By Bayo Ogunmupe
There are many sacrifices you must make if you wish to succeed in life. The biggest huddle you must overcome is tied to wanting to feel good short term. Which is why becoming successful is so difficult. Achieving the outcomes you want depend more on what you are willing to give up as against what you are ready to do. The cold reality of life is, you either make sacrifices in order to succeed or you twaddle with the multitude. "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your as a champion." So said the greatest heavy weight boxing champion of all time, Muhammad Ali. Thus, in order to build up a great career, you have to give up 'having fun'. There wouldn't be time to watch television anymore. But then, work becomes fun.
As one with a vaulting ambition, you wouldn't be able to relate to other people. In the circumstance, when you are willing to stand out and be your authentic self regardless of the opinion of others, you must be ready to deal with the blowback too. Ask yourself, do you really want to be a leader? Do you want to stand out? It's up to you. However, there is a positive consequence of standing out. A certain group of people watching you as you grow up will be inspired by you and will gravitate toward you. They may not take you seriously in the beginning. But later they will want to prick your brain. Welcome them into the fold by keeping on with some motto such as, you are with the people who want good for you and themselves.
It is known that lifetime regrets are more painful than delayed gratification. Which is why ninety nine percent of retarding problems are tied to wanting to feel good short time. Sometimes, you want to feel good at all times. Sadly, long term success demands moments of your life where you wouldn't feel good about because such times suck at the new skill you are trying to develop. It only means you creating time and opportunity to smell the roses later. When you get caught up with short term enjoyments, you put yourself into a groove. But being in a groove puts your future success into jeopardy. Short term concessions put nails into the coffin of your greatness.
Interestingly, what follows the "I am" will always come looking for you. When you say I am so clumsy, clumsiness comes looking for you. 'I am so old'; wrinkles come looking for you. 'I am so overweight,'calories come looking for you. You are inviting them whenever you verbalize such negativity. You have an identity which you have built up over a long period of time. Regardless of how well that identity is serving you, you don't want to let go of it because it's you. Although, in reality, personalities are quite malleable. You can always change your personality but not without some grieving after letting go. Which is why you must abandon the idea that you are some fixed entity incapable of behaving in a different way.
Letting go of a fixed personality can be a training ground for you to become a much sharper, agiler, and savvy version of yourself. You should realize your comfort zone isn't the place you want to be all, you should therefore start to evolve a sense of self that continually improves with each new challenge. Structuring your environment is essential to your success. And often, being jolted out of your comfort zone improves your environment. Your ego is your greatest enemy. When you remove ego, you are left with what is real. Rock hard humility and confidence replace ego. Ego is stolen, confidence is earned. Ego is self anointed, it is swagger: artifice. Confidence is potent while ego is poisonous. Moving through the world ego free is true freedom. It is an attainable and worthwhile goal. Don't be arrogant enough to think you can overcome your environment, you cannot. Arrogance is ego driven.
No comments:
Post a Comment