I was listening a podcast interviewing Andy Stanley and the topic of the podcast was How do you get what you really want?
Two things struck me as I was listening to the podcast. First was, this is a great title for a podcast. Everyone wants to get what they want. The second thing that really got me was the use of that word “really.” It’s not just what we want, it’s what we really want.
The key is the word really.
I use Grammarly for my writing. If you are not familiar with it, it basically checks out the words you write like spell checker and makes suggestions based on grammar. It’s a cool tool and saves me from offending most English teachers. Well, Grammarly does not like the word “really.” Every time I use it in a sentence it wants me to take it out. But why?
According to Grammarly, and other grammar sticklers, “really” is an overused adverb. The argument is that people use this over and over, but do they “really” need to use the word?
Really means to see things as they actually are. So, it almost sounds like a truth serum. But using the word too much can over dramatize the sentence and erode the true meaning of the word. In most cases, it doesn’t need to be used.
But in the context of what we want, I think it is the perfect word. What is it that we really want? Adding in the word “really” allows us to cut the BS and get down to facts. As Andy says, “If you are trying to get to what you really want, end the sentence with really.”
Interesting. So, let’s give it a try.
I want to write a book. Really? Really.
I want a new car. Really? Really.
I want a place at the beach. Really? Really.
After doing this exercise and spending time writing each of these down, what I found is that when we end the sentence with “really” it forces us to truly look at why we want something. It forces us to dig deep and understand not only if it’s something we want, but what we are willing to do to get there. It forces us to face the questions of what are we willing to give up and what steps is it going to take to make this happen?
My guess is that when we dig deep, the items that we wrote down aren’t “really” what we want. This exercise frees us up to pursue the things we actually want.
Next time you think you want something, end the sentence with really and see how it forces you to go a little deeper and truly understand if that is what you “really” want.
Until next time…I’m Marty, make every minute count.
Commentaires