Six painfully obvious truths that we sometimes forget
1. Life is short!
We all know that we will die someday, yet are surprised when it happens to people we know. Acknowledging this fact should help you live your life to its fullest. Take a moment to consider how many summers (on average) you have left? How many overseas trips? How many visits with relatives? Sometimes these numbers are lower than you imagine… so, ask yourself this question: are you truly living your life?
A bigger loss than death itself is seeing people who are dead inside while still alive. Far too many people put off living until… until they are married… until they have another job… until they are retired… until they have a certain amount of money in the bank… How about living Right Now, Right Here?
2. You live the life you have created
Look around you right now. Do you like what you see? Are you content with your job, your relationships, your income? Your life is yours alone so make sure you follow the journey that truly aligns with what you want out of life… don’t live someone else’s life! If you had overbearing parents that encouraged you down a certain path, and that path makes you miserable, remember that you are never too old to switch. Take responsibility for the life you have created up until this point and, if you don’t like what you see, make a change.
3. Failure will happen before success
Failure is part of life and it’s certainly part of success. If you are too afraid to fail, then you will never move forward. It is best to see failure as part of the journey, and every journey has obstacles and challenges. It’s really about your perspective: how do you see challenges? Do they make you drop everything and run to hide; or do you see them as part of life’s learning process? Make friends with failure because the difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people have failed more.
4. Busy is not the same as productive
Being busy is not a virtue! Yes, we all have seasons of crazy schedules, but no-one needs to be busy ALL the time… learning to say NO is crucial. Especially because being busy is rarely the same as being productive. Busy people rush from place to place, are late, have work, conferences, meetings and socialising and rarely get enough sleep or look after themselves… they email on the fly and their planner is full to the brim. They look like a hamster on a wheel. So, most people could do with turning it down, less buzz of busyness and more time living an intentional life.
5. Thinking and doing are two very different things
That saying: good things come to those who wait is rubbish! Success and good things rarely come to people who are sitting around thinking about it. You are what you do, not what you say. In the words of Bruce Lee: “'Knowledge isn't enough, we must apply; willing isn't enough, we must do'. If you wait until you feel 100% ready, until the perfect time, you are going to be waiting a long time. Instead, focus on pro-active and intentional doing…
6. Every “next level” in your life needs a different version of you
Over time, you will become more like the people you spend time with, read about, listen to, follow and learn from. What do you fill your mind with? Who do you spend your time with? Make sure your environment reflects who you want to become because what you feed your mind is as important as what you feed your body – and the people around us can either take you higher, or bring you down.