Life is like a journey on the number 24 bus, So welcome aboard, young one; come, sit here with the rest of us. Let’s hope you’re going to be on here for more than just a while. Look out of the window, young one, and enjoy every single mile.
Embrace each milestone, young one, each stop along the way. Immerse yourself in childhood, each innocent, lovely day. Think nothing of the future, of the long road up ahead. Live each second, each minute, each turn of the wheel instead.
Don’t pace the aisle, young one, yearning for miles to pass, Until you reach the terminus when finally at last, That day is here, the day for which you’ve really always strived, The perfect day you’ve longed for when you’ve finally arrived.
Maybe the end of school days or the day of graduation, That’s when you’ll be happy, when you arrive at that station, So roll on the miles until that blessed day. That’s when life will come together; that’s when you’ll make hay.
Or maybe it’s when you meet “the one,” when you settle down. Yes, that’s the time to celebrate when you reach that town. Or maybe life won’t really start until a family comes along, Or is to pray for retirement so really, very wrong?
The journey will be sad at times, for stops will come along, When those we love will get off; at times we must stay strong, As we carry on without them, as they pass the baton on, But they are there outside the bus; they’re never really gone.
So gazing out the windscreen up front at the road as it bends, Don’t think about tomorrow, wondering where the journey ends. Instead, look for today’s colors, those shades of greenery, Of all the hues along life’s road, the breathtaking scenery.
Don’t miss them, young one, planning for the destination. This bus will not reverse again once it reaches the final station.
Distractions are all around us and that’s where our focus goes. It’s hard to avoid – it’s on your phone, TV and at work. Some businesses are even built around capturing your attention with these distractions.
When we get caught up scrolling through social media and mindlessly watching TV (among other things), we lose ourselves. We think about everything else, except what we’re doing with our own lives.
What Do You Focus On?
Everyone has an opinion. We participate in conversations and listen to what’s happening around us and we automatically have our own version of what we would do in that situation.
Our minds are constantly working. It’s important to have productive discussions on different things, but you don’t have to give a response to everything, all the time.
We’re so used to putting our two cents in about other people’s business that we forget our own. Our focus becomes what we think about what’s going on outside of us, as opposed to what’s going on within ourselves.
Energy Flows Where Attention Goes
This is why celebrities are rich – we constantly give our attention to them, as if it really matters, and they continue to become bigger distractions.
Imagine if you didn’t pay attention to what the president said today. What if you didn’t pay attention to the latest scandal? If you didn’t pay attention to that celebrity and what happened on their yacht?
These are all distractions. When you give away your concentration to things that don’t affect you and your life, it’s a distraction. Yes, it’s entertaining on some level, but some of us forget that we have a life of our own to design.
Giving your attention to something is the same as giving away your energy. It takes energy to focus. Don’t give your energy away to someone or something else to the point where you neglect yourself. Your life deserves to have your energy and attention. Besides, who else is crafting your life, but you?
Be Your Own Distraction
Instead of worrying about why your favorite football player is not starting in the game, focus on why you haven’t started in your own game.
When you direct your focus on something other than yourself, it takes away from your goals. Time is of the essence and we must take responsibility for our actions daily.
This won’t happen if you’re continuously glued to your device. Let your own life be your distraction. Focus on your plan, so you can become successful like the people you are being distracted by.
Concentrate On Your Own Business
If it’s not going to change anything in your life, leave it alone. What Kim Kardashian wore yesterday shouldn’t dominate your thoughts and conversation. She’s not helping you in any way.
You can like her all you want to, but don’t forget about your life, by being wrapped up in her life. She already has her millions – do you have yours?
You are in control of where your attention goes, how you think and your path to greatness. Be confident enough to live the life of your dreams and stop watching others live the life of their dreams. You are worthy of your own focus and success.
The internet has made a great impact within the last decade, especially with our minds. We are constantly bombarded with ads and comparison posts on social media.
Using the internet in the right way can be extremely productive, but on the other hand, you can easily fall victim to what you see and it’s effects on how you think.
Do you get caught in the ‘comparison’ trap? Are you a better person after you put down your device? Has the internet changed the way you think about yourself?
How Strong Is Your Self-Belief?
Believing in yourself is something that has to be worked on daily. There are times when you may feel a little intimidated, but you must have a solid foundation when it comes to your self-esteem.
The key to believing is building up your confidence. When no one else thinks you can do it, know that you can. Not only that, but practice being your best in everything you do. Creating a habit of high expectations will allow you to stand out from the crowd.
Be mindful of how you do things – as they say, how you do one thing is how you do everything. When you start accomplishing small daily tasks, it’ll carry over into accomplishing the bigger tasks. This is how you develop confidence, which is the path to believing in yourself.
Believing, One Day At A Time
When we see others on social media, everyone looks like they’ve succeeded in life. We begin to wonder, “Why am I not successful?“
Most of the people on social media are showing off a fake lifestyle. The money, cars, private jets and vacation spots are props. They do it to make themselves look good, yet, it makes you feel inferior and slow.
Never compare yourself to anyone on social media (or in life). Everyone’s journey is unique to them. You will not get there at the same time as someone else, no matter how closely you follow their plan.
Understand that your success will come in your time. As long as you continue to have the courage to believe in yourself and take it one day at a time, you will make progress and that leads to success.
Believing In Yourself
Your actions also play a big role in believing in yourself. When your mind is set to follow through with a challenge, the next step is being determined enough to take action.
If you don’t believe you can do anything, then you won’t take action. On the other hand, if you have strong self-esteem, you will take action at a high level.
Believing makes way for high performance. Even if you have no one who cheers for you, you have to be your own cheerleader. It doesn’t matter what others think, you already know you can do it.
Build Yourself, Build Your Life
We all want to achieve great things in life, but it takes time and a strong mindset. Great things are very attainable in real life, but first, you must have that foundation of self-belief.
The biggest obstacle you will endure is having no one to tell you how great you are. You possess unlimited potential. Your greatness depends on your confidence to follow through.
Talk to yourself and tell yourself how unbeatable you are. Shine your own light and be magnificent. Never be embarrassed if you lose – you’re only learning so you can be just as effective and efficient the next time.
Don’t wait on anyone else to recognize your excellence. No one needs to tell you how intelligent and capable you are. Believe in yourself and be the example for others to follow.
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!
Success is something that everyone wants to experience. It motivates you to do more, opens doors of opportunity and gives you proof that anything can be done.
The process of getting to success seems easy, but it all starts with how you think and respond to certain situations. You need to have a positive mindset before you begin any goal, if you plan to succeed.
The Success Mindset
Before you start anything in life, it’s important to know where your mind is. Are you in a good space, mentally? Do current events have an effect on you or the way you think? Are you able to see past the distractions and focus on what needs to be done?
If you have a scarcity mindset, it will work against you. It guides you into thinking the worst of every situation and if you do that, you’ve already lost. This type of thinking never produces success. Think in abundance and be optimistic. If you’re going to think, think the best.
Put the negative thoughts to rest. It doesn’t make sense to stop yourself before you start, so give yourself the benefit. Anything can be done – it’s been proven many times over in different situations throughout history. Your job is to believe it and follow through with the details.
Building Your Success Story
What is your story? How do you want it to end?
Visualizing the plan to reach your goals will help tremendously. If you’re unable to see it in your mind, how can you begin to take action towards it?
Find a quiet space to visualize your success. Sit comfortably and take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes and imagine with certainty, the path you’ll take to become successful. Smell it, feel it, taste it, see it and hear it all. Play this in your mind, just like a movie and you’re the star – you’re in full control.
Spend time doing this exercise daily. It doesn’t have to take long, but it connects your journey from your mind to reality. You are the director of your movie, therefore, you can make anything happen.
See it and believe it.
Taking Action And Making It Happen
It doesn’t end there. The next step is taking action and making it happen.
Most people think that once they believe it, everything should fall into place and they’ll magically become a success. Reading inspiring books and following a morning ritual helps, but there’s still work to do.
Getting started is the most important part of taking action. Don’t overthink it, just begin. You may think that everything needs to be perfect, but it doesn’t have to be – learn and correct it as you go along. There’s always a convenient reason to procrastinate. Put one foot in front of the other and keep improving.
Things will happen. Don’t let a bump in the road throw you off course. Figure out what needs to be done and keep going. It may take an hour or it may take a week, but in order to make progress, you’ll have to get past these challenges.
If you get stuck, ask for help. Whether it’s someone you know who has experience, or an online platform, use your resources to get the answer. Giving up is the easy way out, but you’ll only have to keep starting over if you quit. Do what you have to do, to complete the task.
The Magic Is In The Journey
When you’ve finally reached your success and begin planning the next steps, you’ll realize a couple of things.
First, success isn’t final. It’s not something you achieve once and it remains for the rest of your life. Success takes upkeep. It can slip away from you easier than it came. Keep setting higher goals and working towards it, or it’ll stop completely.
Secondly, the journey is what makes you. Success is awesome, but the magic is in the journey. All of the obstacles, learning different strategies and stretching your potential is what brought you here – success is just the cherry on top.
Once you’ve developed these skills, you can be successful repeatedly, no matter how different your end goal is. The knowledge you gained throughout the process is what’s important. Take that knowledge, apply it to everything you do and create a successful life!
Do you take on other people’s problems? Is your life really overwhelming, or do you make it overwhelming? There’s a fine line between accepting your own challenges and accepting everyone else’s.
Your friend tells you what happened and they want your advice. At work, your co-worker confides in you about issues at home. Everyday, you get a dose of other people’s problems.
Are other people’s problems really your mountains to climb? Do you carry the baggage with you, even though it’s not yours?
O.P.P. (Other People’s Problems)
Everyone has issues. We’re all attempting to navigate this life the best we can. How can you be effective at finding a solution for yourself, when you’re bombarded with other people’s problems?
There is a certain point where you need to be selfish with your advice. You must cut yourself off from being involved in their drama. It’s nice to offer a listening ear, but don’t get emotionally attached to the entire situation.
Showing concern is the polite thing to do. It’s interesting and you want to know how it goes and what happened. This can go on and on – it’s like a soap opera happening in real time. At times, it can sound more exciting than your own life.
Other people’s problems can easily become a hobby of yours. People like to come to you all of the time because you offer great guidance. Don’t let their situations consume your mind space. It’s easy to become too curious – their problems become your problems and their emotions become your emotions.
It’s not rude to break away for your own sanity. Once you’re done talking and providing a listening ear, leave it there. Go on about your life and do what you’re going to do. The next time you see them, be considerate, but don’t take it with you.
Focus On What’s In Front Of You
What are you doing now? Are you fully present with focus, or is your mind distracted by other floating thoughts?
That’s what happens when you take on the mental weight of your friend’s issues. We tend to think about others before we think of ourselves. It makes us feel like we’re helping them and they need us.
The issues that you’re dealing with in front of you need a solution. When you allow your mind to drift, you’re not being fair to yourself. Put other people’s problems (that don’t belong to you) to the side and concentrate on you.
Don’t carry confusion with you from one place to another. Pay attention to the present moment and give it your all. You’re wasting time and energy by trying to solve mysteries that don’t belong to you.
The Side Effects Of O.P.P.
Making yourself accessible to others can be emotionally draining. The feelings that go into these situations can literally wear you down. Limit your availability to the drama in other people’s lives.
If you let it, it will become your issue and others will look to you to create a solution for them, as well. It’s no longer their challenge to overcome. You must draw the line and give them space to handle it themselves. Again, it’s not your mountain to climb.
Learn to step away. Leave the baggage where you found it. Move on with your intentions and be fully present with what you’re facing. Don’t defeat yourself, by trying to help everyone else win.
Everyone has to be responsible for their own issues. You can help every now and then, but don’t become the problem-solver for them. Be a good listener, offer a helpful word and leave it there. You can be supportive of others without taking on their challenges. Bring your focus back to being effective and forward moving with your own life.
Have you ever thought about what type of life you really want to live? Is it something that you mindfully work towards everyday?
Somewhere in life, you started paying more attention to what others thought about you, than what you thought about yourself. Something (or someone) told you that it’s important to please and impress others and you took it too far.
These people are pleasers and there are three types: the People Pleaser, the Parent Pleaser and the Pity Pleaser.
The People Pleaser
Some people are people pleasers – they’re unable to function in life, unless they know they are in someone’s good graces. They’ve basically built their life at the convenience of others.
If you ask a people pleaser what they want, they’ll ask someone else before they give an answer. Everything is based upon going with the popular opinion, so they won’t be the odd one out. If someone puts them on the spot, they’d rather die than to give their own honest opinion.
Now, it’s blown into an unconscious habit where they’re constantly looking for opportunities to be someone’s friend, or to be that ‘like-able’ person. It’s important to be presentable and decent towards other people, but don’t cross the line by making it your life’s mission.
The Parent Pleaser
We all start off as parent pleasers. As children, we want the approval of our parents, so we strive for that acceptance because we like the positive feedback. At this moment in time, we don’t know any better because we’re growing little humans and we haven’t experienced much of the outside world.
The unfortunate thing is, some of us never grow out of being a parent pleaser. We constantly look for the chance to impress them by following the path they set out for us. The last thing we want to do is disappoint mom and dad.
This isn’t totally on the child – some parents take advantage of their children by constantly telling them what they should do, what they should wear or where they should go. They leave no room for the child to think independently.
As a teen growing into an adult, you should be able to think for yourself. Mom wants you to be a lawyer, but you want to be an artist. If mom doesn’t get her way, she’ll be mad, so you don’t do it. This can go on for the rest of your life and before you know it, your life has passed you by.
The Pity Pleaser
A pity pleaser is the person who has always experienced anything worse than you. If you tell them about the time you were hit by a truck, they’ll tell you about the time they were hit by two trucks. They look for someone to outdo to make them appear more interesting.
Pity pleasers have the unique ability to make everything all about them. No one else can have a better (or worse) story than they have. Every time someone is going through a challenging time, they’ve always gone through something even more challenging.
There’s no beating the pity pleaser, as they take pride in being better at being the worst. No one has ever had it more rough than them. They feel like they deserve your sorrow and pity support.
Claim Your Life
All of these people have built their lives around what others think of them. For some reason or another, they never leveled up to being personally accountable for their own thoughts and actions.
Everyone has to take responsibility, but the majority of the responsibility lies with you. Pleasers allow their lives to be led by other people. In the end, they’ve realized that they didn’t live their own lives and wished they had.
Think about what you want. It may hurt someone else’s feelings, but you must go out and claim your life! Do what’s best for you, without worrying about who thinks what. No one can live it better than you!
It’s not disrespectful to disagree with other’s opinions, but you are disrespecting yourself by not living and thinking to your own full potential. Claim the life that’s meant for you – live through the rights and wrongs, the successes and the mistakes because it is your unique journey.
You’ll never achieve living the life that someone else wants you to live. Give up being a pleaser and experience the world through your own thoughts and actions.
Being optimistic is a trait we all can possess. It doesn’t favor the successful or the wealthy. Those that are self-made already had an optimistic view before they became who they are.
Most people think being optimistic is like that goofy friend who is happy about everything, even when nothing is working. That may be true on the surface, but being optimistic entails more than being happy and seeing the bright side of things.
The Optimistic Mind
Even if you don’t have that goofy friend, being optimistic is a useful characteristic to have. When you face complications, you can find a glimmer of light in the darkness and work towards it.
Being optimistic is a mind shift. You can do it, but it’s going to take some effort on your part. When things aren’t going well, the first thing most people do is let it ruin their day. They think there’s nothing else they can do, so they quit. You don’t have to be that easy and give in.
Be optimistic with your thoughts and find an effective way to follow through. Getting frustrated when things don’t go your way, is counterproductive. It doesn’t help to throw it all away – you’re capable of figuring things out. Find the light and take some time to think it through.
Take control and exercise your confidence. Why let everything go if you can do something about it? Life happens, but you can let it happen, or make it happen. No matter how bad things get, you always have a choice in how you respond. Use optimism to your advantage – it’s like having a cheerleader in your corner, telling you that it can work, just don’t give up!
Using Optimism In The Right Way
Optimism allows you to be resilient. If you weren’t optimistic, more than likely, you would stay stuck. Whatever it was that was battling you, has won.
It isn’t only about being goofy-happy, it’s about finding a solution and facing challenges. It gives you the possibility of creating a way out of the shadow. In some cases, the answer is so simple, yet, we tend to overthink, causing us to stop before we even start.
Use it as a strategy. When you’re optimistic, your mind works towards an answer. You begin to see that there is more than one option. Before you know it, you’re making your way through that temporary challenge. After you’ve achieved it, you realize your potential to do more.
Be Optimistic
Your brain has the ability to see past the crowded negative thoughts that race through your mind everyday. Instead of letting obstacles stop you in your path, be forward-thinking and move around them.
It’s good to have an optimistic person on your team. They remind you that there’s a way to open that door. It relieves you of self-defeat and allows for more productivity. The solution is easier to meet if you look at it through optimistic eyes.
You don’t have to have a goofy-happy friend – you can be optimistic yourself. When you find yourself looking away from the issue, look at it with a positive vision. Clear your mind and think it out, one optimistic step at a time.
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
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