How we think, what we decide, and what we do will lead to where we end up. With or without. With or without a dream career, the ideal partner, a happy life. Are you setting yourself up for the outcome you desire? Ultimately this can either be good or bad, but the choice is yours.
Two people can have the same capabilities, same hope, and same aspiration, but have radically different outcomes.
So what can you do? What should you do if the outcome wasn’t what you expected?
Perhaps it’s time to follow “the rather than list” below…
RATHER THAN…
Going along with something knowing it’s wrong, go with what you intuitively know is right.
Following the crowd, choose a novel approach, take a different path.
Saying yes when you really want to say no, just say no thanks. Are you saying yes to those things that aren’t beneficial? Just go with no.
Accepting those things that don’t bring value and meaning to your life, decide to shift gears and head for what does.
Procrastinate, take a leap of faith and do something outside of your comfort zone, or just do something if you aren’t doing anything.
React negatively, choose to respond positively even during a challenge or a trying situation.
Not exercising to get into shape, start with something small and work your way up to something more challenging.
Allowing fear to stunt your personal growth, try to move beyond it.
Practice non-forgiveness… why not try compromise? Agree to disagree, forgive, forget, and move on. This can be liberating.
Admitting no wrong. Just admit your part and follow it up with an apology. There’s his story, her story, then there’s the honest-to-goodness truth.
LIFE CHANGES WHEN WE…
Show up
Consider someone’s feelings
Make an effort even when things are not going well
Take a risk
Take a chance
Remain diligent
Take responsibility
Embrace who we are and who we are willing to become
DOING WHAT IT TAKES
If you work hard at something, even if it makes you a tad uncomfortable, it will eventually lead to success
If you do what you need to do, consider that the easiest route isn’t always the best route
If you set your goals and set a plan, a dream, a vision in motion…
What happens?
You learn something amazing.
You discover that your life depends on you, on your choices and actions.
You may even realize life delivers once you free yourself from what inhibits you from becoming the best version of you.
We can each define ambition and progress for ourselves. The goal is to work toward a world where expectations are not set by the stereotypes that hold us back, but by our personal passion, talents, and interests.
LIVE IT LOVE IT
The key is to stop fretting and to put an end to setting yourself up for less than what you expect. Self-sabotage will only lead to a future of unhappiness. The root of all of our disappointments stems from our attachment to the way we think. If we remain optimistic, the result will be happiness. However, if compelled to wallow in a painful memory, distracted by what no longer is, this is a space where we only manifest even more pain and disappointment.
If we want something or need something to change, but get stuck in our headspace longer than we should, nothing gets accomplished. And if we aren’t motivated to get past what bothers us, we stay stuck. No motivation, no action yields more unhappiness. And who wants to stay unhappy? Not me. And you shouldn’t either.
It’s important to live in the moment and do everything you can while you can, so you can get to where you need to be. The journey happens when you make a choice and take the action in those crucial moments of your life. You, your life, do not live in the past, that’s where the lessons live. And it doesn’t live in the future either. You, your life, live in the present, in the here and the now. It’s important to choose wisely, plan wisely, so you can continue setting yourself up for the outcome you expect and desire. Which is setting yourself up for a happier life.
So how do we live in the moment? By focusing on the present that presents all of its possibilities. This is where the power of focus is invaluable and can lead us to a successful outcome once exercised.
THE POWER OF FOCUS
FOCUS ON…
You, on your dream, on the vision, and how you plan to get to wish-fulfillment.
Your purpose.
What and who matters most and why.
Taking action.
Each baby step.
One day at a time.
The process.
Making those wrongs right.
Where you see yourself, and the action you intend to take to get there.
Is there something within you crying out for more? Wishing you can do what you dream? Dreaming that one day you can do more, be more, have more? Why stop there? If you listen and believe those who say you can’t, then you won’t. Know you can, believe you can, and you will. You have this one life to take a chance to do more to be more. Now is the time to take a leap of faith and be all you can be.
Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.
Own who you are now. Acknowledge, recognize, accept, and love you, knowing you can become better through the choices you make every day. Within you is where it all begins. Open your heart, visualize a better tomorrow, be open to life and the gifts it offers. Work on you, on those thoughts, and on your dreams. By creating a better place within you, you will create a better place outside of you, in all those spaces you occupy, your home, your workplace, and in those social circles.
WHY SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR THE OUTCOME YOU DESIRE CHANGES EVERYTHING
Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy, and rewarding life.
Just because you’ve missed a step somewhere along the line doesn’t mean you have to get trapped in a negative mindset. You can lead a successful life even after sequential progressive failure. To get better, push yourself further, and if you stumble, just try again, and again, until you get it right. Why avoid failure altogether? Accept it as part of the journey, celebrate it, and grow. The only thing holding you back is you. Become unstoppable. Why suppress the potential that exists within you? Let go of what isn’t working and try something new. Set yourself up for the outcome you expect and desire. Set yourself up for success. And last but not least, expect nothing but the best in work, in love, in life. If you can dream it, you can live it, but first you must do what it takes to achieve it.
It’s when ordinary people rise above the expectations and seize the opportunity that milestones truly are reached.