1] You choose your life situations
A commuter on the subway sucked my energy with his nonsensical talk…My friends always self-invite themselves to waste my weekend…No one asked me what I wanted for dinner…
These thoughts led me to a “victimized way of living.” They made me feel powerless and vulnerable to overthinking.
If someone sucked my energy, who allowed it?
If someone’s arrogant, what has it to do with me?
If people don’t seek my opinion, what does it have to do with my self-worth?
In the book “East of Eden,” John Steinbeck writes the secret of empowered living:
“It is easy out of laziness, out of weakness, is saying, I couldn’t help it; the way was set. But think of the glory of the choice! That makes a man a man.”
2] Every moment an opportunity
I want to write, but I have no resources…I’ll go for a morning walk if the weather permits…My productivity will skyrocket if I wake up early…
For a long time, I prevented healthy changes in my life with these conditional statements. When nothing changed as per my wish, I understood — life doesn’t offer what you’re comfortable with.
I evaded the truth that I lacked the conviction and will to do what I ought to.
So either you do, or you don’t. There are no ifs and buts.
Every moment is an opportunity. Every breath has a hidden power to cause a revolution.
3] A failure is a subtle form of expectation
I don’t believe in failures anymore.
Failure is just an expectation not met.
When you expect too many things from yourself without considering your strengths and weaknesses, you’re bound to fall short. So, failure is only a reflection of “unmet expectations.”
Zig Ziglar has wise advice in this context:
“Failure is a detour; not a dead-end street.”
4] No one is your enemy
People who insulted and rejected me were my enemies. For a major part of my life, I considered them a hindrance to my peace. But I was wrong.
They were only presenting their ideas and opinions. Basing my self-worth on public opinions or perceptions was my mistake. Not theirs.
So, the truth is no one can get into your mind to sabotage your peace. If someone’s rude, it means they’re hurt. If you keep churning insults and negativity in your mind, you’ll never be peaceful. It’s on you to make way for your peace.
The only way I saw out was to consider advice and opinions as just perceptions.
5] “Perfect time"
We tend to wait for “perfect moments” to confess, or express our feelings.
But the truth is the perfect moment never arrives.
Even when we try to make it perfect later, it loses its charm, value, and meaning. And often, we’re left with regrets.
I wish I had sought forgiveness earlier. I wish I had apologized earlier. I wish….All these wishes and desires drown you in guilt and suck the joy of living.
Sometimes, your feelings remain inside forever because the person for whom it was meant to be is no more. And you’re left with regrets.
There’s a Chinese saying explaining the importance of the present moment:
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
