How To Be The Best You Can Be
Have you ever wondered why it is that some people seem to succeed at everything they decide to do, while others struggle through life never quite finding the success and fulfilment that in a sense is everyone’s right?
You might have done more than wonder. It might even be that you’ve felt envious of others’ successes … and begrudged them their fame, riches, big house, fast car or whatever. I must admit to having done my share of that when I was young and struggling and convincing myself that some had all the luck, while others had none, especially me! He also explained to me the difference between ‘What one Needs & What one Wants’. If we have the basic needs, then we should be satisfied, anything extra is a bonus. He also taught me something else very interesting: the way we look at things makes all the difference between achievement and non-achievement. If we see something as impossible it quickly becomes impossible, whereas if we start looking hard for possibilities they start presenting themselves. It’s a question of ‘I can, if I think I can’, which might seem simplistic – but then life is often simpler than we think!
Everything begins with a thought. Alexander Graham Bell could not have invented the telephone without first thinking that such a device must be within the bounds of possibility. Likewise Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin, and that other famous Fleming – Ian, creator of 007 James Bond. Imagine how much poorer we’d all be without ‘phones, antibiotics and the super-spy whose antics both on the written page and our cinema and TV screens have held millions enthralled!
So start imagining how you could improve your situation by thinking different thoughts. Instead of thinking ‘I wish I had his/her money, lifestyle, etc.’ start thinking of all the things that you do have and counting your blessings and think how much worse it could be. Just take a look around you and see how many people have far less than you.
I remember a time when I used to be forever focusing on what I couldn’t afford, rather than on what I could. One of my favourite expressions at the time was ‘I can’t justify the cost of that’. But bit by bit I took myself in hand, developing a different attitude and beginning to understand that I was creating my own destiny. When I made a negative choice it was almost inevitable that there was a negative outcome, whereas when I erred on the side of the positive (thinking ‘I can’ instead of ‘I can’t’) the outcomes of my decisions started improving. As things improved, so did my attitude – or did it all start because of my attitude? Once I stopped focusing on the lacking of things and started permitting the flow of good things I found after a while that I lacked nothing.
I also found more to like about myself than I had found when I let envy colour my perceptions. And the more I liked, the more I believed that absolutely anything is possible – which indeed it is, if you set out to be the best that you can be!
Category: Blog
