The
Intention of Moving Forward in Life.
What do you
wish today about your life? If you could have anything you wanted, what would
it be? Maybe your dream is misty valleys and snow-capped peaks, with no-one
around for miles. Perhaps it’s a beach shack on the water’s edge. Your dream
might be a better paying, or more fulfilling job. You might think to have a few
dollars in the bank, is your idea of security from which an idyllic life will
flow. Dreams are different for everyone, but they’re all achievable, if only we
know the steps that get us there.
Generally, in
life we long to be more than we are and we do that through discontent. If you’re
discontent with your lot in life, you’re in a great place, because that will
catapult you forward. Then if you keep breathing and keep going, set goals and
keep working towards them, you will move forward and see those goals eventuate.
In life
we’re either moving forwards or backwards. There is no middle line. We’re
making money or we’re spending money, living a joyous life, or not. We have
good relationships or bad. There’s very little in between.
If we want
to move forward in life, we have to be intentional about it. It doesn’t just
come to us. We have to strive with diligence and discipline. Single minded determination. Some of us might get lucky, but most of us have to work towards
what we want to see, if we wish to improve our lives. Aim to be the best in your field and never stop learning.
If you want
good health and wellbeing, what are you doing about it? We can’t help the body
we’re born with, but we can work towards being the best version of ourselves.
And it’s going to take effort.
It takes
effort to eat healthily, rather than grab the next takeaway. It takes effort to
exercise. It’s much easier to play on the computer, watch tv, or just sit and
stare out the window. Anything worth having, you have to fight for, so fight
for your health. Your body is the only one you have. Take care of it.
Relationships
transform lives. Good or bad. People who aren’t good for you, will tear at the
fabric of your soul. Don’t stand for it. You’re worth more. Hang out with
people who make you feel good about who are, positive people, people who will
lovingly (not nastily) push you to help you reach your dreams and aspirations.
Stand up
for yourself (as long as it’s safe to do so. If it isn’t safe – leave!). Don’t
waste your valuable time with someone who doesn’t respect who you are. If
you’re dating a condescending, verbally or physically abusive person, it’s time
to move on. It’s not going to get any better the longer you stay. If you’re
married, try taking steps towards improving that marriage. You can go to a
councillor, or read books on how to improve your marriage. It will take work on
both sides, but if you start, perhaps your spouse will work with you.
I don’t
advocate divorce. I’d prefer you to cover as much area as you can to making the
marriage work, but if it’s unsafe, or you know it can’t work, maybe it’s time
to think about separation. Relationships are not easy and I’m not going to tell
you the best way to navigate them. You will have to sort that one out for
yourself, because we’re all different and we all handle different situations in
a myriad of ways and I can’t tell you what the right way for you is,
particularly as I haven’t met you.
Value your
time. The more time we waste, the less we enjoy our lives. You think sitting on
the beach is idyllic and it is, for a day or two, or a week or two, then it
gets boring. You need to value your time. Sure, have your holiday and enjoy it,
but once back in your environment, make that environment count for something.
Your
vocation, what you do for a living, shouldn’t make you feel unworthy. Nor
should it be detrimental to your health. You’re going to spend a lot of time at
work, make sure you’re doing something you love. That doesn’t mean quit your
job today. Perhaps you can find what you love to do, take the necessary courses
to get into the field of your dreams and then apply for that position. It will
take effort to work and study on the side, but the reward of spending every day
doing what you love, will be well worth it.
Time and
money equals freedom or constraint. Without time and without money, we’re
constrained in what we can do and accomplish. With time and money, we have
freedom. Freedom to choose where we want to live, the kind of holidays we’d
like to go on, the type of car we drive, how much time we spend at work and how
much free time we have. And it all comes by taking control of our finances and
our time.
Every time
you save a wasted minute, is a minute you have to work towards your freedom. In
working towards that freedom, try reading books on investing. It’s not as hard
as you think, nor does it take as much money as you think. Then, when you have
a savings plan up and running, you’ll know where to invest your money and you
won’t be muddling around trying to work it out. And you do need a savings plan.
There are plenty of books around, which will teach you how to save and how to
budget.
What would
you like to see yourself doing? What are your dreams, your desires? What do you
need to do, in order to see those dreams come to fruition? Break down what you
need, into manageable steps. Take the necessary steps in the direction you wish
to head and each day, you’ll make a little more progress towards freedom. Do a
little every day and have a plan in place for the days you don’t feel like it,
for the days you don’t have time, or just those times where procrastination
takes hold. If you have your plans in place, nothing can stop you.
And if you
happen to fail, don’t quit. Dust yourself off and have another go, for you see,
failure isn’t the end. Failure is the step you take before success. So don’t
ever quit. Keep working towards your dream, your desire, your goal and don’t
stop until you reach it.
Learn how
to manage the 7 F’s in life: Faith, family, finance, fun, fitness, future,
friends and to that I would add one more - occupation. When you have all these
balanced, your life will be much simpler and much more joyous. Isn’t that what
we want at the end of the day? A joyous and simple life, full of good health,
family, friends, fun and laughter.
If there
was one more thing I could add here, it would be to get your spiritual life in
order. You can have everything you desire in life, but what’s the point of
gaining the whole world only to lose your spirit in the process. For me, that
means Jesus and I can say without a doubt, Jesus has pulled me through more
scrapes than I could have ever got through on my own. On the trying and
difficult days, I’m glad I was able to pray to My Lord and Saviour. If you
don’t know Jesus, maybe it’s time to get to know Him. Don’t be fooled by
substitutes. There are many ways to enlightenment, but the way, the truth and
the life only comes through Jesus.
Alexandra Grose –
An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is
her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her
written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.
#Integrity;
truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.
I believe one
should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open
and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it -
do it.
If you want to soar
like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.
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