I recently read an article about overcoming obstacles. The author gave four tips with embracing self-awareness as the first tip. “If you don’t see the obstacle or believe it’s a hindrance, you’ll never reach your goals, blaming everything and everyone but the person responsible.” In other words, you can’t change what you are not willing to confront. Change begins with you. As Mahatma Gandhi so eloquently stated, “We need to be the change we wish to see in the world.”
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The reason why things become uncomfortable to people is because we’ve changed just like if we loose weight or gain weight. We have to make the necessary changes to accommodate the changes. You are no longer the person you once were. Unlike weight gain, in life, we should want to expand and grow. There is nothing like becoming a bigger more expansive version of yourself through personal development. It truly makes you a more attractive person in the end.
I try to plan my week out so that I have a sense of direction and plan activities accordingly. I utilize both my smartphone for most events and a daily calendar for daily tasks. By having a projected forecast of activities, I can accommodate for unforeseen changes in my schedule without feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. Most days I can easily reschedule things and still accomplish my important tasks.
There is construction on a bridge in the area that is causing residents to find alternate routes to get around a heavily traveled road. At first, it seemed like a huge inconvenience but now feels pretty routine. We just have to plan ahead to get around the construction.
I learned a few great adages from my time in the military in which I still use to navigate life’s challenges. One that I still find myself saying and sharing with is others is “adapt and overcome”. It is a reminder to me to be flexible in dealing with situations, circumstances and people. Great time to us this is when you feel frustration setting in, stop, breathe and re-evaluate.
Many people describe the type of work that they do when you ask “tell me about yourself”. What I discovered is what we do is not who we are. As I develop my talents, skills or gifts, I am finding that they are slowly making a way for me. The opportunities are endless if your are not afraid the be limitless. By only focusing on what you “do”, you will never discover what you can become.
One of the biggest challenges that I have had to overcome is asking for what it is that I want or need. I realized that I didn’t know what it was that I wanted, therefore I didn’t know what to ask for. In order to know what your want/need first get clear about what it is that you want out of life. Once you have clarity, it becomes much easier to know what it is your need in order to achieve your goals. Asking then becomes much easier.
Stay focused on your dream but flexible with the process. Staying flexible allows for you to recognize new opportunities when they arise and bounce back from set backs. In times when life causes you to stretch and bend, rest assure flexibility will not cause you to break.
Setbacks are signals that you have veered of track somewhere. In order to get to where you want to go, so many of us use GPS navigation. In life, you have to prepare for delays, detours, and road blocks just like traveling. Each of these encounters offer up valuable lessons if you are willing to look for them. Remember, like most GPS systems, life automatically recalculates.
When we stop and look at some of the actions of those close to us, you may realize that they really do have the best intentions for you. What they may not realize is that if you do not do what they expect you to do, it does not mean you are lost. There are many roads that lead to success and not everyone will travel the same path, and that’s okay.
Sweet N Social 