idea pops into your head, seemingly, out of the blue?
That’s inspiration! And it’s in this place where we should be taking action from.
Inspired action is where real progress and fulfillment come from, because it’s direction that’s coming from your spirit. The word inspire is derived from “in” and “spirit”. It’s not based on what others have done or are doing. It’s not trying to apply a certain formula hoping to get the same result as another or working based off “shoulds”.
I worry we are teaching people to hustle the wrong way. That we are teaching people to hustle themselves into overwork and struggle, grinding it out because they see other people getting rich and successful off the hustle, and they want that too. But if it’s not coming from a deeper place, there will be no amount of money or “success” – however you define it, that will bring you true happiness or fulfillment.
That can only come from within.
