13-Feb-2020
A common question/occurrence is, where does one start? Imagine yourself like one of the hoarders on TV shows, your house is a mess and is full of stuff, everything overwhelms you and you are just living the best you can in the circumstances given. You might start at one area and before you know it, you’ve got other distractions and it all becomes too hard. Nothing gets done or of the little that gets done, makes no difference. Metaphorically, your life can play out like that too. The common theme is, you live the life of your creation, possibly started many years ago. Whether it is your fault or not, you are living through it now, wishing things were better or different. When push comes to shove, we are unwilling to change, unwilling to put in any hard work and thus continue wishing. Yes, there is always hope but it counts for more if one is prepared to take action and improve.
As one of the many alux.com* videos on success pointed out, the answer is to simply look into the mirror. You immediately see yourself and there is your answer. It’s always been you. Yes, the universe may have dealt you a bad hand, kept putting obstacles in your way. It sounds so terribly unfair when you didn’t cause it and now you are a victim of circumstance, or worst, a scapegoat of other people’s actions or inactions. So, at what point do you say, enough is enough? And that you are not going to take this shite (crap) no more.
Unfortunately for you, there is no magic pill or wand that can make this pain and suffering go away. There is no possible and conceivable way to remove and re-educate all the idiots in the world. There are no moral righteous courts to give you the justice you so deserve. Therefore, the only suggestion yours truly has is, to simply toughen up little by little, so as time goes by, you are going to get stronger and the punches will simply hurt less.
Say the reflection from the mirror shown you to be unfit and unhealthy. Well, go for a little walk, or do some exercise. If you can do one push up right now, well go on and take a break, just do one push up and come back. Sure, by doing one push up or a little walk is not going to make you healthy instantly and might possibly leave you exhausted and your body aching. Nonetheless, you have started and you have now done something more than you otherwise would.
Say now that you have done one push up (or whatever extra), how about do another one to make that two? And repeat again next day and so on, with a little bit more each time? Do you have what it takes to keep going? You see, starting is hard, but keeping that commitment going is even harder. Chances are, most people would have long given up before they see an ounce of result. Further, results don’t come easily either, some people have dieted for years and could not keep the weight off, or have worked hard for their entire life and still earn minimum wage.
Herein lies the reality, the Truth as Fox Mulder would say, change is not easy, achieving goals are not easy, life is not easy. For too long, the corporations and the marketing complex, as well as well meaning people, has led you believe in a big lie and you felt for it big time. You think, all one need to do is get an education or skill, work 9 to 5, money would come and you just spend, therefore life would be great forever. Just like those other people on Facebook or Instagram. Or in the case of millennials, studying and working is old school for old people, dreams comes true easily and so why try hard when you can just travel the world, put posts and pics whist lapping the pool and get paid for it, now that’s living.
Sadly, as many of you now start to realise, especially if you have lived through years and decades of disappointment, that life is not exactly a bed of roses. You desperately want to be like those successful people you see on TV and social media. You even tried to emulate them, only to discover that it takes a lot more than posting a few pics to achieve (lasting) success.
The reality is, you believed the easy path and thus indulged yourself. Only after what seemed to be a long time, only to discover you have gotten no where, with so much time/life wasted and not sure where to turn and what to do next. You search far and wide for meaning and hope for answers, miracle cures even. The irony is, you hadn’t need to look far, if only you’d realise it’s you that’s stopping you from achieving greatness.
So start with yourself today, do something, even if it is a small thing, to make life less shite (MLLS)**. Note, this just the beginning, as the road ahead is filled with more demands for hardship and sacrifice, which will ultimately test your commitment and resolve.
Don’t be fooled again, results and success are not guaranteed, nothing in life is really. However if you try things, with variations and different things over time, persistently and with courage, eventually you might just hit on success. The problem is, for some it’s instant and for others, time to success is measured in decades, life time even.
Take heart, yours truly has never read a story of any old man or woman, who have worked hard all their life and said they have achieved nothing. Most regrets of older people centred around on what they could have done more of. I.e. they wish they worked harder or that they have realised they have pursued the wrong goal and wished they had put in more effort into things that really mattered, like family.
So the question you need to ask yourself is, whether you want to take no chances and get no results or try in the hope that you one day might. Whether you want to continue on the easy way or (wo)man up to the hard way.
*not an affiliate but yours truly is a fan and have gotten many inspirations from them.
** The author improved on the quote from John Cadogan – Auto Expert. His was MALS – make Australia less shit.
Struggle Perpetual 