Читать книгу 100 Steps Towards Success - Shehzad Amin PH.D - Страница 10

The genius of a composer is found in the notes of his music; but analyzing the notes will not reveal his genius. The poet's greatness is contained in his words; yet the study of his words will not disclose his inspiration. God reveals himself in creation; but scrutinize creation as minutely as you wish, you will not find God, any more than you will find the soul through careful examination of your body. — Anthony De Mello

In case no one has told you today, you’re awesome. It is not uncommon for people to focus on what they have not done, instead of what they have achieved. Many of us drown in the pool of our skewed perception, so much so that we are blinded to our accomplishments and unable to ruminate on our own shortcomings. We concentrate our thoughts and ruminations on the long journey ahead instead of taking cognizance of how far we’ve come in our efforts. This flaw-digging mindset forms the building slabs of our imminent endeavors—if, that is, we eschew seeing the bad in every good and we learn to trust in ourselves and take some credit. Do you know the days where, at the end of that day, you say to yourself that you have achieved nothing, although you’ve worked hard all day? How do you feel when you keep saying this to yourself? Are you motivated to keep going? You probably feel unproductive and make yourself feel down, not having the drive to move on. Why do you have an unproductive feeling even though you’ve worked all day? We’re taught that modesty is a noble trait and is something we need to nurture in ourselves, and that vanity, egotism, arrogance, and self-importance are undesirable. We polarize these sets of behavior, thinking of modesty as good and all that other stuff as bad. In the pursuit of modesty, you can easily segue into hiding your light under a bushel, a behavior that sees you hiding your gifts, strengths, and talents from the world in case other people think you’re full of yourself, vain, ego-driven, self-important, or arrogant. In other words, you keep yourself hidden in case people think you’re “bad.” Then, who’d have given it thought, when you make something happen that was a result of what you hid under that bushel, you don’t want to give yourself credit for it because doing so might mean you’re “bad.”

Undigested good turns to crap. — Regena Thomashauer

You may not realize it, but some of your natural behaviors could be making a world of difference, to others and to yourself. It’s easy to dismiss certain actions — like providing a listening ear or making someone laugh — because we don’t really think of them as a big deal in the first place. But the truth is, these small acts can have a huge impact. In case you are still doubting at this point, let me illustrate it to you with some examples. Remember that time when you offered a shoulder for your best friend to cry on? How about that time you tipped a waiter? How about that time when you also bought your mom a present? Try this approach! Take an area of your life and list all the achievements you’ve already accomplished. Try it and realize how you start smiling. It’s a powerful method to change your state of mind. You strengthen your mindset and get ready for more. Unfortunately, we give ourselves too little credit for everything we do. Thus, we miss out on pride, joy, happiness, and fulfillment; we limit our potential drastically. Can you see how this approach does not just make you happier but also more successful? Can you feel the momentum? Anthony Robbins said, “People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed.” By acknowledging what you have done, you feel successful, get the momentum, and succeed.