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As I considered a New Year message our listeners and fans, I reflected on one of my personal “laws of success.” “To have more, we must become more.” However, we are wasting our time striving for more if we are not grateful for what we now have. So take a few moments and reflect. Make a list if you must. But make sure that you appreciate your accomplishments and your possessions up to this point in your life. But having a feeling of gratitude doesn’t mean that you have to settle for anything. A natural part of the human experience is growth, and growth is required if we are to be happy. Be mindful of that fact as we evolve into 2020.
Rose Colored Glasses
Do you find yourself thinking negatively much of the time? If so, there’s a reasonable probability that no matter where you live, the work that you do, or how much money you earn – a part of you will always want more. That yearning for more is because you are not happy with your lot in life. You may want to relocate and obtain a different job. You want to make more money, or you may prefer to have the experience that your neighbor lives.
You may have said that someone views life through rose-colored glasses. However, have you noticed that people who do see life in this way experience more success and happiness than you? Your life is a reflection of your general mindset and how you see the world and your place in it. What you see is what you get.
Grow Through Your Challenges
Like the rest of us, you can acknowledge all of the dramas that are going on in the world. You can be passionate about making changes in the world, too. However, you don’t have to view your world – your immediate surroundings through those same lenses. You are going to be upset, you are going to experience losses, and you will have struggles and failures. You will fail, but not finally.
These experiences are a normal part of everyone’s life. But, you need to grow through them. Find time to process your feelings. As you work through them, you will become more. Working and growing through your challenges is quite different from permitting them to cloud your view of your achievements and your place in life.
If you are happy to remain just as you are, you will never be genuinely content. Your beautiful life takes seed in a great mind. Part of striving for more is to remain positive about what you have to offer the world. In the same vein, you must be clear about what you expect to accomplish from life. Very often, the key to finding contentment is learning to tune out the background noise and learning how to focus on yourself in a positive light.
Goals Drive You to Success
The fact is that the goals you set for 2020 will dictate the person that you become next year and beyond. If you have no goals, it is an indication that you are not a driven person and most likely will not be content with life. A person with no goals will arrive at a point in life when they wonder where everything went wrong as they have their “pity party.” But a person who is not willing to accept the status quo will push themselves and strive to have more, day after day, month after month and year after year.
You might ask: “How do I become more? The most efficient way to stretch one’s reach is goal setting. By setting goals, you push yourself to succeed. I am not talking about a single goal, but several short-term and long-term goals. A long-term goal should have several shorter-term goals that are steps you will take as you work to achieve your long-term goals. In this manner, you can work through obstacles and overcome the many challenges you may encounter along your path.
Goal setting is so powerful because when you achieve one goal, you then set another and continually push yourself to do more. You push yourself to learn more and to become more. Use the process of goal-setting as you strive for more and never settle for less than you deserve. It’s not about being greedy. Do the work, and you deserve all that you accomplish.
Gratitude Increases Success
However, it is also vital to have a sense of appreciation for the opportunities that have come your way and to have gratitude for the things you have. It’s about pushing yourself to continue along the same path of success.
Therefore, the next time someone says to you that you should “settle” or be happy as you are, you can tell that person that while you are content with what you have and grateful for everything you have achieved – you will continue to push yourself to become more successful. Success has no limit and there is no limit on happiness. And if there were, our goal would be to transcend those limits. Be great. “I’ll see you at the top.”
J Thomas Smith is the host of “Sunday Morning Live” on “The People’s Station” KMJQ/Majic 102.1 (9-11 CST). He is an attorney, author, keynote speaker, substance abuse professional, and internet marketer. He is the author of the “The Secret to a New Life,” and “My Laws of Success: Making Your Dreams
Source: Ebony J Media LLC
Reality” to be released in 2020. Your comments are welcome at jtsmith@radio-one.com. Follow on Twitter @DrJThomasSmith; Instagram @drjtsmith102 and Facebook @smithlawnet.
