Dear reader
When I first saw you, I looked for a signature. For only masterpieces have signatures on them. OH! Come here! :)
I have visited the Pyramids twice. They are magnificent. Their sheer size, the intricacy of each limestone block that makes up the whole. I was blown away by the craftsmanship.
It is no wonder that the symbol of the pyramid has been used since the ancient times. It is the model for feudal hierarchy, with the poor at the base of the pyramid and the most powerful at the top. While we can sugar coat history and say this structure no longer exists, it is clear that it does. The kings and queens are the bankers, the famous and the leaders of the world. The story is always the same, only the uniforms have changed. Those successful in this world still have to climb to the top, and those who do not, remain where they are.
So how does one become successful? The unsuccessful have the habit of blaming the rich and famous. That somehow these people had cheated the system, that they got there, not by hard work, but by greed and corruption, that they were lucky. Christians for example, believe that artists such as Jay Z, and Beyonce sold their souls to get their fame. Perhaps they did. I don't think I am qualified to make judgement, for only God can do that. Yet there is an alternative. That these people got their success and fame, not through the devil, not through dirty money, but through hard work. Not to mention, talent. Sometimes we have a habit of externalising success: that they were different to us, that they were special, that the events in their lives were perfectly engineered for their success. How can this be true? No. What defined their success was their ambition, their own belief in themselves and how they took action. Success happens within.
Those who refuse to change are the doubters of the world. These are the people who insist that you will never make it an a field, or live in regret or hopefully wishing: "if only I could have been born with a singing voice." These are the people who are too focussed on what they don't have, that they forget what they DO have. People who accept the ordinary and the comfortable. Sadly these are the people who never get anything more than what they have right now.
Successful people can accept where they are in life, wherever that may be. They are the people who can admit with humility that they could be better. They are the people who know that they deserve more. The people who do not blame others for their lack of success. They are the people who realize that the greatest opponent to their success is the person they see in the mirror. You are the only person who can stop you from living your dream. No-one else matters.
Successful people are not misled by the corporations marketing instant gratification. "How to get six pack abs in 2 weeks flat!" "Remove fat NOW!", "How to get a woman to fall in love with you NOW". Most marketing works to our human desires of having everything now, and not later. Even the new age movement and The Law of Attraction says that a change of mindset changes everything. It is true that being the embodiment of success will attract it to you, but it is only half the battle. Action must be taken for anything to happen. Nothing great in this world happens overnight. This is the simple and obvious truth. Yet I have met people who won't put a step on this road on becoming better. They tell me that they are happy where they are, or that they will never be as good as someone existing already. Most importantly they are afraid.
They are afraid of the pain. It is like with any form of improvement. There will always be a barrier that you must overcome. The discomfort of learning something new. It is your body and mind adapting to the challenge. To do well, you must be challenged. How else does one improve? This doesn't mean stress (which is unnecessary pain flowing from the mind) but like the muscles being stretched at the gym to only come back stronger, so do your skills need to break, in order to reach the next level. This is a beautiful thing. It tells us that any skill can be learnt. It tells us that anything is possible.
When we are on this journey I have learnt that it is wrong to always focus on the end result. With your eyes on the prize, you forget about the most important thing: the process itself. The most important moment is right now. While it is good to have goals, to get there is even better: it is embracing the work right now. To be as efficient with the time that has been given to us. If we love the steps, if we teach ourselves to have a love for the pain of growth, then working hard is not a burden, but a pleasure. These are optimists. People who strive for the good, and not the bad. Action is the fundamental catalyst for change. Even if you are failing, at least you are moving forward.
Wisdom can steer us in the right direction and I need to be steered like any other person. The most fundamental thing on success that I've learnt is to underline the previous thought, that the journey, and not the destination, is the most important thing in life. Let your dreams be your bonus. For it is in the daily ritual, the routine, where the magic is happening. Life will come to an end one day for all of us. Yet one question will remain. It is far beyond who had the most money, or the most fame. Instead, it is all about who was the most fulfilled? Who made others fulfilled? These are the aspirations of life. So follow that pyramid to the top. Although we have to play the game to do it, it is also the beauty of being alive. To know that tomorrow is another chance to become better. To learn something new, to become someone better. To know that there is no such thing as "the greatest", but only a "greater" self. We can always be improving.
Until next time :)
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