One of the biggest reasons that many people have trouble
with self improvement and building a successful and happy
life is that they have no idea what they actually want.
If asked what they really want from life, many people will
say that they want to be rich, or happy, or financially
secure, or not to have to work so hard, or other equally
vague answers. And one of the biggest reasons that these
people are not making the progress that want is actually
BECAUSE these answers are TOO vague. They have no clear idea
of what happiness or being rich, or whatever, they think
they want actually means to them.
As a result they drift from day to day, week to week, month
to month and year to year. Before they know what happened,
the best years of their lives have passed them by and they
are probably little, if any nearer to being happy or rich,
or whatever they thought they wanted than they ever were. In
order to have the life of our dreams, it is essential to
take the time to work out and define EXACTLY what we want in
detail.
Exactly what does happiness mean to you? What amount of
money in the bank or income would make you feel rich or
financially secure? What would you do with your time if you
were to only work part time or retire at a relatively young
age? And possibly the biggest question of all - WHY do you
want the things that you want in the first place?
If we have big enough Whys, we will almost certainly find
the Hows. This does involve effort, but the rewards make it
more than worthwhile, and there is a great deal of detailed
help available if more inspiration is needed with getting
started.
If we make the effort to clarify what we want, develop
plans, take action and keep working towards our desires,
self improvement and progress will certainly happen, and
nothing can stop us. Not only can nothing stop us, but when
we are clear about what we want and where we are going,
doors can open and unexpected things can happen that will
actively help us to achieve our goals.
"The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal.
The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn't a
calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a
calamity not to dream.... It is not a disgrace not to reach
the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach
for. Not failure, but low aim is sin." - Benjamin Elijah
Mays