"Energy and persistence conquer all things."
â€â€Benjamin Franklin
In Sean Covey’s book 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teens, he stressed the importance of being proactive. Being proactive (versus being passive) is as simple as taking charge of your own life. This entails making your own decisions, going for your goals, and not leaving anything to chance. A lot of teenagers in this day and age have become "cruisers". They literally go with the flow and merely accept where the wind blows them. Don’t! Think then do.Steer your wind. Dictate the tide. Create your own path. At least, you wouldn’t have to look back and ponder about the ifs and the could-have-beens.
In achieving this proactive attitude, you will have to work on a couple of things:
Confidence and self-esteem. You have to believe in yourself. You have to know your self-worth. Don’t settle for anything just because there’s nothing else. Remember, no one will make you feel inferior without your permission.
Drive. A lot of fresh graduates are shy. They submit their resumés, then stop there. Persistence works wonders. Have determination and always keep trying and aspiring.
Positive attitude. Always try to learn from your experiences. Don’t consider them problems, but rather opportunities that can help shape you into becoming a better and more mature person.
Step # 3: Prioritize
A lot of talented and intelligent people fail because too many things are on their minds. If it’s happening to you, don’t fret because it’s absolutely normal. How many times have you heard people call you "kalat"? Some thrive on chaos, others simply go further down the drain. I’m not telling you to be obsessive-compulsive but employ some sort of order in your life. Make use of your personal digital assistant, don’t just leave it to gather dust!
Prioritizing is tricky because most of the time, you have more than one. All you have to answer is which one among your priorities is your priority. Usually, this is circumstantial. Your decisions are gravely affected by things around you. While you consider those, also consider what’s truly in your heart, what will truly make you happy. And that’s not an easy thing to do, but constant reflection will help it. Write all your issues and goals down and rate them. Ponder on how you rated these. What were your motivations? What prompted you? Then think again. Try rating again. Are the results the same? Then do the math.
Step # 4: Relax
I was watching Mission Impossible 2 and there was a dialogue there that simply blew me away. Tom Cruise said it was difficult for him to allow Thandie Newton to participate in the mission. His boss answered, "This is mission impossible, not mission difficult. Difficult should be a walk in the park for you."
Sometimes life really is an impossible mission, not a difficult one. Now if you get drowned in fear and anxiety, you just blew the mission off. Don’t. Step # 4 says relax. Take your time. Think, think, think. Learn to realize that life is not always supposed to be a walk in the park. It’s supposed to be filled with problems and challenges. And these are the things that make life exciting. Without them, life would be utterly boring. So face them. Embrace them. In the book The Road Less Traveled, the first line says, "Life is difficult." And it continues to explain that this statement is one of life’s greatest truths. But once this truth is accepted, then life ceases to be difficult.
A friend of mine always advises that there are always bigger problems out there, and that mine are usually superficial. And here I am, like a kid, thinking it’s the end of the world. He continues, "Never forget to count your blessings." The guy’s right. At least I don’t have to worry about whether or not I have something to eat tomorrow." Why not think like Oprah? Remember her advice? Write down the five things you’re thankful for every day. And oh, I’ve tried it. Works wonders!
Don’t take life too seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself. And you’ll see, everything will eventually become clearer.
STEP # 5: ENJOY!
The theme of the musical Rent is, "There’s no other day but today." So enjoy the day. Enjoy the now. Thinking too much about the future also has its drawbacks. Keep your sanity. Have hobbies. Play sports. Watch television. Do the things you normally do. There are more important matters than getting the highest paycheck or getting into the most prestigious company. As the cliché goes, "There are more important things in life." So live!