Most people are unwilling to face the truths of life. They are unable to confront their fears, so they end up as great dreamers but weak doers. They feel hopeless, limited and uninspired with few punches of life.
Truth hurts, but by embracing them, you are giving yourself a clear head start to plan well. You don’t get surprised when life throws you lemons. You can keep pushing through the worthy goals you set.
When you know what you’ll face, you can incorporate wise actions to get the full benefit of life. You will reap the greatest return if you know how to respond.
Only a few people can welcome these truths. When you are open to the wisdom life gives, it will provide more valuable opportunities designed for you.
1. Life Often Gives Experiences You Don’t Want
Life does not always serve the things we order. It requires a series of failures before success can penetrate.
Most people get bitter in the few jabs of life. They demand life to be fair, but it will never be. Sometimes, you get what you don’t deserve. But life is still beautiful in general.
When you look at difficult experiences as sharpening tools, you will conquer whatever trials might come. Entertain them with a positive attitude and lead them to the exit door. Before you know it, they will just be part of history.
Whereas, people who curse these experiences without doing anything end up more defeated. They allow their emotions to dominate them, so getting up becomes nearly impossible for them.
Robert Schuller, a motivational speaker, said:
“Tough times never last, but tough people do.
2. Life Requires You to Have a Break, It’s Not Always About Peak Performance
Dr. Elmer Gates, an inventor, produced his best ideas when he sits down in silence for few hours. He instructed his secretary not to interrupt when there are guests in his office.
He stays in a quiet room and concentrates until his subconscious start to flash ideas related to the project. He writes those ideas as fast as they strike his mind. Later, he screens them to determine their practicality and value.
The brain gets overwhelmed when you keep drinking from a firehose of information. It steals and freezes your brain.
Your brain can learn loads of new tricks and skills if you treat it right.
Your mind and body cannot accommodate peak performance all the time. You are a human, not a machine. Give yourself the rest it deserves.
If you don’t give your body time to rest, it will find time on its own. Your health will deteriorate and your peak performance will slow down.
When you rest, you come out even better and stronger with a more refreshing outlook in life.
3. Life Humbles You When You Forget About Reality
“The problem is… how to remain whole in the midst of the distractions of life; how to remain balanced, no matter what centrifugal forces tend to pull one off center; how to remain strong, no matter what shocks come.” — Anne Morrow, The Gift from the Sea
People often forget that the status they have is not forever. All the comfort they are enjoying will not always be there. They don’t stay grounded when success lands on their palm.
When everything seems to be perfect, life often gives you a wake-up call. Each day is a reminder to live with a genuine attitude of gratitude.
Enjoy the moment you have today. Build a relationship with others. Keep humility a part of your being. When life slaps you with a hard discipline, you can still rise above the pain.
4. Life is a Series of Pause and Stops, But You Can Choose How to Deal With Them
When it looks like we have it all, we experience sudden job loss, health problems, emotional pain, abrupt transition and other unwanted issues.
Successful people look at these as opportunities to prepare themselves to launch a better plan. They don’t sit around pitying themselves. Instead, they devote their energy to steer their life in the direction they want.
What pause or stop are you experiencing right now?
No one wants to experience stops. But they are necessary in order for you to grow and be strong. These stops can remind you of the greater potential that awaits you.
Said Barbara De Angelis:
“We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”
5. Life Encourages You to Follow The Ethical Compass Within You
A low-paid janitor cleans the same floors of the cancer ward every day. Others may not view the job the same way he does. It is very meaningful for him because it is the same hospital where his only child was treated for cancer.
He feels grateful to the medical staff who contributed on the wellness of his child. In the same way, he hopes to bring inspiration to people suffering from cancer and their family.
Many people are willing to do anything to reach the level they want. They work nearly 24/7 to get the promotion they desire. They hustle day and night to reach the goals they set.
Doesn’t seem bad, right?
It only becomes bad when you are seeking something that does not match with your values. If you succeed, but your inner compass does not agree with it, you won’t have inner peace every day.
Your life is limited, so make sure you pursue something that your own ethics agree.
6. Life Requires Money to Survive, But Acceptance and Belongingness Make the Ride Worthwhile.
“You’re imperfect, and you’re wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” — Brene Brown
Money will temporarily make us happy, but without anyone to share it with, we will end up feeling empty.
You can hustle all day you want. But when you lay down at night, all those material gain will not embrace and console you.
Do not let yourself get too busy accumulating material wealth but forget to include valuable people in your schedule.
Your company may provide you a health insurance but never a heart assurance.
7. Life Provides Conveniences Not to Limit Your Performance, Rather Double Your Progress
Bill Gates said that computers were averaging between $10,000 and $200,000 in the early 1970s. Something that a typical consumer or a company may not afford. But now, a person can own two or three laptops with constant upgrades each year.
Dan Strutzel shared a quote he claims from Albert Einstein that says:
“It is wonderful that the telephone was invented. It allows me to talk to my aunt. However, if it wasn’t invented, she would’ve moved here.”
Most people are glued to their phones or laptops that time with important people and things is being set aside.
Instead of being more productive, they blame smartphones for snatching their attention. Instead of living healthier, they devour instant foods. It creates a generation of zombies who allow technology to dictate their days.
Technology isn’t meant for this.
Maximize technology to your advantage instead of it enslaving you. Use it to make you work faster than allowing it to identify the priorities for you.
They are objects to be manipulated, not them manipulating you. Two huge difference.
8. Life is a Competition, But the Best Competition You Should Master is Against Yourself.
You are the best in your area. You are the top in your field. You produce the most creative output in your workplace. Until you meet that someone better than you.
What would you do?
Most people try to outsmart them, so they can prove they are the best player. Trying to beat them will cause stress and frustrations in the long run. They have abilities only them are aware of.
There will always be a competition in anything. By focusing on how to win against them, you lose sight on how to advance yourself. By looking where you could hit them, you neglect the area that can serve you well.
Don’t get caught in the trap of comparing yourself to someone else.
Henry Ford said:
“Time spent in fighting competition is wasted; it had better be spent in doing work.”
When you compete with yourself, you gain more understanding about your performance. You can pinpoint what stumps your progress. Beating your past achievement can help you excel than letting envy fuel your actions.
9. Life of Others Will Continue Without You
Many people get hurt easily when others ignore them. It is our nature as humans to have the need to be recognized. The truth is — you will often get ignored.
Instead of loathing about it, take the initiative to reach out to your loved ones. Make every encounter you have with others leave a good impression. Let your influence serve as an inspiration to them wherever they go.
Avoid being the person who utters negative words to others. Your words can create a deep wound that can last forever.
10. Life Gives Many Opportunities But Widens Its Door Only to Those Who Can Endure the Work
Michael Bloomberg, a businessman, was a part-time real estate agent as his summer job in Harvard Business Schools. Surrounded by many professional real estate colleagues, he had to find ways to win some sales.
He observed everything around him until he found a pattern. He noticed that possible renters get up early to look for possible listings around the area. While his colleagues started working at 9:30 am, he was already in by 6:30 am.
He was in the office to cater for the early searchers. Later during the day, his older colleagues wonder why almost every person come in the office looking for him.
His mantra:
“You can’t choose the advantages you start out with, but you can control how hard you work.”
Intelligence and talents are useless without putting in the work. Life reciprocates what you give. If you sow laziness, then you will eat the crumbs left by those who persevered.
Successful people deny themselves instant gratification to enjoy life later and share it with others. People who do nothing but complain waste not only their time but the very essence of their lives.
No one gets successful by merely wishing. Action is the perfect ingredient of progress. You can’t expect a new life if laziness is part of your routine.
11. Life Presents People Who Like to Ride With You So You Can Bring Them to Your Destination
“When you’re nothing, people will ignore you but when you’re on top that’s when everybody swear they know you.” — Lincey Alphonse
There are people who like to hitchhike in every adventure you take. They worship you when you’re on top of your game. They scratch your back because you scratch theirs.
When the test of life comes, they immediately hide pretending not to see any of your pains.
You cannot drag these people along with you. Not because you hate them, but because they do not belong in your ecosystem. They need to find theirs. Bringing them along will hurt both of you.
Your progress slows down because you need to accommodate for them. No ecosystem survives with only parasitic relationship.
Let go of people who are only around for their personal benefit. When you do, you allow them to find where they truly belong.
12. Life is Not Just About One Purpose, But How Many “Mini” Purpose You Accomplish Each Day
Many people lose their true purpose as they seek to find that one purpose. It’s hard to know for sure and no self-help guru or article can articulate it for you.
I believe that our purpose in life is to fulfill the mini purpose we have each day. It differs from each person.
Look around you right now. You have a purpose to fulfill to your partner, child, community, and others around you. By being present and open to address those, you will eventually find your true purpose.
It is about how useful you are to the lives of others.
13. Life Allows You to Plan Your Actions, But God Approves Its Completion
We control nothing in this world except the way we respond to circumstances. Even if we prepare our blueprint for success, God decides the outcome.
Learn to acknowledge that His plans are better than yours. When you learn to lean on Him, He will help you unveil the necessary steps to the direction you’ve been praying for.
He can give you the opportunities that are perfectly crafted for you. When failures come, He wants you to learn something. If you persevere, He will lead the right destination for you.
14. Life’s Deficiencies Are Not Meant to Interfere With Your Efficiency
Many people whine all day about the things they lack instead of sharpening the tools they have. They find excuses in every possible way to justify their complacency. Life does not cater well to these kinds of people.
Some people with deficiencies perform better than those with complete facilities. They do not sit down feeling sorry for themselves. They do not curse anyone for the situation they have.
Instead, they use those deficiencies to inspire others. They know they can’t do anything about them. They tap the other areas they have.
That’s why they’re successful.
Their mission is bigger than their sorrows. Their motivation is stronger than their deficiencies.
Jon Morrow cannot move anything except his face, but he can write a very powerful blog post that resonates with his readers.
Charles Steinmetz ignored his dwarfism and focused to excel with his mind.
Nick Vujicic was born without arms and legs but inspires people to rise above trials through his words.
Helen Keller became a well-known author, activist, and lecturer despite being deaf and blind.
What excuses are you telling yourself?
If you don’t think any higher of yourself, why should anyone else will?
15. Life is Sometimes Lonely. Having Someone Who Believes in You Makes a Lot of Difference
A boy was considered a troublemaker when he was young. His mother died at an early age. His father and brothers thought he was bad, so he embodied that trait instead of proving them wrong.
When he found out his father is going to remarry, he was determined not to accept her. As he meets his stepmom, he gave her the coldest welcome one could ever have.
The father introduced him as the worst boy in the hills, but the stepmom put her hands on the young boy’s shoulders with a twinkle in her eyes and said:
“The worst boy? Not at all. He’s just the brightest boy in the hills, and all we have to do is bring out the best in him.”
From that time, she became a great influence on the boy’s life. Her words and wisdom inspired him to have confidence. Her unshakeable faith motivated him to be a better boy and successful man that the world came to know as Napoleon Hill.
When you are feeling lost or powerless, hearing from someone you value gets you back in motion. Find that person who believes in you. Seek his memories when self-doubts are killing your dreams.
His tremendous amount of love can usher you towards heights you think you can’t reach.
What Happens When You Respond Well
Are you brave enough to confront these truths of life?
Will you allow them to be your enemies or advisers?
Many people will ignore these truths, but they can serve as wisdom to direct your path.
Life responds well to those who are paying attention to it. Because you do, you’ll enjoy more of what it has to offer.
You’ll recognize the opportunities that show up every day. You can embody the work designed for you. You can create a lasting inspiration to others.
Life is beautiful.
You are meant to enjoy it.
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