Wherever we are in the world, we all want the same thing. We want to be happy, to never lose what brings us joy. We look at certain people who are successful and describe them as born talented. We see what's on the surface; their wealth and achievements but fail to pay close attention to what it has taken them to get there; the failure sacrifices, persistence, disappointments and hard work. Here, I share how you can passionately live the life you didn't plan - to thrive and not just survive!
There are two types of people; the marathon runner and the sprinter.
The marathon runner is one that is always curious and asks the right questions to better understand various situation. With discipline, they work on the information they have gathered and consistently act on it each day for a positive end result. The sprinter is one that gets excited at the prospect of a quick success, and starts the race without any planning or training. As a result, they lose interest quickly once they reach a hurdle and stop early in their tracks, waiting for the next quick idea to present itself again. The expectation nowadays is for things to happen instantly, and when it doesn't happen the way as expected, we get frustrated. These are early signs you may discover as you progress in growth. So how can we better manage the expectations vs reality traps.
Find possibilities in disappointments
Don't wait till the day of trouble before developing the right relationships and becoming actively engaged to be able to take the right action in any situation. Disappointments doesn't necessarily mean failure or the end, but rather an opportunity for growth. When your dreams disappoint, you can find fresh possibilities in new dreams. by taking one step at a time in a new direction. To survive a season of attacks, it means becoming more exposed to challenges so that you know how to survive. It means taking responsibility for your disappointment; understanding what didn't work and what can be done better next time. Always take time to nurture yourself, so that you can always flourish in the way that you desire.
Come out of the survival mode
Denial isn't acceptable. If you find yourself struggling to make it through the week, through the day or through the next hour, then you are in the survival mode. If you are regularly overwhelmed by stress, never feel one step ahead, or feel like there's never sufficient time to achieve real excellence in any of your endeavours, then you are in the survival mode. We've all being here at a point in our lives. One of the ways that has helped me in the recent years, is to maintain grit with prayers and speak with sincerity in your situation. This is not to say that this approach will immediately solve all your problems. It takes perseverance and sacrifices. Everyone has bad days or moments that upset them. It's about acknowledging first, and trusting that no matter what happens in a particular situation, you'll be able to handle and learn from the outcome.
"Growth requires movement. And often, the only way forward is through an exit door." — Alicia Keys
Develop your power language
Take time to discover what language supports your growth and resonates with you on a deeper level. You need to develop the habit of saying 'no' to countless distractions that hinder you from your daily activities of growth. First, you need to really know what you want, so that you don't fall into the danger of saying 'yes' to things that have very little real value in your life. Whatever power of language you choose, always asks yourself when you take something on "is this really my responsibility"? You cannot always save people from themselves - and often trying to do so can deter you away from dealing with areas that you lack in your own life.
Lawunmi A Nwaiwu is an Executive TV producer of the The Moment of Truth Nigeria Business Reality Show and Author.
Listen to her podcast The Moment of Truth Nigeria Podcast or check out my books available to purchase.