Truth be told, the future that awaits you is full of new discoveries, pitfalls, adventure, and immense joy and satisfaction. However, few of these things will be realized if you don’t make the conscious decision to take charge of your own life. As you stand in the doorway, hesitating to step out into the world, remember, that you are the only one who is responsible and capable of making your life better.
How does a person go about taking that initial step to self-reliance and freedom? The first and perhaps the most important step is to realize that only you have the key to your future. Everything that you are can change the world you live in, and how you interact with it. The people and things around you aren’t as important, so stop blaming them. If an obstacle is put in your path, figure out a way to go around, through it, or over it. If you are offered an alibi, or reason why something can’t be done, consider it, but unless you’re dealing with something akin to the law of gravity, toss it aside. Alibis and reasons are nothing more than excuses as to why someone else – and not you – did not succeed.
While tossing aside the hang ups of the world around you and your own inner demons is a great start, it is important to realize the talents and assets that you possess. Recognize them for their potential to grow, to help, and to transform your life into something so much better than it is now. Do you find yourself mentally re-arranging the furniture in a room so that it is more pleasing? Or perhaps your ability to carry a tune has made you famous among your friends. Do you have a head for numbers, and can easily calculate the tip on a night out without batting an eyelash? Even little things about yourself, things such as a warm smile and a friendly greeting to a passerby in a rainstorm can say much about what you have to offer.
If you haven’t already, you will discover where your talents lie. It may come as a bolt out of the sky or as slow growing warmth as you sit next to the fireplace. Once you uncover them, though, it is essential to act and use your talents to gain what you need.
Taking charge of your life and the world around you starts with a new attitude. One that learns the lessons of the past, can fully embrace the present, and has a keen and hopeful eye on the future. An attitude like this can strip away the failures and missteps of the past, and allow you to see the future, not as one filled with pitfalls and uncertainties, but rather one filled with possibilities.
Once your attitude has been adjusted, your vision of the world around you, and what will be will start to change. Embrace that change, and mold it, paint it, and allow it to transform your vision into something truly inspiring. You are the only one who knows how your masterpiece will be completed, so why aren’t you holding the paintbrush?
“Where there is no vision, people perish”