Have you ever fallen into a trap of blaming other people, circumstances, or even destiny, for the things that are not working out the way you planned? Don’t worry we all have. It’s easier to blame someone or something else than it is to take responsibility and actually work on improving ourselves. The work towards self-improvement isn’t easy, it requires a lot of time and dedication. It gets easier once we become aware of our own responsibility, and we do something about it. In order to truly become mindful and accountable, we first need do away with unhealthy beliefs.
Your thoughts are standing in the way of your success
It may seem a bit harsh, but it’s the way it is. If you think about it, you’ll probably find some evidence of this in your daily life. You may have a colleague at work that you don’t particularly like, for example. Your thoughts about this person are negative, and each time you see him or her, you repeat that thought process. As a result, each time you interact with this person, the outcome is always a negative one. It seems to confirm your beliefs about him. In fact, it is your thoughts presenting this person in a negative light. By projecting negative feelings onto someone, you are expecting the worst, and usually, you get what you expect. If you’d observe this person interacting with someone else, you might be surprised at how different the outcome is. Changing our perspective changes the circumstances by which we know people. This may take some time to practice, but once you see the initial results, you will be eager to observe your thoughts and look for positive ones.
Life doesn’t owe you anything
We have all been there – Our goals set and our hopes high, yet reality just doesn’t materialize it for us. Then we get frustrated at life because it was supposed to yield to us that career, money, car, house, or soul mate. Actually, it doesn’t work that way. The sooner we realize it, the sooner we get over the initial frustration and start really being proactive. Positive thinking and picturing a good outcome is the first step, but it will only get us so far. In order to actually achieve anything, some action is required. Dreaming big and thinking about our goals being achieved can, in fact, be counterproductive if not done properly.
An NYU study has shown that people who had been imagining their biggest goals being achieved were having a lot less success when it came to actually working on those goals. During wishful thinking we imagine ourselves achieving goals we think are unattainable. When faced with doing the actions, we give up easily because we actually don’t believe it is possible. In order to master our goals, we have to successfully combine positive thinking and action. When imagining success, set smaller goals that are attainable then take action. The action part is the most difficult, especially if we’ve been passive for too long. If we become aware of the obstacles, our motivation increases, and we are more likely to take some action. Starting small will increase our sense of achievement and build our momentum making it easier to tackle bigger and bigger challenges. You won’t always win, and you won’t always get what you want, but if you keep the positive attitude and don’t give up, you will get where you wanted to be.
Realizing that life doesn’t owe us anything and that it is our responsibility to make our dreams come true can at first make us frustrated, but soon we will discover that it was actually the point all along. There is no better reward than knowing you have achieved something without anyone’s help.
