All of us have gripes with certain things about our present lives, whether it's being stuck in a dead-end job, not having enough friends, being overweight, or just feeling like we're in a monotonous rut. This has some of us feeling rather depressed or even wallowing in self-pity.
The secret to life is not what happens to you, but how you react to and deal with such circumstances. I'll give you an example: While I blog and freelance on the side, my day job is as a copywriter in the travel industry. While I enjoy working in the travel business, I sometimes feel as though I'm doing nothing truly meaningful in the private sector; it's all about the bottom line and helping the big-wigs get richer.
I found my college days to be the best time of my life, largely because I loved learning, studying, and challenging myself to get A's and graduate with a high G.P.A. (I take pride in the fact that I graduated summa cum laude with a 3.91 G.P.A.). Thus, I yearn to eventually work somewhere where learning, not money, is at the heart of the institution's mission and vision.
That's why I've decided that one of my short-term goals (over the next 5 years or so) is to return to the Ivory tower -- either as a graduate student or to work there.
Does this mean that I should give my two weeks notice tomorrow? Absolutely not!
Accomplishing goals takes time and hard work. You have to work toward achieving them in a piecemeal fashion, little by little. That's why planning ahead is so vital. You don't want to do anything hasty you'll later come to regret.
And here's another important thing to remember: You should never be daunted by the prospect of failure! Renowned inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931) once said, "I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." I interviewed with two different local colleges (one of which was my alma mater) since graduating, but didn't get either job. Does that mean I'm going to give up? No way! It only drives me to try harder.
Never giving up isn't just a tired cliche. Building resilience is an important tool to keep in your arsenal when trying to achieve any goal. For example, I would not have lost well over 40 pounds over the last few years had it not been for my tenacity to keep going.
While planning for the future, fill your mind with positive thoughts. Tell yourself that you've already taken the first step toward accomplishing an important goal. Reflect on prior moments in your life where you felt happy -- say, when you worked at a great company before you got laid off or were 20 pounds slimmer -- and believe that you can be in that state again. All it takes is hard work, patience,, the will to succeed, and the fortitude to resist negative thoughts that may attempt to derail your goals.
The secret to life is not what happens to you, but how you react to and deal with such circumstances. I'll give you an example: While I blog and freelance on the side, my day job is as a copywriter in the travel industry. While I enjoy working in the travel business, I sometimes feel as though I'm doing nothing truly meaningful in the private sector; it's all about the bottom line and helping the big-wigs get richer.
I found my college days to be the best time of my life, largely because I loved learning, studying, and challenging myself to get A's and graduate with a high G.P.A. (I take pride in the fact that I graduated summa cum laude with a 3.91 G.P.A.). Thus, I yearn to eventually work somewhere where learning, not money, is at the heart of the institution's mission and vision.
That's why I've decided that one of my short-term goals (over the next 5 years or so) is to return to the Ivory tower -- either as a graduate student or to work there.
Does this mean that I should give my two weeks notice tomorrow? Absolutely not!
Accomplishing goals takes time and hard work. You have to work toward achieving them in a piecemeal fashion, little by little. That's why planning ahead is so vital. You don't want to do anything hasty you'll later come to regret.
And here's another important thing to remember: You should never be daunted by the prospect of failure! Renowned inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931) once said, "I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." I interviewed with two different local colleges (one of which was my alma mater) since graduating, but didn't get either job. Does that mean I'm going to give up? No way! It only drives me to try harder.
Never giving up isn't just a tired cliche. Building resilience is an important tool to keep in your arsenal when trying to achieve any goal. For example, I would not have lost well over 40 pounds over the last few years had it not been for my tenacity to keep going.
While planning for the future, fill your mind with positive thoughts. Tell yourself that you've already taken the first step toward accomplishing an important goal. Reflect on prior moments in your life where you felt happy -- say, when you worked at a great company before you got laid off or were 20 pounds slimmer -- and believe that you can be in that state again. All it takes is hard work, patience,, the will to succeed, and the fortitude to resist negative thoughts that may attempt to derail your goals.
Comments