"The only person you're destined to become is the person you decide to be."
Let's stop for a moment and acknowledge the undeniable truthfulness contained in this one statement.
Essentially, Emerson is saying that you are in the driver's seat. You are manning the ship otherwise known as your life, and the direction you take the ship in is of your choosing.
Your will is your meal ticket. Whether you wish to be raking in the big bucks as a businessman; making a big difference in the community as a teacher; or simply living a quiet, unassuming life by the lake, you can fulfill your dreams so long as you:
- Work hard
- Believe in yourself
- Resist other's efforts to impose their views and opinions on you, and
- Never give up
Do things always turn out exactly as we planned?
Obviously not. But part of the deal is navigating the vagaries of life. We may have to take detours along the way. We may have to make changes here and there. But the key is to keep your eye fixed on the prize.
You're only as good as your will, your drive. If you want something badly enough, you'll do anything to get it.
If you decide that you're a failure, you're right. If you decide you're a winner, you're correct. The mind is the most powerful tool we have at our disposal. Once you've made up your mind about something, you attract situations -- whether negative or positive -- that are in line with that mindset.
It goes without saying that you should remain positive in order to attract positive outcomes. If you're telling yourself well in advance that you'll surely fail the exam, bomb the interview, or look like a fool on your blind date, what do you think will happen? Exactly -- you're likely to attract such negative outcomes.
If you're not happy with your current station in life, it's up to you to effect the changes that will make your life more fulfilling. Moping over it won't solve any problems.
Emerson's close friend Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) said to "live the life you've imagined," which closely parallels the above quote. In other words, think about the life you'd want to have and take incremental steps to make it happen.
The person you decide to be may not be to others' liking, but it's your life. No one is going to achieve those goals for you, so why should you cater to them? Only you can determine what the term "happiness" means in your life.
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