Some of us yearn for love and companionship. Others want a better job that will enable them to save up for a nicer car or house. Still other people want to lose weight, start their own business, have another child, or achieve other milestones.
With the New Year fast approaching, such goals loom large on many people's minds.
And that's not a bad thing. It demonstrates that a person aims to continually better themselves.
On the other hand, when you become complacent, you tend to stop challenging yourself to find ways to enhance your life.
Your idea of enriching your life may include moving to a cabin by a lake, while someone else might simply strive to make as much money as they can.
Either way, the point is that one is actively trying to live life to the max, pursuing opportunities they see as helping to make their life more fulfilling.
However, just because one works toward achieving a certain goal doesn't mean they can't be grateful for what they already have.
We should never lose sight of the fact that we're still much more fortunate than many people out there.
Right now, I find myself itching to go back to school and get my master's degree. But I recognize many of my friends and relatives would give anything to at least have a bachelor's in hand, as I do.
Unfortunately, money problems, health issues, and other priorities like children and having to work two jobs to make ends meet have prevented them from doing so.
Needless to say, your life will never be perfect. Think about it: Life is a series of tradeoffs. There's an opportunity cost associated with each and every decision you make.
Want to have kids? You'll lose the flexibility to eat out and hit up the movie theater on a whim.
Want to accept a great position hundreds of miles away? You'll won't see friends and family as often.
Sometimes progressing in life calls for tough sacrifices. It's as if life were telling us, "In order to get this, you'll need to give something up." Indeed, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
We'll never get everything we want in life. We can never be 100% satisfied. What we can do is aim to spend as much time and energy on the things and people that matter most to us.
A winner isn't defined by what he achieves or acquires, but the fact he gives it his all, even if the outcome isn't exactly like he had envisioned.
Keep fighting for what you want. If you don't succeed, don't despair -- it means that something even better lies in the horizon.
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