Life is complicated. It’s weird and it’s something that we spend our whole time on earth trying to understand and figure out. The two most important days of our lives are the day we are born and the day we figure out why we were born. The issue can be that the stretch of time between the two of these can be quite lengthy and filled with indecision.
It’s within this expanse of figuring things out where it gets difficult. Unfortunately, in life, only a handful of the entire population actually come to an understanding of self. The rest undertake a life filled with nothing, they become followers and they take the easy way out – accepting what they have in front of them right now.
People are afraid to find out who they are. They just settle. They don't want answers to their questions; they’re content with what they already have, which is why they end up pedestrians and are miserable because they never come close to discovering the meaning of their lives. The secret of life is progress: within your body, mind, relationship and business.
Progress is the game and it is what makes you feel alive. Ultimately we are working on getting to a feeling of fulfillment, but that comes with progress and moving forward, rather than standing still. As we all know, progress does not come easy and it most certainly does not come to those who are too afraid to take the next step. This is where people get stuck in life.
The question you need to ask yourself is, “Who do you think you are?” If you have the balls to answer that question, and search for that answer, then you will eventually discover it – the secret is in the patterns in your life. Don't ever settle for being less than you can you be.
It’s not what we get from life, all of our material success, it’s what you become – because that is where true happiness is. When you die, all the things that you have (from your boat to your helicopter) are taken away from you, but what you have become can never be stripped from you.
When you figure out who you are, that is when you can start living life on your own terms. It’s your own decisions and, ultimately, your own choices that create your destiny. Isn’t that what we all want? To live on our own terms? Yes, indeed, it is, but to have that we must figure out how to be ourselves. Most people end up being and pretending to be something that they are not – which is what makes them miserable.
Change occurs when you’re actually yourself, when you think for yourself and put yourself on your own path. That is change. Success without fulfillment is failure. Look at how many people, who have money, hate their lives. That is because they are not doing what is really “them,” they don't feel free and they don't feel unlimited. They feel closed in and trapped by something that doesn’t feel fulfilling.
Understanding life’s equation of who you really are will help you situate your direction. Life is understanding your needs and wants. There is a better "you" that is available, once you understand what is driving you. You need to start telling the truth and looking at yourself in the mirror.
It’s self-actualization: seeing it as it is, but not worse than it is. To lead your life to the location you want to be, you need to be a leader to yourself. That is what leadership is. Don't make it worse than it is so you don't have an excuse not to try. It takes guts to be the leader of your own life.
Vision is what is next. It’s about being honest with yourself. Now we have a chance to be a change. It’s making a road map from where we are now to where we want to get. No one can get better until they can admit something is wrong -- that is when people start comparing themselves to others.
And these people, who may appear to be doing better, will never allow you to feel content. You need to raise that standard you have in your head. No one wants things to be wrong, but unless you raise your standard and see it better, then you’ll never find your way.
You are a leader; even if you don't lead people, you are leading yourself. A standard is not a goal, it’s a way of life, it’s having the confidence to raise the standard, it’s something you live, breathe and will find a way to get to no matter what. There is a difference between “should” and “must,” and when that standard is a “must” for you, that is when you find a way to go after it.
The third and last step is action, it’s making it the way you see it. It’s about wanting more in life, it’s about not settling. You’re just like everyone else in this world, looking for more meaning, more fulfillment and more purpose. Progress makes you feel alive. Whatever your game plan is, you have to understand that it is a path that you need to lead yourself on.
Answering the question, “Who do you think you are?” will have you live a life better than you can ever imagine. It has no dollar value, but rather is being one with yourself, waking up every morning going after what you love because you have figured out where you want to take your life – and you will stop at nothing to get it.
The keyword through this article is “you.” When you let others control the “you,” that is when you live a life you hate. Ultimately the choice is yours and the faster you figure out who you are, the faster you will get there.
Who do you think you are? Find out soon, because life is a battle and you are you're own pawn, knight and king. It's always and only you. The preeminent war strategist Sun Tsu said it best: "Every battle is won before it is ever fought."
Preston Waters | Elite.
