Its January once again. That time of year where everyone vows that this is going to be their best year yet, THIS year, they'll get in shape, THIS year, they'll score that dream job, fix up the house, take that trip, start saving more. They'll cut out gluten, stop smoking, go on the gym for at least two and a quarter hours per day.
Then you know the pattern. Two weeks later, the resolution makers are loafing on the couch with a cigarette watching reruns with a big bowl of pasta on that new expensive flat screen TV, house a mess, dreading going to work the next day. Maybe in 2014........that's not TOO far off right?
Truth is, you could be dead tomorrow. Life's not guaranteed. You could go down in a fiery wreck on your way to work. Or, you could slip on the ice and suffer internal bleeding in the brain. You could contract a terminal illness, or be shot in your place of work by a maniac. Are these things likely? No, and we rest very comfortably assured that the odds are against these tragedies happening.
I was listening to a colleague talking the other day, about how much he wishes his life would've taken another path. IF ONLY he'd done better in high school, had different parents, made more money, figured out earlier what he wanted to do, had more time, he wouldn't be stuck in this darn job, he'd be happy, all would be right with the world!
So why, why do people like my coworker fail time and time again to do these things they claim they so desperately want to achieve? Why talk on and on about positive actions that will never be taken? Many people simply believe these things are not for them. Dreams are for someone else. Why them? They aren't anything special, they barely passed school, they had a bad relationship or two, their parents weren't that fond of them. Kids made fun of them on the playground.They never won the lottery, they got turned down for a few jobs. They focus soley on these little events, each one like another small rock being tied to their leg until they can no longer move. So they convince themselves that where they are is OK, it could be worse, they could be THAT GUY with twice as many rocks tied to him.
They choose to ignore the bigger picture.That everyone who ever succeeded had setbacks, rocks tied to their legs. But those people, those people cut those rocks off, even if they had to do it with their own teeth because they couldn't find a knife. Whatever it was they saw in their future was brighter than all those little negatives. Most people get stuck in those.
Most people focus on the short term, that's human nature. If today is negative, so is well....forever. But you can train yourself to look further down the road, track your life as a flowing river rather than jagged hard set steps, where if you trip over one, you can't see anything but the ground in front of you, and you don't ever have to get up. Yes, that rivers going to have scary rapids at some points, but you can't possibly stop moving forward once you set sail.
This year don't make any silly resolutions you wont keep. Decide to set sail towards that dream. It doesn't have to be a huge goal (although it can be!), to be the next American Idol or make as much as Taylor Swift by 2039. It can be as simple as starting a business doing what you love, perfecting your golf swing, training your dog to compete in agility, going to school to become a nurse. Whatever that THING is that you want more than anything but that seems about as possible as spotting a giraffe in Antarctica. You know that thing. You think about it every single day at least once. But everyone tells you you already have it so good, or that its silly, or you don't have the money, or the kids demand too much attention and you're selfish. Or they tell you you'll never be able to do that. They push you down on those stairs. And you can't see past the ground. So you stay there.
Everyone who ever succeeded had all those obstacles, some had MORE. Realize this first. No ones better than you. You are better than no one. But you can choose to be wiser. WAKE UP. Cut those rocks off your feet and move from that place of unrest and that cloud of other peoples opinions. Have faith in your goals and yourself even when no one else does. Let yourself feel angry, hurt or upset when they attempt to bring you down. Then get over it, and continue on down the river. Never stop moving forward. Happy 2013.
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