Hi there everyone!!
After 22 years of commitment to some of my dreams, there’s a perspective I sometimes get into where I feel I haven’t even accomplished one iota of my original vision.
I know it’s all relative and I can always think about people and circumstances that are much more challenging and unfair than mine. Yes, there are people being gang-raped, tortured with battery acid, being kept in solitary confinement for decades, or have memories of living a Holocaust.
But I don’t buy into the philosophy of trying to make myself feel better by focusing on the relative misfortunes and miseries of others.
To that end, there are only three general categories that could possibly explain my immense lack of success.
1. I’m incredibly stupid.
There are lots of people around me with less knowledge and expertise, wondering what is going on with me. Despite my rigorous studies (and teachings), I achieve far fewer rewards (relatively) in all areas of my life (personal, business, health). If I do what my mentors tell me to do, and I don’t achieve the results they expected of me, their position is that I am actually not doing what they are telling me to do.
2. I’m immensely unlucky.
“Keep doing what you’re doing – it will eventually happen” has been a common phrase spoken by many supporters. Patience is a virtue, but boredom is my biggest challenge. When I teach what I know to my audiences, apprentices, subordinates, or even competitors, it is bitter-sweet to see the tremendous growth in productivity, efficiency, and fulfillment they experience.
3. There’s a conspiracy against me.
Of course this is a paranoid paradigm which I seldom entertain, but include it for the sake of completeness. The more I grow in the world, the more structures I uncover in business, governments, and institutions, which are designed to keep the status quo. In a competitive marketplace, people are often abusive, taking advantage of those who have a disadvantage (like a disability).
This is not a good or fun place to be. What can I learn from this?
The trick is to flip it upside down.
1. There’s always more to know.
I don’t know what I don’t know. And even though I know so much, there will always be more that I don’t know. So much can change simply from one new experience. And, we don’t often get to use everything we know as soon as we know it.
2. I’m totally blessed.
Luck happens rarely (winning the lottery), and there are always more unlucky people (losing the lottery) than winners. So being a “winner” is not a statistically good measure of success. From another perspective, there are so many dangers in everyday life, that it a miracle I am still alive, surviving, and growing.
3. The universe conspires with me.
It looks like I’m stuck because that’s the game in life I’ve created for myself. Perhaps, spiritually we chose the life struggles of our character? Having setbacks and drive are part of the human condition, and so we simply raise our standards of success once we become successful.
This is my mind. This is my life. I hope it can help you discern the path of your destiny.
Let’s love the world together...
Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary
http://ordinarywords.com/together
