We all have this fundamental attribution error about us where we think all success is due to our own making and all failures are due to some external circumstance. Many of us play the champion or victim and obsess about our destiny or look back miserably on our failures like they define us.
Well, maybe but not quite…
Yes, our past can tell us a bit about why we are the way we are, but it will not define you unless you let it. Similarly, being cautious about the future could potentially help aid in your quest for success and happiness. The problem with that, however, is that success AND happiness are both subjective and somewhat fleeting. This all goes back to one actual truth…
Life is about the journey, not the destination!
I know, I know… You’ve heard this advice before, but have you really taken it in? Do you live in the moment? Do you enjoy the small things? Do you take on challenges as they come? Sometimes its all about perspective, and altering your own viewpoints.
When faced with challenges you need to shift to look at things more strategically, and concentrate on the big picture to get you where you want to be. Don’t focus solely on what someone said, focus on what the relationship means to you. Don’t focus on a job title, focus on how rewarding the work you do (on or off the clock) actually is. What is your life’s purpose? What mark do you want to leave on this world, what impressions do you want to make, and-to-what people? Do you actually know yourself?
The worst thing you can do is to fool yourself into thinking that you are successful or happy by having material things, holding a specific status, or any other type of superficial attainable measure. The truth is that you have to be happy now, and you have to be okay with the idea of failure. One of the most disappointing feelings in life is knowing you never tried.
Success only comes with risk! Take risks, forge new relationships, and actively work on the ones you already hold dear. Time is the most precious thing that you will ever have in this lifetime. So, make the most of it and live in each moment intentionally and fully. Don’t get caught up in meaningless or fleeting drama and circumstance.
The only person you can control is yourself in the moment. So get to it!