Author: CLFurlong

Life is full of adventure, full of moments and full of excitement. Life is also full of plenty of things which are the complete opposite of these as well… and when they come rushing down, do you know what you need to do? You just need to remember that life is full of adventures, it is full of moments and full of excitement and it will only be this if you let it be exactly that.

You see, you can choose to accept defeat, you can choose to worry yourself to sleep, or stress so much you don’t sleep at all. You can be fearful of tomorrow, or you can be scared of what is to come…

Or simply; you can be adaptive, strategic and positive and put each one of these times and obstacles into a bucket of either an adventure, a moment or excitement. Either way, regardless of how you categorize these ‘sections’ of your life, this will grow you, make you and create you into something bigger and better than before, even if it does take you a few years to even realize it.

Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain… To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices – today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it. – Kevyn Aucoin

So don’t be such a spoil sport and think of the worst, or mope because you didn’t get to sleep in. Embrace the day and embrace its challenge as one day, you may just find yourself on the edge of life and you will remember the times you could have been or should have been and that you will never have a chance to rise up and be the superstar you are… again.

So why not be a superstar today and be the writer of your own adventure, your own moments and your own excitement. Adventure is waiting. Adventure is ready for you.

Winners embrace hard work. They love the discipline of it, the trade-off they’re making to win. Losers, on the other hand, see it as punishment. And that’s the difference. – Lou Holtz

Be ready for anything, be ready for the best to happen and be ready for the worst to happen. Regardless, have your mind in the game and switched on ready to take on whatever comes your way. Attitude will ultimately make you or break you. Remember that. 

If this means taking an attitude check, then so be it. If you go into today with a lousy expectation, you will automatically be looking for the worst, as your mind will have become accustomed to finding the negative. Hence why it is so crucial to have your attitude in the right place. Check yourself before your wreck yourself. Attitude and expectation will define the flow of the day, the week and so on. So make sure you have it in the right place.

Are you ready? 

With this, all in mind, remember that each day is a new day to step it up. Each day you can show improvement, and work harder than you did the day before. This doesn’t mean to spend longer on whatever you are doing, it just means to be more receptive and focused. Applying lessons learned and skills adapted, ensuring you are really putting in your best.

Work harder than you think you did yesterday. – Unknown

Dreaming is sometimes the best way to escape reality and really identify what it is you want to be doing. Well right now is the time to act on that.  We all have ambitions hidden away that we wish to pursue. The problem is, we struggle to take the first step necessary to achieve it. It may be the hardest action to do (taking the first step) but once you do, you will never regret it. Taking action right now to make tangible steps towards your ambitions will be the best thing you can do. 

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb

Think of it like this… An investor views trees as investments. The best time to start investing was 20 years ago. The second best time to start investing is now. “It’s not timing the market, it’s time in the market.” Time in the market basically means the longer you have investments, the longer your investments have been growing and making you money. Hence, like your dreams, the sooner you start, the sooner you learn, the sooner you grow, and the sooner you will be thriving in the big wide world. INVEST IN YOURSELF. Start today.

My challenge to you is to first identify what it is you want to do, then start to work on it.

But seriously, the only real way to get your feet off the ground is to jump and just take the plunge.

If you have been a regular here, you will know I am one to promote and encourage finding your success.

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” – Conrad Hilton

Everyone and anyone can and should be successful and the only difference between the people who are and who are not is the simple choices we make each day. These will vary, however, there are three simple yet important traits which will fuel your success.

1. You need to stop keeping the entirety of your goals to yourself

Personally, I find this one on the half-half side as I have found usually when you share your goals too early or even your end result, you automatically tell your mind that you have already achieved this and it can release the idea to your mind and limit your ability to work hard for it. I would advise, noting to someone rather than saying I am going to lose 25kgs, say I am working to lose weight this year. Regardless, this will vary per person but the point is to find one and stick to what works for you…

2. Stop expecting it all to just happen overnight

I think this one speaks for itself. It takes time and you should know this. It is going to take hard work and dedication to achieve your goals. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to be a lawyer, a teacher, a writer, or a coffee shop owner. The trials and tribulations are what make you feel successful when your dreams turn into reality.

3. Stop focusing on what isn’t working and look for the bright side!

When you are too busy focusing on the mistakes and setbacks that you are going to have to deal with and not seeing them as an opportunity to learn, you are only hurting yourself.

Time itself will never change, but how we utilize it will always change, based on what you decide to do. So do you have the courage to adapt to your capacity bucket of proportionate changes in life?

What even is your capacity bucket of proportionate changes?

As is our confidence, so is our capacity. – William Hazlitt

Basically, it is both the mental/psychological and physical changes, pressure and intensity, in which you can handle, without spilling over your bucket. Think of it like this; you have a bucket full of water balancing on top of your head and depending on your day and what you experience, this bucket will walk with you, run with your do whatever it is you are doing. But the real trick is to manage this bucket while you do what you do and still allow it to NOT spill over. If it does, well there will be some uncomfortable moments, but there will also be sometimes where nothing really changes. The point is, whatever the outcome, the best thing you can do is pick it up and keep on keeping on.

The best part is, that next time this occurs you will have hopefully learned the mistakes from the first time, and this should technically deepen your bucket capacity. So if you continue to do this each day and every day for the rest of your life, imagine by the time you settle down to retire. Imagine the wisdom, the experience and sheer breadth of knowledge you should have accumulated. Most of all, imagine how deep and wide and strong and worthy your capacity bucket would be.

So how will you handle your bucket today?

Want success? Well, find your passion. Passion is what sets you apart from the herd. It is the outlier trigger and the very thing you need to take something normal and turn it into something revolutionary.

Why? 

When you apply passion – you are applying your very wholeness, your attention and the best version of yourself because you are invested and have a strong liking or desire for some activity, object, or concept. Apply this right and you will be set up for success. 

Apply this with the concept of growth, which in any pursuit of passion, growth will be another required attribute you will need to absorb, obtain and attain. Knowing you can be good enough, do enough and ultimately step it up through understanding where you need to grow, how you can grow and accepting opportunity will once again also set you outside of the normal. Similarly any advice, sponsorship and support from those further on the timeline than yourself – will only fast track and further enable your ability to succeed. 

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton

It is time to shine. It is time to shine. You have a chance to create opportunity each and every day. Now that winter has finally made its appearance, the lack of sunshine can have a dull effect. However, just because it is winter doesn’t mean the sun don’t shine, it just means the chances of seeing its beautiful sight are limited.

The best part though is, you don’t need the sun to be beautiful nor do you need it to make it a sun-shiny day! You create your own rhythm to the day and how you do that can be as simple as walking on sunshine! Yes I mean, spring out of bed, dance to some music, sing in the shower and be happy to know that today is a day worth living. Today is another day of celebration… The celebration that you my friend have the power and have the ability to do something bigger and greater to those around you.

All you need to do is smile. Stand tall and be ready to make fun out the worst and embrace a positive attitude. The day will surely throw some curves in the way, but your flexible enough to make your way around them. 

Things present themselves to you, and it’s how you choose to deal with them that reveals who you are. – Cate Blanchett

As you do this – you will not only create a sunshine type effect to yourself (bubbling through the day) but you will inspire others to embrace some fun and laughter and of course happiness through their busy day.

As opportunity comes your way, don’t be hasty to push it to the side, but embrace it and give it a go. Take the chance to grow, to change and to challenge yourself. The worst case is you will fail and end up the way you were at the start of the week… and if I am right, that won’t be too bad. You can try again tomorrow or next week. 

But the real struggle is to stay on the ball and maintain a consistent level of growth, let alone a level that will be challenging you. Like exercise, the more you push and the further you go the more your mind will start to challenge your body’s ability to deliver… but we both know; 

“Your body drives you to the line but your mind makes you cross it.” – Sebastian Kienle

So when you start to doubt your ability to deliver your end result, remember your mind is always going have the strongest power over your entirety. So when you feel you cannot go on anymore, go for a final push and see what you can do in the final moments. Being able to overcome your mind’s push to give up, will intensify your willpower to a new level. So next time when your mind plays tricks on you to give up, you will be able to push through it, basically building a new tolerance each and every time.

So today why not continue into the week being loyal. What I mean by this can be summed up by Jarrod Kintz.

“To be loyal to myself is to allow myself to grow and change, and challenge who I am and what I think. The only thing I am for sure is unsure, and this means I’m growing, and not stagnant or shrinking.” ~Jarod Kintz