Have you ever pondered and asked, ‘What do I do now?’ You may be at a crossroads in your life and are not too sure how to make your next move. You may have quit your job because you know for sure that this is not the kind of life you want to live for the rest of your life. But then again, you are not sure what kind of life you want either. Welcome to the world of uncertainty. Be prepared for something greater for uncertainty breeds opportunity.
Even though you are now out of your discomfort zone, this does not mean that you are immediately entering a comfort zone. You look ahead and what lies ahead seems foggy. Do the next best thing. Tune inwards and that will shed some light. Ask yourself, ‘What do I love to do? What are my strengths and talents? How can I best serve the needs of others?’ List all the things that come to your mind including the absurd ones.
Do the next best thing. Pick one that you feel strongly for and take one small step towards it. You may have a strong interest in baking cakes and never fail to receive warm reception to your cakes. You may want to start with taking up a baking course to enhance your skills. Do one thing a time. Enjoy the moment.
While making your way through the journey of uncertainty, there will be times that you may feel down, lonely and disheartened. It is normal. You may not be able to see far down the road and sometimes wonder if you are moving the right way. Don’t worry too much. Have faith that light will shine on your path every time you take another step. You just need to follow your heart and move from one step to the next. Don’t be overly concerned about what lies several hundred steps away. Stay focus. Be discipline. One step a time, you will be guided.
Remember that the darkest hour is just before dawn. You will just have to hang in there. And dawn will surely come.
Whether you are pursuing a course of study, wooing somebody, hunting for a job or starting something new and no matter who you are, how long you have lived and where you are at your life station, if you feel that you are going after a worthwhile cause that matters to you, keep going and never give up even in the face of road blocks.
Here’s 9 reasons why you must never give up on the things that matter:
1) It’s your life. Live it well. Live it the way you desire. Anything less will be non-meaningful.
2) Road blocks are divinely planted to stretch you and lift you to a higher level to be in alignment with what you are seeking.
3) Set backs are only temporary. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged. Learn from it. Move on, grow and transform.
4) Do not be swayed by naysayers. Stand firm. Be strong. You are stronger than you can imagine.
5) If others can do it, why can’t you?
6) You are destined for greatness. Why short-change yourself and settle for something less?
7) If you can hang on to things that don’t really matter even when they are causing discomfort, why can’t you just don’t give up on the things that really matter?
8) Do you know how it feels like when you have braved through all odds and emerge a winner? Go ahead. Do it. You will surely love it.
9) Having said the above, if you still feel like giving up, just try one more time. Just one more shot and you are on your way to success.
The way we behave can be really strange sometimes. We jolly well know that certain behavior is harmful to ourselves, yet we choose to carry on.
Some of us may be guilty of unhealthy eating habits. We go for fried food, junk food, processed food and food that may taste good but are high on calories and fat. Our waist line expands and our cholesterol level, blood sugar level and blood pressure head north.
We know that regular exercise is good for our body. Yet we can come up with all kinds of excuses to escape doing so. We are too busy. We are too tired. We are too lazy. We do not enjoy exercising.
We know that smoking, heavy drinking and gambling are bad for us. Yet there are many people who are smoking, drinking and gambling beyond a responsible level and causing much harm to themselves.
Some of us may hate our jobs. We don’t enjoy the work. The hours are long and the stress level is high. Our health is affected but we choose to remain so. We tell ourselves that we have family to support, we have commitments to meet.
Some of us are not happy with our life. Our relationship with others is bad. Money is lacking. Health is failing. We feel lousy. We feel moody. Yet we choose to do nothing about it and let things remain.
Don’t take chances. Sooner or later, our undesirable way of living will catch up with us and create havoc in our life. Make a firm decision to do something about it. Try to improve the situation bit by bit. It may seem daunting at first. Fear and doubts may set in. But we need to muster courage to move in the right direction.
Just because we have been living a certain way for years does not justify that we continue doing so. What do you think will happen if we continue to do harm to ourselves? Imagine the reverse. If we keep doing things that are beneficial to ourselves, how vastly different do you think our life will be? Great, isn’t it?
Don’t delay any further. Start small. Persist until you achieve the desired results. Love yourself. Don’t let anyone including yourself do harm to yourself. At the end of the day, you are the one paying the price.
I am afraid of water. Whenever I wash my face or shampoo my hair, I would clench my eyes, yes clench as in clenching my fists. My eyes are sensitive to water and I would feel pain if water gets into my eyes. Till today, although I have tried on a few occasions to learn how to swim, I cannot even float in water.
Having said that, I did not allow my fear of water deprive me of the pleasure I could associate with it. I enjoy sitting on the raised rock stones by the beach and gazing into the ocean. Whatever mood I was in, I will be instantly transported to a place of peace and calm. I also enjoy the soothing sounds of waterfall, the refreshing warm bath and the therapeutic effects of hot spring bath. If I have let my fear of water get in my way, I will never know the joy that water can bring.
How about you? Do you have a fear for heights, a fear for taking the plane? Are you afraid to ask questions for fear of being labeled stupid? Don’t let fear get in your way. Be open to possibilities. Give yourself a chance. You will never know the joy and more if you leave the door closed.
I know of people who are afraid to take planes. They have a phobia for heights and fear that the plane will crash or something bad will happen. If you have this phobia, try to overcome it bit by bit. Choose a short trip. Imagine the exciting places and cultures you will get to experience once you reach your destination. Perhaps you can give the window seat a miss on your first flight. Wear something comfortable. During take-off, just close your eyes and say a little prayer. Chew a little gummy. Before you know it, the plane is in mid air and be rest assured that you will not feel any sense of height up there. Do something you enjoy – read a book, watch a movie, listen to music or simply play a game. The cabin crew will start serving drinks. Enjoy the drink, enjoy the service. Be happy in whatever you are engaged in. In no time, the plane will prepare for landing and there you are, safe and sound on the ground and ready to have fun.
Once you have crossed the hurdle, you will realize that your fear is actually baseless, just your imaginations and perceptions based on limited information or distorted facts. So, don’t deprive yourself of the joy you can have. Be brave, cross the hurdle.
Are you living your life the way you want? Have you secretly wished to start your own business, get to know the charming guy down the street, perform before a big audience, learn a foreign language, travel to that exotic place, volunteer your time for a favourite cause, climb a mountain, reconcile with a relative, walk in the rain…? And the reasons that are holding you back – you have no time, you are too old, you need to pay the bills, your kids are still young, you are overweight, you lack the qualifications, you do not have the experience, your family and friends will think that you are crazy, you are afraid…
But, hey, this is your life. You can do what you want with it. Each and everyone is given a limited amount of time on earth and the clock starts ticking the moment we start our earthly journey. Nobody knows for certain when their time on earth will expire. There is no warning and it can happen suddenly. So, what are you waiting for? Wait no further as there will never be a right time. Life is precious. We are given a free hand to do what we want. Live it well when we are alive as we will not have a second chance. Why wait till the end of the journey and start regretting the things we have not tried or accomplished… when all these could have been possible.
To reach for what we want requires courageous living. Courage gives us the power to face fear – fear of the unknown and the fear of failure. Tell yourself that you are a brave being and dare to live your life the way you want. Nobody can take this right from you. Look straight into your fear. Feel it, embrace it but still be courageous to do what you want with your life.
There is grocery list, to-do list for birthday party, to-do list for today… why not a to-do list for the most significant aspect in your life. Come on. List the things you want to do, that you are passionate about, that matters most to you, that will leave you with no regrets. Take baby steps towards them and you will see that your life will expand in proportion to your courage and actions.
Some people live till the age of eighty but are sadly buried by thirty. It’s your life. You decide.
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