Life truths are difficult to accept for a reason, but if you’re able to do it without complaining, you’re doing pretty well for yourself.
Someone has to write it down
The first truth to accept has to do with organizing. Namely, that nobody is going to come to organize your life for you, because you have to be the one writing down the appointments and setting the reminders. You’ve got to put the charger in the right place.
There’s no special person who’s going to swoop in and do it for you, it has to be you and you only. Building systems for yourself to deal with the chaos is, unfortunately, the sole way you can tackle it.
A parked car still counts
It’s so easy. Telling yourself that you’re thinking about doing something, but never actually doing it, is so tempting, and it’s easy to trick yourself into thinking that you’re trying to figure stuff out. But the truth is, doing nothing is still a choice.
It uses up your time the same way, and people who get ahead recognize that. That’s not to say they always make perfect choices, they definitely don’t, it’s just that they catch themselves before their own silence makes the decision for them.
Almost ready is a trap
Another issue has to do with feeling ready. Or, in other words, how you can waste years trying to feel ready to do something, believing that you’ll start doing something when you’re fitter, calmer, richer, less tired, anything. The truth is that you’re trying to avoid the awkward first five minutes.
You know, that time when you’re trying to figure everything out and getting things wrong. You have to accept the fact that there’s never going to be a time you feel 100% ready to take on that awkwardness, and it’s better to just get started.
Skill does not drive itself
Talent is nice, nobody’s denying that, but assuming that talent alone will get you somewhere? That’s just wishful thinking. Believing that your natural skills will get you ahead is only going to make you lazy, since you take all that early praise as proof you’ll be fine.
Steadiness and perseverance matter a lot more because, the truth is, success requires repetition. Success requires feedback and timing. Talent is obviously important, but you’re better off thinking of it as the spark, not the entire bonfire.
The door you keep walking past
There are so many people who talk about how much they want a different life, and how much they want to be someone new. Great. The problem is, they never actually change their habits, so they’re stuck in the same life with the same problems.
You have to accept the fact that the life you want may require a version of you that you’re avoiding. It might be the version of you that plans, that asks, that says no, that gets up earlier. It’s tough, but it’s true.
Good intentions can still make a mess
Meaning well is great and all, but that doesn’t mean you handled it well, just because you felt that way. You can still be the problem when you’re trying to help, and you can still be the problem when you think you’re doing the right thing.
It really doesn’t matter what you tell yourself because the impact of what happens matters a lot more than your motive. You can have a good heart and be true in every way possible, but that’s not going to make a bad moment better. You might still be the problem.
One yes brings one no
Another thing about choices is the fact that every single one you make is going to cost you another life. It’s not like that has to be a bad thing, but you have to accept that you’re closing off other opportunities by making a choice.
It’s how time works, after all. Adults who get ahead understand that trade-offs are part of life, and they don’t need to pretend that every door will stay open. It’s not going to happen. That’s okay.
Pain is not a punch card
Nobody likes suffering. But the one positive from it is the fact that it can make you better in some way, like becoming wiser, kinder, funnier, something like that. The thing that suffering doesn’t do is guarantee you something in return.
Nobody owes you a reward because you suffered, and pain isn’t going to guarantee that life will give you something back. That’s just how life is. The world isn’t there to settle scores, and people who are ahead are able to accept that fact.
Clear still gets cloudy
Not everyone is going to understand you, and that’s perfectly fine. You can say something plainly, you can do everything you to be understood, but that doesn’t guarantee other people are going to get you.
You can’t climb into someone else’s mind and change what they’re thinking. It’s a fact. Life becomes a lot easier once you accept that, and when you accept that you don’t need to keep trying to fix someone else’s misunderstanding. It’s not your responsibility.
Old reasons have expiry dates
Everyone experiences some kind of pain in life, that’s nothing new, but the best kind of people are the ones who understand that. They know it’s not going to excuse them forever, and they’re fine with that.
They know that, no matter what happened in the past, it doesn’t give them the right to act a certain way today, or to believe that certain behavior is acceptable. It’s not. Learning that takes time, but it’s definitely worth it.
Potential needs shoes on
Potential doesn’t mean very much unless you act on it. Other people love telling you what you could be, sure, and that feels good for a bit of time, but it doesn’t amount to anything. Potential isn’t going to wash the dishes or book the call for you.
You’ve got to pair potential with commitment to actually get things going in life. Until it becomes behavior, it’s just a compliment, nothing more.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
If you want to find your forever person, accept these 10 hard truths
You will never find your forever person unless you realize forever is built on fundamentals, not grand moments.
If you want to find your forever person, accept these 10 hard truths
