We have to put forth effort to make our lives a success; to fashion a life we will be happy with, and to change what needs to be changed in order to have peace and happiness. This may seem obvious to some, but sadly, many people think life owes them and they don't have to put forth any effort whatsoever. They sit idly by and wait for things to fall in their lap or for things to change on their own. Sorry, but this is not how life works, for the most part. This entitlement attitude is not based on reality. The reality is we are not entitled to anything. You've heard the old adage "You reap what you sow," and this is a principle of life.
Every day is a chance to move forward. It is up to us to glean from each day. If we want to see progress, we need to work dutifully and diligently towards our goals. If we don't, five years from now we will still be where we are today.
The fourth step is learning to persist and persevere.
There are 3 things we need to do in order to persist and persevere.
For many years, it was hard for me to ask for what I wanted. I was afraid to speak up. Then I realized this timidity was not working for me. I needed to be more assertive and ask for what I wanted and needed.
Some of us are afraid to ask for what we want. Singles, in particular, struggle with this. How many times does a guy pass up an opportunity to go out on a date with a cute girl simply because he's afraid to ask her out? If we are unhappy in a relationship, we expect the other person to be a mind-reader. If we are unfulfilled in our job, we expect our boss to do something. If we are unhappy with our lives, we resign ourselves to our current situation by making excuses. This approach gets us nowhere. Our spouse is not a mind-reader nor is our boss. The cute girl is not a mind-reader either. If we are unhappy with our lives, it us up to us to take the first step and ask ourselves why. This means taking personal responsibility.
2. Make the effort to seek.
Problems are often difficult to solve and if we want to find the answer, we need to be diligent in seeking solutions. Answers don't always come as quickly as we would like but we are promised "If we seek, we will find". We must be persistent and not give up.
3. Be willing to knock.
This means exploring different options till we find the right one and the door opens. This applies to relationships, jobs, and our health. People in sales know this. Job-seekers know this. Successful people know this. If one approach does not work, try something new.
This 3-pronged approach is a fundamental principle to igniting the power we each have within us. When we master this step, we will move past obstacles. We learn that each closed door brings us one step closer to our goal and our destiny.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of implementing this principle on a daily basis. Too many people try for while and then give up. No! We have to keep at it. This practice develops perseverance and determination. It strengthens our character as well as well as our backbone. If we want to see changes in our lives, we must be willing to persevere.
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Stay tuned for the next step in this exciting process and until next time,
Keep looking up!
Ariel