Personal Development: Own Yourself

Waiting for your ship to come in?.. STOP WAITING! Set goals. Measure your progress. OWN YOUR LIFE! Not tomorrow, NOW! What can you do today to come just a bit closer to achieving your goals?
Photo credit: Mark Zamora on Unsplash

No matter what you’ve been told, no matter what you may believe, no matter even what your reality looks like, the truth is YOU are the driving force that determines who you are, what you achieve and how happy you are.

It may sound simplistic, but it really is that simple.

• Life is a school: every day is built on your ever-growing knowledge and experience
• As individuals we have limited or no control over many events that affect us (natural disasters, war and peace, the state of economy)
• Each of us has a TOTAL control over ourselves and our reactions to events and people.

Bottom line:

• If you learn, integrate and use your knowledge well, you’ll have an edge.
• If you “program” yourself to be the person you want to be and to have the life you want, external forces won’t derail your life’s plans.

 

You have more power over your fate than anyone and anything else.

 

It may sound like a fairy tale, but isn’t. It may sound overwhelming, it shouldn’t be. If each of us has only one life, each of us the God-given right to exercise ownership over it. The problem is that relatively few people are aware of the power of self-management, few believe in it, and fewer yet, are willing to invest the work needed to truly own themselves.

As a result of not claiming and not exercising ownership over themselves most people are less than successful, less than happy and yes, less than free. As a matter of fact, the vast majority survives by doing someone else’s bidding, ingratiating themselves to powers that be, tolerating being yanked by the leash, avoiding challenges, risks and confrontations; pursuing illusory safety, settling for table scraps, running around with implanted GPS trackers and gradually compromising their dreams for the sake of survival.

Of course, the very worst of all is WAITING! Waiting for an opportunity, waiting for the ship to come in, biding time…. So many are hoping, praying and waiting. Do you remember back when you were a kid, minutes and hours lasting for eternity? When you were very young days seemed to drag forever. Once we become adults, life gets measured in bills’ intervals: we live month to month, barely noticing how the months add up to years. Later in life, mature adults experience entire years racing by them; passing them by in a hurry… You may have many things. But none of us has too much time for making our dreams a reality.

So, how to assert – and exercise! – ownership of yourself?

In any school, students take tests to ensure that they’re progressing and correctly so. I hold formal education in high esteem, but formal education is not the only way to learn. We learn just as much from experience. The latter may have less market value. It has a huge self-management value. Verify that what you learnt from experience – as well as the beliefs and conclusions you arrived at – are in fact correct. The knowledge you derived from experience becomes a part of you. If you misinterpret any part of it, it will become a burden, not an asset.

 

While most people chase after possessions, the most valuable investments we make are in ourselves. Don’t invest your money and time in things, invest in you.

 

Most material stuff loses value over time. It can be wiped out by change, disaster, economy or other people. Nothing can touch your investments in you. Own little stuff, invest in you first and in relationships with others, second.

Fully-functional you – regardless of circumstances – is your highest asset. Good relationships with people whose values mirror yours are mutually nourishing and supportive. They can help you maintain a balance, achieve your goals and survive – or recover from – any setback.

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All puppies are adorable, but not all dogs are great. (For the record, I love dogs and believe that every dog has the potential to be great.) The greatness of a dog usually has plenty to do with its owner: a little house training, discipline, socialization, skills, etc. can make all the difference in what the adult dog is like.

Talking about human beings, we are both: the dog and the owner. The dog is highly intelligent and very teachable. Having trained your dog, you have the right to count on him or her to obey your commands: sit, lie down or fetch. We have larger capacity to learn and obey than dogs. You can train yourself for your ends and obey your own commands.

Just in case you’re not familiar with this specific area of personal development, each of us – with proper training – can develop skills and even habits that control our attitude, focus, even mood. If you select “settings” that support your goals, nothing will stop you! (FYI, these techniques are most effective for people who disposed of their “emotional baggage” – exorcised their inner demons – already. It’s hard, if not impossible, to obey two masters, at the same time….)

If the recommendations sound too vague, enlist help, use the appropriate tools and don’t give up. We routinely enlist experts to help us along (doctor, accountant, dentist, car mechanic, etc.). We use tools every day. If you believe that your tooth or your car needs help, you’ll get it. Don’t let the need for tools or experts stop you from taking charge of your life. (It has more significance than your vehicle and even your tooth!) Get the support and tools you need, ASAP. Own yourself!

Ascend the throne and start ruling! Time is passing faster than you think and it isn’t the time you COULD be having. Click To Tweet