The undeniable truths that can transform our lives
Living an authentic life starts with embracing a few home truths.
by: E.B. Johnson
It’s easy to get tangled up in our busy schedules and routines. The modern world is a hectic one and, in it, it can become easy to lose sight of the things that really matter.
When we lose focus, we lose touch with our authentic selves and the truths that keep us grounded to reality. Being out of touch with the inside leaves us feeling detached and alienated from the outside. To get control of our destinies again, we have to embrace some hard home truths and push ourselves to be better than we ever were before.
Life’s essential truths can open the door of possibility, but they must be repeated — and often. Boost your confidence and get back in touch with your true self with these touchstones of reality.
The undeniable truths that can transform our lives
When things aren’t going the way you’d like them to, you can become disappointed and frustrated by your situation and the circumstances that surround it. Rather than focusing on the bad, focus on the good and center yourself around the solutions that can help you build a better tomorrow.
1. Change is coming. Embrace it.
If there is one unchangeable and eternal truth in this life it is that everything is temporary. Change is coming whether you want it to or not, so you might as well embrace it.
When you embrace change, you can find the good in it. Opening you arms (and your mind) to change creates opportunities that are beyond your imagining.
If you cannot accept that change is a natural part of life, you will forever be doomed to fail. Embracing this precept in every aspect of your life will make it easier to operate in not only the personal sphere, but the professional one as well; making you flexible, resilient and able to adjust no matter what life throws at you.
2. Success often comes after failure.
Some of the greatest successes in humanity have occurred after the greatest of failures. Mistakes pave the way for us to succeed by teaching us priceless lessons that instruct us on the do’s and don’t’s of life.
Our biggest breakthroughs often come when we are feeling the most frustrated and frazzled. Frustration has a funny way of forcing us to think differently, and also forces us to get creative about the way we wriggle out of sticky situations.
Success takes patience and the ability to control your emotions and attitude. It may not be the easiest thing in the world, but it is an invaluable skill. Master yourself and you master your future. Remember: it’s often darkest just before dawn.
3. Life is short — live it.
Tomorrow is another day, but it’s never guaranteed. While we might be caught up in the details, what’s important — really important — is how we spend our time and how we treat the people around us.
Each morning when you wake up, remind yourself that every day is a gift and another opportunity to make the most of the things you have. Learn to appreciate the strengths and skills you have and live in the moment by acting like life is a blessing rather than a curse.
A great day begins with a great mindset, but also a conscious choice. Make the effort to live your life, each and every second of it, and you’ll transform yourself and the way you see the world.
4. Forgive without the apology.
Life is a lot easier when we learn how to forgive without waiting for an apology.
Let go of grudges and learn to forgive those who hurt you — without the need to hear, “I’m sorry.” Anger and hatred and grudges are all negative and corrosive factors in our lives. When we hold onto them, we destroy our inner peace and emotional wellbeing.
Negative emotions also create a stress response in your body, resulting in some seriously devastating health consequences that can haunt you for years to come. At Emory University, researchers discovered that the stress caused by feelings like anger actually led to high blood pressure and event heart disease.
Forgiving someone — regardless of whether or not they apologize for their hurts — removes that stress and relieves you of forever being trapped as a victim. Forgive someone and accept their actions, even if you can’t condone them.
5. Busyness does not equal productivity.
We like to believe that the busiest people around us are the most productive, but that just isn’t true. Even if you’re firing off a thousand emails or jumping from meeting to meeting, it doesn’t mean you’re operating at your most productive; and it most certainly doesn’t mean you’re getting anything done.
Success comes from focus, not movement and activity, so don’t be afraid to reassess the way you operate and recalibrate to a more efficient way of doing things. Concentrate your efforts on tasks that get you the results you need. Prioritize the things that matter.
6. We’re only as good as the people we surround ourselves with.
Though it isn’t often talked about when it comes to life transformation, we should strive to surround ourselves with people who make us want to be better.
Surrounding ourselves with people who drag us down will drag us down. If you’re someone who’s already feeling vulnerable or anxious, this could have disastrous consequences.
Cut loose the people that make you feel worthless, uninspired or anxious. If someone is wasting your time, let them know and move to people who know what your time is worth.
Life is too short to waste time associating with the people who detract for our experience. Get rid of the deadweight and find the support system that makes you soar, rather than sink.
7. Your only regret is fear.
At the end of the day, it is the chances we didn’t take that we regret the most. Instead of being corralled by our fear of failure, we should dare to take more risks. We’re obsessed by the possibility that we might “get it wrong”, when we should be obsessed with the opportunity every moment holds.
The worst thing that can happen is allowing yourself to hide and die while the rest of the world is living, breathing and blooming around you. Embrace the moment and embrace the life you were given by letting go of the fear and going after the things you really want.
8. Self-worth is internal. No one else can give it to you.
No matter how hard we try, we compare ourselves to others. It’s only human to look for some glimmer of yourself in the eyes of another, but basing your self worth around the perspective of others is dangerous and self-sabotaging.
Self worth comes only from within. There is no one outside of us that can validate the way we feel about the value we add to this life.
It might be impossible to turn off your reactions to the opinions people have of you, but it’s not impossible to take those opinions with a grain of salt. No matter what people think about you, it doesn’t matter. Only you are alive in this moment with your point of view. No one can understand the choices that you make but you.
Accept that and remember that no matter what — you’re never as bad or as good as they say you are. You’re just you; doing the best you can with the tools you have to hand.
9. This life is the one you created.
Wherever you’re at in your life at this moment is a point of your creation.
You are not a victim of circumstance and there is no malevolent force that is dictating your decisions. Only you are the one responsible for the actions and values and aspirations that determine the course of your life.
Realizing this will allow you to also realize that your future is entirely up to you. If you are in charge of this moment, then you are in charge of building the path to tomorrow. Being stuck is nothing more than being trapped by your fear. It is only you who can make the choice to move past it.
Take action when it’s time to take action and speak when it’s time to speak. Use your voice and your wisdom to assess your circumstances honest and openly and you’ll find a way out, even if that way is through.
10. Live in the moment.
You will never be able to reach your full potential until you learn to live your life in the present moment…every single moment.
There is no amount of guilt that will change the past and no matter how much shame you carry, you’ll never be able to undo what’s already been done. Drop the anxiety over changing the future through the past and embracing living in every single second of this beautifully strange life you’ve been given.
You’ll never be happy if you’re constantly somewhere else, wishing for things that never were. Live in the moment by accepting your past and embracing the change that is the future with open and willing arms.
Putting it all together…
It’s easy to lose touch with the things that are important in this life, especially in this chaotic digital age. We live our lives going a million miles an hour, and when we get caught up we become unfocused and out of sorts. By taking a deep breath and getting back to some core truths, however, we can get back in touch with ourselves and the power that propels us toward the future.
Live in the moment and value yourself for the strength and the beauty you possess. This is the life that you created for yourself, but you will only be able to accept that when you drop the great and embrace the experience you’ve been gifted. Life is short. Learn to live it and learn to forgive without needing an apology. The only thing eternal and constant in this life is change. Welcome it with open arms and she will do magical and transformative things for your life.
