When you free yourself from certain fixed concepts about the way the world is, you will become aware of more options and choices because you have stopped thinking there are limited options for your life. If you don’t believe success and happiness are possible for you, it most definitely won’t be. Make a decision to live an extraordinary life, and take control of your thoughts which will determine whether you achieve that extraordinary life or remain mediocre living up to other people’s expectations and definitions of success. Your life is shaped by your decisions, not your circumstances. Decide what you want in every area of your life because you cannot hit a target that you cannot see. Many people go through life on autopilot. True living is being present in every moment — no matter how mundane. Consider facing a new fear each day, celebrating past and present relationships with friends and family members, exploring and enjoying the outdoors, setting and meeting new goals, and living charitably so others may grow to understand the abundant nature of the universe.
The following advice from a 24 year old young man who has been informed he has months left to live has great value for everyone. “Don’t waste your time on work that you don’t enjoy. It’s stupid to be afraid of others’ opinions. Fear weakens and paralyzes you. Take control of your life. Take full responsibility for the things that happen to you. Let your life be shaped by decisions you made, not by the ones you didn’t. Appreciate the people around you. It is difficult for me to fully express my feelings about the importance of these simple realizations, but I hope that you will listen to someone who has experienced how valuable time is. I believe that we all have potential, but it also takes a lot of courage to realize it. You can float through a life created by circumstances, missing day after day, hour after hour. Or, you can fight for what you believe in and write the great story of your life. Leave a mark in this world. Have a meaningful life, whatever definition it has for you. Go towards it!”
Dramatic changes to the economy and culture shape the choices and attitudes of Youth today. Previous generations are hardly in a position to judge Youth today, with stagnating wages, the expansion of part time employment, student debt, rapid technological change, soaring housing prices, the difficulties of making a dual-earner relationship work, the exorbitant cost of post-secondary education, and the overall uncertainty of our economies and labor markets.
Too often, young adults are judged for adapting to these negative conditions. Surveys show that 20- and 30-somethings are looking for more than just a job. They want work that is meaningful and consistent with their social and environmental values. For university students today the stress of debt and job market uncertainty is very high. With the shift from permanent jobs to a high percentage of part time work without benefits, even for the highly educated, the challenge of finding work that allows them to feel like they are contributing to something bigger than themselves persists. Many youth have decided if they can’t find a meaningful job they will find a job that requires a minimum amount of their energy and time. Then they would have the freedom to find purpose and contribute to society outside of paid employment, and/or focus on play and recreating.
Take time to fully understand what might be holding you back; question your fear, challenge yourself to do better and be better, face your limiting beliefs and behaviors. Don’t forget to make sure that what you are trying to achieve is what truly matters to you. Know what moves you. We each have so much to contribute; it is our job to decipher what we are good at, and what inspires us. Keep in mind that if you want to be a singer and can’t sing, or a mountain climber and are afraid of heights or an artist and can’t draw then success may be further down the road than you thought. Not to say you can’t learn to sing or paint or climb, just be sure it’s what you really want. Know yourself and identify what you are good at and what you love to do.
Make lists, ask yourself many questions, have a plan and change it every day if necessary to move forward in your life. Make connections with people who share your interests, find ‘older’ folks who have already succeeded at something that interests you and approach them for guidance. Ninety-nine percent of the time they are willing to help and support you.
The bright side of your effort is that you have the chance to re-member and re-connect to yourself and the universe at large. It is also important to keep your dreams to yourself, and choose wisely with whom you share your goals and plans. Sabotage is everywhere, especially if you share your life with people who may want your dream to fail because of jealousy or dysfunction in their own lives. Thoughts are energy in action and if you throw your vision out into the world, be aware that there are people who want to keep you at their level of mediocrity. Be careful; protect your vision and plan for your own life. Some people may be afraid you will leave them behind as you succeed, and that is possible if you follow your dreams. You have to be prepared to move on, let go and trust that you will find others elsewhere who share your vision, your common ground, and your joy of discovery.
Don’t overlook small details. Remember that the universe and everything in it are made from tiny atoms. If you take care of the little things, the big things will often take care of themselves. Sometimes overlooking small details can create big problems later. Keep in mind that taking care of a number of small details may open the door to an opportunity you might not have been expecting. You can avoid the consequences of procrastination (of which we all have experience) and be less hard on yourself for your own neglect, if you take care of the details as you go. If this annoys you or you easily put off these tasks, you must discipline yourself and set aside a specific time each day or week to deal with them.
Life is about change – biological, environmental and psychological change. Adapting to change is the key to survival. Prioritizing what is your most urgent and important goal is a first step to success. In order to make that particular goal number one you must know why it is important and why you want to achieve it. If you have chosen well, it will come with inspiration because of its importance. Take immediate action small or large towards achieving that goal. Remember, success is always an accumulation of small steps in a particular direction; all journeys begin with one step.
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