Nothing is Permanent
“We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.” — Frank Tibolt
If you’re reading this, chances are you are someone with goals worth striving for. Success requires setting goals and creating an action plan that propels you towards them. But when you are on your path to success and feel stagnant or stuck in the same spot — what do you do then? How do you navigate your way forward when nothing seems to go to plan? There’s an old song which echoes the lyrics: I Never Promised You A Rose Garden. When I hear it, I’m reminded of the sentiments in the song line that we are not promised optimal conditions throughout our lives. There is no Santa Claus handing out our desires on a silver platter. Life will never be as we expect and we must come to terms with that. Things we don’t plan for happen unexpectedly. Things don’t go as planned, and it’s important to know that despite this, we will be okay. Life is a wonderful journey despite the setbacks, failures, trials and temptations.
Nothing is permanent expect our thoughts about a situation. All things have a used by date. Even our struggles and pain have a finite life, unless we give them more energy than they deserve. I recall speaking with a respected child physician when my nephew was hospitalised for pneumonia some years ago. He observed that children have amazing healing abilities because they don’t add meaning and context to their illness, like adults. While they feel lousy one moment, they bounce back just as quick, since they don’t ruminate on their illness which slows the healing process. We should take a leaf out of their book and step back from the chaos of our lives, so we too can also recover quickly from our setbacks.
I enjoy the statement: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Learning to dance in the rain should be our objective because if happiness and inner peace is what we want, it is possible despite outward circumstances. In the statement, the rain symbolises trials, setbacks and frustrations. Therefore, we mustn’t focus on what we cannot control, but lean towards joy instead. It is about persevering through unfortunate circumstances and choosing to enjoy the present moment. Life is what you make of it. I’m not announcing something new, but reminding you there are two ways of looking at your circumstance, yet we focus attention on what is wrong instead of what could be right. It is about optimal growth.
Don’t Lose Heart
“The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.” — Theodore Roosevelt
Life is full of twists and turns, some of them contain unexpected situations where we might struggle with: frustration, sadness, and hopelessness. We shouldn’t be discouraged when they show up but learn to Weather The Storm. Things will not always go as we expect, but we ought to keep moving forward, anyway. There will always be something not right where we are in our life. If we focus on what is right or what we’ve accomplished, our attitude will be better. We will be grateful and content no matter what surrounds us or how long it takes to reach our goal. We will be happy instead of disheartened. It is for the reason we mustn’t lose heart.
Goals are inspiring. Every person should create short term and long term goals to work towards. Besides, it is important to create an inspired action plan that will help you attain those goals. By inspired I mean pursuing a cause that means something to us. We should find ways to take inspired action towards our goals so we create momentum and move towards them. As we take the smallest step forward, our energy propels us in that direction, and the momentum carries us over the bumps in the road. As we go to work, universal intelligence brings forth our desires and dreams. No matter the circumstances, inspired action should be taken so we are progressing. The right conditions to thrive and prosper reside in our thoughts, not in outward circumstances. If our attitude is in alignment with our goals, we’re well on our way to accomplishing them.
Just Do It
“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” — Og Mandino
Is it taking longer for you to accomplish your goals? Just keep taking the next step. Are you frustrated with obstacles and setbacks? Trust the process and the journey that is unfolding. It is leading you somewhere but not where you imagine. You won’t know until you get there, so for now release your worries, judgement and frustration and settle in for the ride. Enjoy where you are, on the way to where you are going. Take heart, knowing you will accomplish your goals in due time. Think of a garden. It’s important to have good soil to produce fruit, but the soil need not be perfect to bring forth a harvest. The same goes for you.
Your life doesn’t have to be perfect or problem free to reach your goals, or enjoy happiness now. Authors Todd Kashdan and Robert Biswas-Diener remind us of this truth in The Upside of Your Dark Side: “Unfortunately, avoiding problems also means avoiding finding the solutions to those problems.” Focus on what is good and what is going right and continue to take inspired action towards your goals. After all, just do it no matter what the conditions and you will achieve something meaningful owing to your commitment and perseverance.
Call To Action
Do you want to lead a remarkable life? Are you committed to taking action despite your fears and doubts? Have you had enough of not achieving the success you seek? If so, download your FREE copy of my eBook NAVIGATE LIFE right now, and start your amazing journey of greatness today!
Originally published at Medium