Life is a confusing journey. It’s filled with the unthinkable, unimaginable and holds many more uncertainties than it once did when we were kids and all we worried about was if girls really did have cooties.
It is filled with questions. Some questions are more salient than others, some require answers that will inevitably have a huge impact on our lives and may manifest the path we end up taking. If you were to really think about it, life is strung together by these questions, and the answers you come to – and those you don’t – are a product of you. Only you can answer them.
That is the beauty of life -- figuring it all out on your own -- and if life gets tough, get a helmet (as we used to hear on one of our favorite shows growing up as a kid, “Even Stevens”). Life should leave us pondering, it should keep us searching and it should keep us interested, which is why it constantly tests us with questions, curve balls and a future with no road map.
Life is a road with no GPS; most people crumble, can’t handle it and take the safe way out, but others face the questions, the fears and find the answers. The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you figure out why.
These 10 integral life questions below are supplied with some of the answers you may be searching for -- and will help you edge a step closer to figuring that out.
1. What are you going to do with your life?
This is a question that runs through the minds of Generation-Y just as much as sex does. Everyone is constantly blabbering, "I don't know what I am going to do with my life!" They feel lost and don't see their direction or future, which elicits confusion.
The answer to this question is quite simple: find what makes you happy, find what interest you most, and find something that will let your creativity and your mind flourish. Once you identify that, go ahead and take the next step. Don’t be afraid to make the leap of faith. It all comes down to what you want and what you find the most interest in because that is what will bring the most happiness and excitement.
2. What would make you proud of yourself?
Many people forget that their lives are theirs, it is their sole possession and they should not be living it bending to the will and whim of others. Your life is yours, and the way you intuit, act and think are unique to you. Take life in the direction that you see fit. You are an adult and don't need someone telling you what to do. Don't let your insecurity deprive you of what will make you proud of yourself.
Don't let people influence your decisions or take away from who and what you really are. These people don't matter, at the end it’s about how you feel about yourself and the life you are living. You will ask yourself one question: “Am I proud of how I lived?” The answer will be yes if you don't allow your decisions to waiver under other people’s influence.
3. What are you trying to accomplish and why?
You must identify, without any doubt, the specific reason you do the work you do. Your answer shouldn’t be money; it has to be something more than that -- something with more value. Success can only occur when there is a target and a reason to hit it. Having and maintaining real goals, motivation, aspiration and willpower are the only ways to get through any obstacles in your way.
When you have a reason to do something, you have a legitimate purpose behind your efforts. When you connect this reason to a desired result, you’re able to summon the discipline and persistence necessary to get the job done. Give yourself a good reason and you will find a way to succeed.
4. What are the roadblocks standing in your way?
A roadblock and an obstacle will be as common in your life as (almost) catching herpes. They will come in all different shapes and sizes. Some will cause bigger headaches than others, but it’s all about the manner in which you perceive them. When you look at them as tests that will ultimately make you better as a person -- that is when you will flourish.
Life is not about having all the resources right in front of you at all times to get through any challenge that you may have. It is about being resourceful and figuring out how to solve something even though your back is up against the wall.
Within challenges lie opportunities; the question just remains: Do you have the courage to accept the challenges and take the next step? The roughest roads lead you to the top. Go beyond your limits and success will meet you there.
5. What’s the next step?
Life is one long staircase. Until you start climbing that first step, you will never get to the last step, and trust me no one is going to build an elevator for you to get there faster. It’s about creating something from nothing, starting small from an idea and a vision and seeing it come to fruition. The best thing about big success is that it comes one step at a time. A flash of success, no matter how small, creates the momentum necessary to create even more success.
6. What are your flaws and faults?
You are not perfect, so stop trying to be. Be smart enough to identify your weaknesses and then figure out how you can start working on turning them into strengths. That is where true leaders come from and that is where the most successful people advance.
Don't hide them; fade them. Many people are in denial of their flaws and never work on them – and they end up average. Don’t hide from reality. Face your deficiencies and use them to bask in the glory of your personal growth.
7. How will you bring fulfillment to your life?
What energizes us to keep going in life is fulfillment and progress. They are what allow us to see our own growth and to experience our own advancement, like we are marching up more and more steps. When fulfillment doesn’t exist, people become miserable because they have realized they are average.
You need to figure out how you will bring the utmost fulfillment to your life, what will make you smile once you attain it, and how you plan on getting there. Having these images in your head and taking the correct actions will bring them into your life.
8. How are you holding yourself back?
You are your own worst enemy. You are the one that is in complete control of your decisions and in which way you decide to steer your wheel. There are undoubtedly many burdens you suffer under, but you must let them go. The first step is to leave worries behind you; utilize you time with actions that will benefit you and will get you to where you want to go. Drop your grudges. They take away your energy and have no positive return.
Start having an open mind and stop being so stubborn. You don’t know everything. Lastly, get rid of your impatience because nothing will happen over night. Perseverance and courage are the two things that will fuel you past these burdens that are holding you back.
9. Are you making the right choices in life?
Life is about choices and decisions – they create our destiny. It’s not fate and it’s not luck. It’s based on you and your mindset. The question that you need to ask yourself is: Are you making the right choices in life to get you to where you want?
It’s all about perception and viewing things as right and wrong. You are more than capable of having a gut feeling and knowing when you should or shouldn't be doing something. Do what you feel is right rather than what everyone else is doing. Do and decide things based on what is best for you and what will put you in the best position.
10. What do you love about your life?
Within your lifetime you will have highs and lows. But no matter which you are going through, it is important to keep things in perspective. How you respond to life’s inevitable difficulties defines the strength of your character, as well as the quality of your life. The false idea that you are a victim of any particular circumstance is simply inaccurate.
The fleeting ups and downs that occur on a daily basis are tiny threads in the overall fabric of your life. Each one adds to your personal growth. The quality of your life is ultimately your choice. You can choose to be immobilized by the gravity of your disappointments, or you can choose to rise from the suffering and treasure the most precious gift you have – life itself.
Preston Waters | Elite.
