Ordinary people ask others ‘How’. Leaders question themselves; ‘Why not’. These two responses sums it up when it comes to attitude, progress and success. When doubt becomes a part of our life, the creativity and optimism dies. When we challenge the status quo, we carve out a way in the middle of nothing. Becoming complacent is the easiest thing to do. Looking for a solution to unknown problems is the playground of optimists. When we give up, the obstacle grows in size. When we take up the challenge, the level of difficulty is instantly cut into half.
It is not so difficult to see into the future. It’s not about predicting what’s going to happen. It’s about reading the signals today. I am good at it. Still, I make mistakes. Not because I don’t get the vibes of what’s going to happen but because of my biasness and wishful thinking of changing the end result. Sometimes, I try too hard to hold onto the present, though I know it’s not going to stay that way for long. Maybe because I fear the outcome of tomorrow. Many a times, I close my eyes and try to defy what I have already seen at a distance. It doesn’t work. I don’t know; I should give up my ability to see the future or I should stop trying to change the inevitable.
We want so much in life. There is no end to our desires. It can even become a reason for stress. To live a peaceful and fulfilling life, consider this idea. Everyday in the morning, imagine you are left with only three wishes in life. What would they be? Surprisingly, most of the items which you earlier thought were a must would no more seem important to you. Your whole perspective will change. Peace will arrive in your life. When you have bigger goals in life, smaller issues won’t disturb you anymore. Your decision making will become more matured. Start practising it. It will change your life.
There are loads of opportunities. The questions is; how many can you take up. Every new assignment you undertake will consume your time. Yes, it can make you richer. It will also place you higher in the eyes of society. If that’s your only goal then it’s fine. But what about the other aspect of life. A part which demands solitude and time with self. Freedom of time is the biggest luxury in life. So, it is important to maintain a work-life balance. Never allow work to infringe the territory of personal life. When you give preference to your own self, you will also be able to take care of everything else.
Take it easy. It’s alright if you don’t know how to dance. The sky won’t fall if you are not good in public speaking. It is not necessary to be a part of every committee. If you don’t feature on the cover of ‘Time’ magazine, your importance won’t come down. Find out what you are good at. Spend more time on sharpening your expertise. Become better. Be a master of self discipline. That’s enough to inspire millions. Before it happens, you need to give up many things. Don’t worry about what you don’t have. Ignore what you can’t do. Focus on what you know. Take it easy.
There are so many obstructions on the way. Still, we are running. The chances to reach the other end are low. Still, we have taken this route because there is a lot of rush and everyone can’t be wrong. The other route is having less commotion. There are few taking that route. They seem to be in no hurry. How will they reach the destination with such laziness? Speed is essential. This argument is forcing people to run blindfolded, even if it’s the wrong way. Stop. Think again. Slow down. Turn back. Reassess the way. Fast may not be early. Slow may not be late.
I don’t want to give any excuse. There is clear evidence that I erred. While nobody knows, I know it. It is easy for me fight back and prove my innocence but I won’t. I won’t give any reasoning. I will suffer the consequences. That’s important. It’s easy to win. I have done it all my life. But for once I want to lose. I want to surrender. I want to make it even; my crime and my punishment. That’s the only way I can forgive myself. It’s not over yet. I will begin a new life. But not before I redeem myself. I am not in a hurry. I have enjoyed my crime. I will complete my punishment.
There are two parts of life. Dependent and independent. The part where your activities are dependent on outside world is called dependent life. Profession, job, team deadlines, success based on other people’s endorsement of your project or performance, etc are all examples of dependent life. Independent life is where you are not dependent on society, work, money, etc. Reading, playing with kids, exercising, watching movies, thinking, sleeping, etc are excellent examples of freedom and an independent life. The question to ask is; what percentage of your life is independent? That’s what will matter eventually.
In the course of life certain people will be unreasonable toward you. They could be family members, friends or relatives. Their approach, response and behavior may be sub par and it will wear you out. Out of respect and relationship you may not be able to counter them. In the beginning, it is good to ignore their behavior. If it persists, forgive them and stay calm. If it gets worse, make them aware about your discomfort and talk it out. It the trouble continues, it may be good to part away with dignity and move on with life. After all, you deserve to be treated well.
Have you ever wondered why important things that you want to accomplish are not done? Like; reading, exercise, meditation, spending time with kids, etc. The hard truth is that we don’t prioritise them in our everyday life. If you really want to get all this done, follow a simple rule. Schedule them at specific hours of the day. Let’s say, fix exercise for 6.30am in the morning; fix reading for 9.00pm everyday and so on. Once you schedule it, leave everything else and do it. Treat is like a client meeting. Imagine it to be like an appointment with a doctor. That’s how you define a priority.
