responsibility Archives - Page 2 of 3

#TBT: The Best Investment To Make When You Have Nothing

#TBT: The Best Investment You Can Make when You Have Nothing

What is the best investment to make, when you have nothing? Is it stocks? Real estate? Car collection or hand bags?

Before you even think of making an investment, you must have a lot of money, right? Wrong. There’s one thing you can invest in that’s free and well worth your time and energy.

The returns on this specific investment is infinite. All you have to do is have a mindset of discipline, confidence and resilience to begin.

What Can You Invest In Without Money?

You don’t necessarily need money to invest in something. People invest their time and energy into things they want to see grow and become better.

The biggest investment you can ever make in your life, is investing in yourself.

Yes, you! There is something that you enjoy doing or want to know more about – this is what you invest in. You put forth extra effort and stay up late because you want to see it develop into something more.

Throughout that process, you are learning and building yourself into a valuable resource. You are investing the time and energy it takes to become an unstoppable version of yourself.

How do you invest in yourself?

Know what you want to do. What are you good at? Is there something you do everyday, flawlessly, that is hard for others? There is something you’re awesome at. If you’re not, you can become awesome at it. Know what you want to do (or have an idea) and be clear on it. Some people get caught up in the idea of knowing and they forget to take action, but the process doesn’t stop there.
Read and research. Learning never stops. You can always read and discover something you didn’t know and apply it to your life. It doesn’t take money – you can do research on the internet or listen to a lecture full of gems. Have an open mind when it comes to new information. Improvements can always be made.
Develop strong habits. Habits create your identity. Routines put those habits into practice. It’s good to be spontaneous, but habits must be in place to promote productivity. No one is spontaneously successful. Constructive habits and skills will increase your personal value.

Make Time For Your Personal Investment

Most of us are looking for ways to impress other people so we can get a job, be in a certain circle or get to the next level. We do things to gain attention from other people, as opposed to building ourselves.

When you invest your time and energy into others, it can be a disappointment. They may not see your significance and dismiss it, without a thought. You’re at their mercy.

Now you’re stuck, trying to figure out who to impress next so you can move on. Instead of making other people see your value, see the value in yourself. Why not attempt to put your future into your own hands?

Invest in yourself. Benefit yourself before you give your benefit away to others. When you invest in yourself, you open up doors to new possibilities and endless opportunities. It also gives you the highest advantage of profiting from your own skills, first.

The investment that you make in yourself is priceless. You are the best investment that you could ever make and no one can take that away. Stocks and real estate will go up and down on a whim, but the constant investment you make in yourself will allow you to grow in many ways throughout life.

#BeGoalden

4 Tips To Planning Your Goal Effectively

We think up big and small goals on the regular. Anything from what we will eat in the morning to how we will plan for retirement. No goal is too great or insignificant, but it still involves mental and physical action to get the best outcome.

It seems like pursuing a goal should be as easy as moving forward with everything already in place, but it’s not magic. Your life is in your hands and the results come down to the basics of strategic planning and decisions.

Goal-Making Questions

Every goal should be actionable, but some will require deeper thought. Here are some goal-making questions to ask yourself:

What do you want? If you don’t know what you want, how will you get there? It’s a simple question, but a lot of people act without knowing exactly what they want. Knowing what you really want will give you the best possible results. Write it down, detail by detail.
How will you start? Some people believe you need to have all of the stars aligned before you can start. That’s not true – you simply start where you are, with what you have. Take note of your resources and figure out how to move the needle. Everyone doesn’t have the same advantage when starting – some will have more, some will have less, but you must make it a point to focus on yourself and start where you are. If you don’t, you’ll be in the same place as you were before.
What can you change? This is where a lot of people get stuck in life. They worry about things not going their way or some circumstances that didn’t turn out in their favor. Although you aren’t able to control what happens, you CAN control how you react and what to do moving forward. You can’t control everything, so learn to adapt and adjust. When you give up the anxiety and stress of worrying, you’ll quickly begin to see improvement.
What can I do to move it forward? Working on your goals and strategies takes focused work, but don’t forget to take some time and have a little fun. When you make time to take a break, you allow your mind to breathe and create more ideas and figure out challenges. Visualize and create your blueprint – improve it as you go along.

Productive Habits Will Get You There

It takes daily practice to drive yourself towards your dream. Prepare a set of helpful habits that will guide you into working on your goals daily. This helps out, even when you don’t “feel like” following through.

Self-improvement is a lifelong task. Having focus, discipline and resilience will make that journey a little easier. Once you accomplish one goal, there’s always a bigger and better one to go after. Put your goal in place with these tips and become the successful person that you visualize!

#BeGoalden

Are You A Sideline Spectator Or A Progressive Player?

Most people stand on the sidelines all of their lives, while they watch others accomplish their goals. Being afraid to own your life is not a place where you want to be stuck. Watching as a spectator has it’s advantages, but you shouldn’t be a spectator all of your life.

On the other hand, being a player also has it’s advantages. If you take consistent action and responsibility for your goal, you’ll win the game, and much more in the end.

Competition is good. It can be fun to watch other people compete towards a common goal, especially in sports. There’s nothing like cheering for a winning team.

The Spectator

As a spectator, you don’t have to experience what the players go through. You simply watch with excitement and relax as they attempt to outplay the other team and carry themselves to victory.

Spectators get to laugh, be angry, eat hot dogs and nachos, shout what’s on their minds to the players – it’s a very comfortable position to be in. There’s no expectation from anyone and you get to do what you want while watching the competition.

Being on the sidelines is a comfortable place to be. It’s easy to sit back and watch while someone else is doing all of the work. Wanting to win when you’re not putting in the work is as simple as it comes. It’s nice to be a spectator, but life shouldn’t stop there.

Sometimes, you wish you were out there playing, because you think you can do better than the players. This may be true, but in the end, you’re only a spectator. You come to witness the best players in the game.

The Players

The players are the ones who put in non-stop effort and daily habits to become the best at their sport. No one wants to perform poorly in front of a crowd of millions, so they practice and train constantly. We all want to be the best.

As a player, you will sacrifice time with family and friends. If you want to gain a competitive advantage, you will have to spend time by preparing on the field, watching game tapes and other things in order to produce a win for your fans and the team.

Not only do you have to have personal discipline in order to be the best, you also have to deal with your team mate’s attitude. Some are easy to work with and some are not – everyone is different. Everyone has to figure out a way to work together as a team, seamlessly.

On game day, you’re expected to do one thing: win. No one cares about the argument you had with your friend right before the game or the fact that you may not be feeling your best. You’re expected to be confident, show up and fight until you win.

You’ve been practicing for this one performance for months. If you don’t, it will definitely show in your performance. Even if you prepared beyond your ability and lose, some fans will hurl insults at you as if you are without emotion.

Are You A Spectator Or A Player?

It’s easy to sit on the sidelines of life. Anyone can point out the mistakes and see what should’ve been done from a safe distance. You can make heartless comments or sell your tickets if you don’t feel like going.

When you have no goal or some level of commitment to get you to the next level, you can complain, but at the same time, it’s in your control. You don’t have to sit on the sidelines and be a spectator. There are many other ways you can participate in the sport of life and win.

The players know they can get hurt, but they take a chance. They know they can lose, but they continue to do their best. They know their fans will make outrageous comments, but they ignore it and keep moving forward. They are aware of the personal sacrifices, but they see the bigger picture and follow through, anyway.

Spectators don’t have to experience any of what the players do. The people who take a chance on winning or losing, being disciplined and focused, putting in the necessary work in order to come out on top – those are the ones who succeed in life. They aren’t afraid of what others will say about them, nor will they quit if they fail.

Do you want to be a spectator or a player in life? The choice is yours.

#BeGoalden

#TBT: Adversity: How To Get Back Up

Things seem to be going along just fine, and then, out of nowhere – you encounter some type of adversity. Life happens and screws up your plans. You’re left wondering what went wrong, among other confusing questions.

As you can see, life doesn’t go according to your plan. There’s no doubt that it stings, but at the same time, you don’t have to sit there and take it. This is simply a new starting point, perhaps even a rebirth, of your life.

Life Happens

When things occur unexpectedly, your first reaction is emotional. Thoughts of guilt and self-pity flood your mind, as you become more and more discouraged.

It doesn’t help that your friends and family are supporting those negative feelings. They pat you on the back and tell you everything will be fine. Some will provide an escape for you – “I knew your boss didn’t like you – that car saw you coming and they still hit you…” They think it’s helping, but actually, it relieves you of the responsibility of having a more positive outlook.

Yes – responsibility. “But it wasn’t my fault…” you say. This may be true, but the responsibility of fixing it and moving on, is yours. No one else can do this for you, so you have to hold yourself accountable, even if you did nothing wrong. You can wait for someone to save you (which some people do), but then, you’d be neglecting the skills you’re about to build to become a better person.

Get away from the chatter and allow yourself some time to think things through. You know how messed up it is – you don’t need others to confirm that for you. After your emotions settle, the next step is to figure out what you’re going to do to gain some ground.

Being overly emotional never helps, even though it’s the first thing most people do. All the whimpering and whining only drags you deeper into a downward spiral of darkness. It doesn’t make the situation any better, but it makes you feel comfortable.

We think of how horrible it was and who to blame because it didn’t work out. It’s easy to point the finger at someone else. How often do we think of it as an opportunity? Not only can you start over the way you want to, but you will strengthen your skills and stretch your abilities as you go.

Facing Adversity

How do you pull through, when it seems everything is working against you? One thing you don’t want to do is work against yourself. When your emotions take over, that’s when you start to play ‘victim’.

That’s not what we’re going to do. History shows that humans are creative and resilient during times of challenge. There are plenty of examples of people who hit rock bottom, only to rise and touch the sky.

It’s been proven – if you’re human, you can do this.

First, go ahead and let your emotions out. Cry, curse, scream – do whatever it is you need to do. It’s not good to hold all of that unworthy, negative energy inside your body. It only leads to more anxiety and stress, which you certainly don’t need right now.

Here’s where it gets tricky – don’t stay in your emotions. Have your emotions, but don’t live there. This is where people get stuck, because they don’t want to face any more adversity than they have to. They stay in those ‘victim’ thoughts, only to never rebound.

Second, make a list of things you need to do in order to move forward and out of your slump. The day can easily get away from you when you don’t have it written down. Checking things off of your list gives you a sense of accomplishment and a new positive perspective on what you are capable of doing.

Third, start moving. Studies show that movement and exercise improves your mood and brain activity. It also helps tremendously with your stress levels. Once you start moving, your brain will turn on and begin generating new ideas. You’ll start to actively think, instead of being stuck in your feelings.

Fourth, take care of your responsibilities. Don’t let everything fall apart, just because of a hiccup in your life. You’re still in control and your obligations don’t stop, so continue to handle them.

The World Still Turns

You can either lay down and take it, or you can stand up and take it. It won’t be the last time you experience adversity, so it’s best to know what to do now, so you can be stronger and handle it better the next time. Be flexible, so you can make your way out of any position, good or bad.

Get used to change. The foundation of your life is still the same, it’s just that the way you’re used to going about it has shifted. There are still things that need to get done and goals that need to be reached. This is the time to build yourself into exactly who you want to be, according to your own personal blueprint.

We all fall. Everyone else thinks they know how to solve your challenges, but you have to trust yourself. Remember that this is your fight and you’re going to win. Listening to suggestions may help, but the final decision is yours.

Adversity forces you to recognize the challenge and adjust to a new way of thinking. You will either forge a new path and become successful, or you’ll sit in the same place (still wondering why), for years to come.

You’re not a tree. Get up and grow to the next level of your life.

#BeGoalden

The Paradoxical Commandments

People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

by Kent M. Keith

#TBT: Distractions That Work Against Your Attention

We all encounter distractions and nonsense on a daily basis. Whether it’s at work, on TV or on social media, it’s always there, fighting for our attention.

As a result, we’ve become immune to it. It’s doesn’t present a challenge to us any more because we’re so used to it. Becoming used to it has given us permission to just deal with it and to allow it into our minds.

Where Is Your Attention Going?

Here are a few ways you’re working against yourself and how you can work towards doing better.

You have your notifications on. When you’re working, your attention is supposed to be focused on what’s in front of you, 100%. As soon as you hear a ‘ting’, you look up to see who or what it’s about. Someone just posted another funny cat video. Now, your attention is broken and it will take a considerable amount of time to get it back. Turn off those notifications! It can wait until you’re done.
You overindulge yourself with information. Yes, it is critical to do research and collect information for what you’re doing, but sometimes, it can be too much. If you want to learn how to sew, do enough research to start. You don’t have to watch 50 videos and read 50 websites to take action. Look up the necessary information and go out and do it! Getting caught up in being a professional researcher only allows for procrastination and when you procrastinate, you don’t start!
You leave your mind open to anything. Your mindset is the most important asset you own. It’s good to have an open mind, but determine what is useful and what needs to go. Stop letting garbage enter your mind. It could be in the form of gossip, reality TV, social media, etc. Control what goes into your mind. If you plant good seeds, they will grow. If you plant bad seeds, they will also grow (weeds), but which would you prefer? It affects your attitude and your day when you consume garbage. Take in some motivational videos, get around good people and have meaningful conversations.
You hit snooze every morning. Just wake up. Why do we fight waking up every single morning? That’s the first struggle of many throughout the day. Whenever you hit the snooze button, you never get more sleep. Figure out whether an earlier bedtime would help, a cold shower or a cleaner diet, but whatever it is, see how you can avoid that daily battle. It sets the tone for the rest of the day and it allows for a stressful start. It’s easier said than done, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. Develop a better routine to greeting your day.

It’s Your Decision

Not only will these things cause you to work against yourself, they cause anxiety, as well. You can blame it on other factors, but you have power over what you do and how you do it. Even if you’re unable to control your environment, you can still make adjustments. Don’t just sit there and take it.

Fighting against yourself and being counterproductive is all on you. Decide what goes into your mind, decide to take action and decide to work fully focused. You can control all of these things. All it takes is a present mindset and intentional action. You can do it!

#BeGoalden

3 Proactive Strategies To Build A Successful Life

People say it all the time: “Just do it! Start where you are! Think positive!” Those things sound good in theory, but where do you actually begin?

Developing strong habits is a great start. If you want to build yourself into a more productive person, you’re going to have to make some changes with your daily practices.

Introduce the following 3 habits into your life. This isn’t about instant gratification. Instead, it’s about preparing for upcoming opportunities and growth, which will be beneficial to you in the long run.

Strategy #1: Take Ownership of Your Actions

As kids, we would point the finger at someone else if we didn’t want to get in trouble. Even if we knew it was our fault, we would do anything to avoid punishment. For some of us, we carried this habit over into adulthood.

If you do something wrong, own up to it. This is the sign of a leader. The point isn’t to find someone to blame, it’s to take responsibility so the team can move forward.

People are so worried about the consequences of their actions, that they don’t want to own their mistakes. This type of mindset holds up your process to achieving any goal.

No one wants to look bad, but in hindsight, see where you went wrong and improve upon what happened. If you should come across the situation again, you know how to handle it better. Own your actions and allow it to be a life lesson.

Strategy #2: Hold Yourself Accountable

In order to become the greatest version of yourself, you must hold yourself accountable. Your personal standards should exceed the standards of what others expect of you.

It’s good to have accountability partners, but they’re not always necessary. Some people work better alone because they can move at their own pace. In some instances, an accountability partner can hold you back.

Instead of giving someone else the responsibility of holding you accountable, hold yourself accountable. Letting yourself down should be more painful than letting someone else down. You can disappoint others and not care, but if you disappoint yourself (especially if it’s something you really want to accomplish), it should spark you into action.

Don’t depend on others – start holding yourself accountable. Without realizing it, your friends can be your biggest downfall. They may let you get away with skipping a workout or look the other way when you slip up. Trust yourself and don’t give in.

Strategy #3: Be Solution-Focused

When everyone else is complaining, find a solution. While everyone else is making up excuses, find a way to make it work. Make it a habit of making things happen.

It’s easy to find comfort in negativity. Most people live in those spaces, but there’s no growth there. If you want to find yourself in a better position, you’re going to have to do the opposite and that means finding solutions.

Be the person that looks for an answer. Even if your suggestion doesn’t work out, at least you didn’t sit there and complain while doing nothing. All you did was learn one way that didn’t work.

Whenever the chance is given, always look for a solution. Contributing to the problem doesn’t move you any closer to solving the issue. Your job is to focus on getting to the next level. Be solution-focused.

BONUS – Strategy #4: Be Consistent With Taking Action

This is the most important strategy. No matter what happens, be consistent with taking action.

You will encounter obstacles and challenges throughout your life – no one is immune to this. The only way you can guarantee your achievement is to take consistent action.

The more action you take, the more direction you give yourself. If you go in the wrong direction, turn around and go in another. This leads to the path towards your achievement. Keep taking action until you reach your goal.

Most people will see it as a sign to stop, but it’s just a hint that you should try again, but in a different way. You can change the course, but never change the goal.

These strategies will help you create a steady foundation for the rest of your life. Begin using them now and start reaping the benefits of your future sooner, rather than later.

#BeGoalden

Be Responsible – Getting Your Ducks In A Row

Going through different situations can be hard when you’re not responsible. Being proactive with your life should be a priority. When you have your ducks in a row, it makes life a little bit easier to deal with.

Life can throw a curve ball at any moment and you want to be ready when it does. We can’t anticipate everything that will go wrong, but we can do enough to keep it from working against us.

Being Responsible Is Not That Difficult

Everyone isn’t raised to be responsible. Some of us were raised (into adulthood) to be dependent upon others for whatever we need. Buying the latest tech gadgets and clothes with your money, but asking other people to ‘help’ pay your living expenses, is as irresponsible as you can get.

Look around you – you can see the effects of being irresponsible. Not paying your parking tickets? Your car will be towed. Haven’t payed your rent in 3 months? You will be evicted. Didn’t pay your phone bill? It will get cut off.

It’s not a surprise – you know what will happen when you don’t follow through with certain things. These are consequences that you are fully aware of.

If you take care of your business and pay these (and other things) on time, you won’t have to deal with the drama of late fees, other bad outcomes and harsh results.

Money Has A Lot To Do With It

If you noticed, the scenarios I just mentioned all have to do with money. Not all, but most circumstances have to do with money and can be proactively avoided.

Yes, situations happen out of no where. Your water heater stops working or you have a flat tire. It’s a pain, but these things can be efficiently handled if you have your ducks in a row.

Everyone can spend their money the way they want to, but when you have to constantly borrow ‘a little something’ until you get paid, there’s an issue that needs to be addressed.

What does a financially responsible individual look like? At the very least, have a checking and a savings account. Your checking account is for everyday expenses and bills. Your savings account is for saving your money for when that water heater stops working or you have that flat tire.

Depend On Yourself

We were put on this Earth to help each other, but not to be taken advantage of. Being independent says a lot about your integrity and who you are as a person.

Depending on other people only invites more drama into your life (and theirs). You have to ask them for something, then you have to see if they’ll help you. If they do, then you have to wait for them to help because they don’t get paid until Friday…it can be a mess and a huge hassle to go through. It’s uncomfortable for everybody.

That’s why it’s good to be independent. When you have your ducks in a row, you can do things on your terms and when you feel like it. You never have to wait on anyone for help – you can do things at your own convenience. Being independent works to your advantage.

The World Keeps Turning

When unfortunate things happen in our lives, the world keeps turning. Nothing and no one stops for you, just because you’re in a bind, whether you created it, or not.

Most of the things that happen, we can prevent. Pay your bills on time. Maintain a good credit score to avoid high interest rates. Exercise and eat healthy. Stop being surprised when something bad happens, due to your lack of attention and effort.

Get your ducks in a row, no matter how young or old you are. Your life is your responsibility, no matter what circumstances you were born into. You have the ability to become anything you want to be – it’s in your control. You can simply start by being responsible and independent.

#BeGoalden

Learning To Say ‘No’ Could Restore Your Sanity

I strongly believe that we are put on this Earth to help others. When someone needs support, you help them – it’s the responsible thing to do.

While this is true for most of us, you may come across some people who need a little too much help. They prey on others who are overly supportive and take advantage of their kindness.

But, you know you can say ‘no’, right? There’s no law that says you’re supposed to drop everything you’re doing and go out of your way to help others.

A Gift And A Curse

Being helpful can be a gift and a curse. It’s a gift because it’s the right thing to do. When you help someone, you are showing them that you care about them and they don’t have to face whatever it is, alone. Also, it gives you an incredible feeling inside.

It’s a curse because you can easily be taken advantage of and you may not know how to stop it. Some people will see how giving you are and keep using you for as long as they can.

This is not to say that you should stop being nice and supportive of others in their time of need, but in order to be your best self, you must be aware of what’s going on. Remember – you come first.

The Guilt Trip

When you come across someone who is needy, don’t allow them to latch on to you. These are people who always seem to need help with something. They don’t take responsibility for their issues because you do it better.

Don’t be afraid to say no. More than likely, they will become angry and try to make you feel guilty about not being helpful. Some people will even throw Bible verses your way, to make you feel bad.

It doesn’t matter. Before you can help anyone else, you have to help yourself. You are putting yourself in a bad position if you pay their light bill, before you pay your own. Everyone has to be held accountable for their decisions and they are no different.

Do Your Sanity A Favor And Say ‘No’

Saying no seems harsh, especially when you know you can help out. At the same time, you have to do what’s best for you. Helping others is the right thing to do, but when it turns into constant support, that’s where you should draw the line.

Say no for your own sanity. You may feel guilty after you do it, but it will unload that extra stress from your life. You will thank yourself, later.

The crazy thing is, you really want them to stop – you just don’t know how to tell them no! Find your courage and politely remove yourself from the situation by telling them that you aren’t able to help at this time.

Yes, they will eventually get the point. There’s nothing to feel bad about. Actually, you are helping by allowing them to find their own independence. They may go and find another person to support them, but not you. Today, you will learn to say no to those who give you their anxiety and stress. It’s not yours to carry.

Being helpful is great, but taking care of yourself is what’s important. That’s the responsible thing to do 🙂

#BeGoalden

Expect More From Yourself Than You Do From Others

Some of us expect more from others than we do from ourselves. We want other people to be loyal to us, responsible for their actions and reliable when needed.

Some people’s actions can be disappointing, especially if you expected more from them. They look out for themselves and will sacrifice a friendship when convenient.

Who Are You Loyal To?

The word ‘loyalty’ has been used a lot lately. When you are loyal to someone, you make a commitment to be trustworthy and to stand by that person, no matter what happens.

To some people, loyalty is like doing favors. If you help me now, I’ll help you later. If you don’t, then basically, our friendship is over. That’s not loyalty, that’s blackmail.

Being loyal is great, but be careful who you’re loyal to. Some people only want to be loyal when there’s something in it for them.

Loyalty should be unconditional, not based on how much you’ve done for someone. It’s not an equation where everything has to be equal on both sides. The expectation of being loyal is a trap that destroys many relationships.

The best person you can be loyal to is yourself.

Being Responsible Is A Reasonable Expectation, Right?

What you define as responsible and what someone else defines as responsible, can be two different things.

My mother would tell us, “If you loan someone money, never expect it back.” Why? Because when your friend has a sudden loss of memory about paying you back, you become angry.

The responsible thing to do would be to pay back the money, but some people think that if you’re a friend, you should understand. You’re left with the guilt of having to ask for your money back, or at least hoping they’ll give it back without you having to ask. It could break up any friendship.

If you never expect it back, there won’t be any potential issues. Also, it will save you tons of emotional stress and resentment.

Being Reliable

Being reliable is an excellent trait to find in anyone. What happens when you run into someone who isn’t as dependable as you think they should be?

When you’re a dependable person, it’s only natural that you think everyone else should be just as reliable as you are. Sometimes, that’s just not the case.

There will be some people who will use you to their advantage, without giving it a second thought. Once someone shows you who they truly are, believe it! Accept their actions for what it is and move on.

No one is like you. Of course, if you ask someone to do something, they should have the common courtesy to be dependable enough to follow through, but again, some people are selfish and only think of themselves.

What You Think They Should Be

Do you notice a pattern? The pattern is: You think everyone should be…

Everyone is not who you think they should be. We all have different experiences in life, therefore, we handle things differently.

You can think all day about how others should be a certain way, but the reality is, they’re not. It comes to a point where you’re only disappointing yourself.

Therefore, you should set expectations and standards for yourself and follow through. Even if you disappoint yourself, you know what you’re capable of and you’re honest about it. It’s hard to lie to yourself.

Do yourself a favor and don’t put expectations on other people. You’ll only end up being angry and holding grudges while they go on with their lives. Instead of expecting a certain behavior from others, put those standards on yourself. By doing this, you’ll become the shining example for others to look up to.