Happiness and motivation are powerful, yet tricky beasts. Sometimes they are easy, and you find yourself wrapped up in a whirlwind of excitement. Other times, it is nearly impossible to figure out how to live with these motivation tips, and you’re trapped in a death spiral of procrastination.
10% of your life consists of things you willed or brought about. Don’t sweat that small stuff. 90% is all that you cannot control, the thing that just happens to you. How will you deal with this stuff? How will you react? What will you learn? The key to these questions is the attitude. That’s great news, in a way.
No matter your level of formal education, no matter how far you think you got in your life with your career or relationships. None of these things (the 10%, remember?) matter if you have not fostered three most important attitudes. Both can be infinitely scaled. Their power is limitless if you learn how to attend to them.
First is gratitude, the attitude directed towards appreciating anything and anyone. The ability to assign a value to something that others overlook. The dark, bottomless wellspring of being thankful for your health, your family, your job, anything. This is the secret to real richness. It never runs out. And best: it is not a scarce resource, unlike any other resource in the world.
Motivation tips … humility
Second is levity or humility, the attitude of not taking yourself too seriously. Never forget where you came from. Never forget what you are: just human. No matter how high you fly or how low you fall, it all just seems so much easier if you tread lightly if you remember not to take yourself and those many projects of yours too importantly to the point of agonizing about them.
It is fine to strive and seek. But this too shall pass. Don’t forget that in your darkest hour and it will set you free.
Resilience is the attitude to weather anything from the gentlest breeze to the strongest gale threatening to derail or break you on your journey. Some call it growing a thick skin, a tough hide, robustness or fortitude. No matter what you call it, foster it because you have no idea what people are capable of surviving.
The world is not necessarily cruel by definition, but it can be cruel by ignorance, by the apathy of nature, by forces so large they can toss you around like a speck of dust to make you know your place in the scheme of things. Those times can hurt. A lot.
I wouldn’t lie as you will likely have your fair share of hurt even if you did nothing to deserve it. For those times, I wish for you to have the resilience to suck it up and then get back to work.
Stay true to your values
The goal of life, if there is any, is to gain self-knowledge. To learn who you are and what makes you tick. What makes you tick is this squishy, intangible but very real set of values that make you the person you are. It is the compass that was implanted in your heart when you were born, then shaped by your upbringing and experiences.
If you ever feel lost in life, if you don’t know what you are supposed to do, if you don’t know what is even worth doing, chances are you have not been in touch with what it is you most value. If there is any task worth doing, any adventure or ordeal worth going through, these things are all only helpful as later seen by their ability to help you articulate or confirm your values.
Keep it simple, since as much as you like to think you could be this incredibly complex person. Chances are there are some 2-3 core values that make you feel. These define your choices and preferences in people, places, and occupations.
Make it your life’s work to figure them out – I mean to figure them out, to know them without the shadow of a doubt. Then do what is necessary to affirm them, defend them to the death if you should be so inclined. That is what it means to be lead an authentic life. Lead one. It’s not the only way to live, but the noblest in my opinion.
Oh, and I forgot to mention: some of your values can change throughout your life, just to make things a bit harder. Where would the fun in it all be otherwise?
You may wonder if this is not just one of those values I talked about above, and I would tend to agree if it were not for the fact that kindness is not just a value. It is something so enormously important I would place it in a category of its own. Whatever your values, whatever you do with yourself, never forget to be kind.
Let me rephrase this since we all forget a lot of the time (we are human): try not to forget, and when you eventually do, make it up by returning to kindness. Don’t ask why. If you have to the reason is this: because it’s the right thing to do.
The bottom line
Listen, life can be short. It can also be very painful and unpleasant, mostly because you put yourself at the center of the universe. But the world is too vast for your small heads. So don’t torture yourselves unnecessarily.
The trick is to think of others, to live in service of others, not because it will serve you later in return, not because you expect something from them, but because this is what you were put on the planet to do.
Let me put this more bluntly. Everything you have ever learned, everything you have worked so hard to achieve so far, all that you have accumulated in riches and experiences and glories and war stories – it all amounts to nothing ultimately. That is unless you have found some way – some tiny, modest, or outright ingenious way – to put it to use to help others.
Remember, kindness is not the goal; it’s the path. When you stray, just get back on, it’s no big deal.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that struggle gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to continually improving your continuous learning?
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way.
More reading on mentoring from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Are you continuing to work on your personal development? A very good idea these days … where change is the name of the game, especially in doing what you love.
Aim high. Explore. Stretch your boundaries. Let yourself fail some.
But be sure and put learning in your skill bag. All of these are useful to help in doing what you love.
Help in doing what you love.
Here is a story about someone who definitely loved what he was doing:
1960 two men made a bet. There was only $50 on the line, but millions of people would feel the impact of this little wager. The first man, Bennett Cerf, was the founder of the publishing firm, Random House. The second man was named Theo Geisel, but you probably know him as Dr. Seuss.
Cerf proposed the bet and challenged that Dr. Seuss would not be able to write an entertaining children’s book using only 50 different words. Dr. Seuss took the bet and won.
The result was a little book called Green Eggs and Ham. Since publication, Green Eggs and Ham has sold more than 200 million copies, making it the most popular of Seuss’s works and one of the best-selling children’s books in history.
At first glance, you might think this was a lucky fluke. A talented author plays a fun game with 50 words and ends up producing a hit. But there is actually more to this story and the lessons in it can help us become more creative and stick to better habits over the long-run.
Enablers for success that are essential for your personal and professional development and in doing what you love.
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
–Wayne Dyer
We are all aware of Steve Jobs Stanford commencement speech given in 2005, where he talks about doing what you love. It is a classic talk on this subject.
He encourages his student audience to keep looking and don’t settle. Jobs goes on to say as with all matters of the heart; you’ll know when you find it. Ah, but finding it.
If you are still looking, consider these 20 enablers for success that will shed some light on your search:
Doing what you love … character matters
Your character is the strength to do the right thing at all times and to teach others to do the same.
Without realizing it, our actions and deeds spread far and wide. We may think our sphere is relatively tiny, but it expands greatly when we consider the effect of it moving from one person to the next.
Consider this reality as you move forward.
Doing what you love … learning is never done
Unless you’re one of the lucky to find their passion quickly, you should spend a lot of time trying new things. Figure out what you’re good at and what you like.
Don’t be afraid to try new things and fail at them; failing builds learning.
You should explore, be curious, and reflect on what you are learning. Change and your learning are never done.
Stormy seas happen with everyone
There will be many challenges, obstacles and curveballs swung your way. Just try to take them as they come.
Often there’s a door that is standing wide open for you and another that you’re trying to get through by knocking it down. It’s best to take the door that’s already open for you.
In other words, don’t try to be someone or something you’re not.
Doing what you love … be adaptable
Life is about change; don’t fight it and just go with it. Learn from your mistakes; it is your best source of learning and growth.
Let go of things you can’t change. Learn to adapt to change. Win, lose or draw, life will go on, and you’ll get another chance to start your life over if things haven’t gone according to plan.
Keep your plans loose and flexible. It’s good to have an idea of things you want to accomplish. Have an idea where you want to be a couple of years down the road.
Honestly, no one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, let alone five years from now. It’s fine to make some plans but be flexible and willing to change them.
Doing what you love … effective time management
Nothing lasts forever. Enjoy every moment that you have.
Constantly reflect on your priorities and ask yourself if you are spending your time on those that are the most important to you.
Maintain an effective balance between work, family, and fun things in life.
Attitude is everything.
Attitude is everything
Having a good attitude can make all the difference in your life.
It makes life easier and happier when you have a positive outlook and can keep your attitude light and flexible. Especially when you are dealing with other people and with life’s challenges.
Treat people well
Treating people with respect and decency can get you a long way in the world. Remember that “honey attracts more flies than vinegar.”
Being nice to those around you can make a big difference to people. Take responsibility for yourself, your actions and your feelings.
Doing what you love … build strong relationships
We are all aware of the importance of friendships and the folks we surround ourselves with. Cherish those relationships and work with them the same way you would with family relationships.
Give more than you take, and help more than you receive.
Relationships, in general, are hard, and they take consistent care and feeding. Stay in touch with people who you care about and who care about you.
Take chances as often as possible
Life is about taking chances, grabbing opportunities and taking risks.
Don’t be afraid to try something new, move somewhere new, work somewhere new, meet new people and learn something new.
Without risk, no reward exists. Leaders take risks, but before they do, they minimize them by soliciting information and perspectives.
After that, they move forward, trusting themselves and the people around them.
Doing what you love … you get out what you put in
Happiness and self-confidence come from within. Life is what you make of it and what you put into it.
You can create whatever life you want, and if you create that life and it doesn’t work for you anymore, guess what? You can create a whole new life that does work.
You may not have a choice in things that happen to you, but you have a choice in how you react to them.
Try to stay positive no matter what life throws at you. Get through the tough times by relying on your support network.
You won’t always be right
Remember when you were younger, how important it was to be right? Well, as the years pass by, we begin to understand that being right isn’t nearly as important as listening to and weighing up every side of the argument. Maybe even deferring to someone else’s point of view.
Learn to understand that it’s often better to lose a few battles to win the war.
Doing what you love … build self-confidence
Doing what you love for a living.
Its true age brings wisdom. It can also bring more confidence.
Why? Because we accumulate learning experiences as we travel. They are powerful tools to draw from to make future decisions.
Yes, we’ve made mistakes, but we’ve learned from them. That is what instills innate confidence in future decision making.
Doing what you love … don’t take yourself too seriously
As children, we laughed, played the fool and didn’t think too much about what other people thought about us.
Then our ego’s developed, self-awareness set in and we began to lose our spontaneity. When we reach a certain age, it begins to matter less what other people think.
We should not be taking ourselves so seriously. Make that age as early as possible.
Maintain your integrity
Nothing can ruin your influence and respect faster than a lack of integrity. Integrity, however, is not just avoiding unethical choices and situations.
Integrity is intentionally molding a culture of values and service. Pay attention to this element of your life. It is critical to your long-term success.
Doing what you love … put emphasis on continuous learning
Continuously invest in learning and expanding/growing your expertise. The more you know, the more you can contribute to the success of what you are doing.
The greater your competence, the more others will respect you. And, oh by the way, with the rapid increase of information in this world, keeping up with your learning isn’t an option.
Understand people personally
Get to know the people that touch your life at work and the home environment. Demonstrate a genuine interest in people. Care about them.
Create a culture where people feel supported personally, not just professionally.
Doing what you love … coach and advocate
Be as helpful as you can to people. Be a resource, a sounding board, a safe place to talk.
If you want people to respect you, they need to know you are on their side. Advocate for them; help them leverage your influence on their behalf.
Forge partnerships
Understand that trying to be all things to all people is not a good objective.
It is impossible to be an expert in everything. Instead, surround yourself with people who possess the qualities you lack.
When you do, you will realize your learning and self-development will increase.
Doing what you love … anticipate and optimize
Continually focus on thinking ahead and anticipating change.
Ask yourself: “What could go wrong here?” “Is there anything else we can do to make success more likely?”
These questions help us create the best possible recommendations and decisions.
The bottom line
“I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.”
For some reason, many of us have been conditioned to be more afraid of failure than we are of inaction. However, failure, in addition to being inherently valuable as a learning process, contains within it the chance of success. And no matter how small that chance is, it’s better than the chances of success when we choose not to even try.
Janis Joplin once said ‘you are what you settle for.’ Never settle.
The best people persist toward perfection. They remain steadfast in the belief that our best days are ahead of them and work toward making that true.
Paint the picture of what it will look like when you get there. Keep this picture to remind you of your goals.
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.
