The Art of Getting What You Want

Life is a journey, not a destination. Do you believe that? I do. And do you know why? Because the final destination, like it or not, is death. Not one of us is exempt from getting out of the game of life alive. Everything eventually will be gone-our fears, dreams, hopes, humiliations, excitement-all of it. All each of us leaves behind is a legacy and some memories to be shared amongst friends and family for a few generations. As humans, we have this unfortunate tendency to get cloaked in doubt. Things like daily habits and societal expectations overtake our biggest hopes and ideas. We get stuck in automatic and forget that our life is full of choices and those choices are what shape us. There are, in fact, very few things that anyone has to do. We don't all have to go off the same template. Our life doesn't have to look this way. We're allowed to deviate. We were created to deviate. So why aren't we allowing ourselves to pursue the life we feel called to? Why are we lying to ourselves about our options? Our capacity for a greater journey and more fulfilled life is the result of change. Change your words, change your thoughts, change your actions, and get different results. In order to have the life you want, you have to shift what you believe about yourself. Our lives are mostly based on our interpretations of our past and a projected future. If the future isn't looking so good right now, chances are you have low energy, fear, and are disconnected. But if the future looks good, you have abundant energy, a sunny disposition, and a good attitude. It is not truth or fact that is holding you back from a great future. It's your fears and your projections of what could go wrong that hold you back. If you change your projections and create a good story that moves you forward, your future can be bright and full and fulfilled. But you have to believe in it. You have to start telling yourself the right story. So what gets in the way of telling the right story? Put simply: our fear. Most of us want to believe in fairytale endings. But then, because we're human, we hearken to worst-case scenarios. The potential in front of us becomes overshadowed by the pitfalls of change. We get scared. We cringe. We begin measuring ourselves up with everyone else. We look at the obstacles in the way and begin to reason that our lives aren't really that bad after all. Is the dream worth it, we ask ourselves? Is the dream even possible? As a result, the dream doesn't ever become anything. Instead, it remains what it began as: a crazy idea. A wish. We've told ourselves the wrong story. If you really think about it, most people don't lack dreams; they lack conviction. They don't live their lives with a clear understanding of who they are, what they want, and what they're capable of, ultimately leading to half-hearted existences. In other words, they go through their days without certainty and intention. And without certainty and intention, nothing big is possible. Instead of living an incredible life, we decide it's enough to just get by. This is your one and only life. Do you only want what other people expect for you? Or do you want more? Are you willing to charge forward despite the doubters? Do you want to start exceeding all of your wildest expectations? If so, it's time to start telling yourself the right story.