Win at the Game of Life, Overcome Challenges

                                                      Photo by GR stocks
 

All Obstacles in my Way

How do we overcome the constant challenges that come along our life's path?

We usually focus on what we can do instead of what we cannot do. We all face obstacles in our lives whether it's a difficult job, intense relationship or ambitious life goals. We face a choice; we either let the challenge overcome us or we find a way to overcome the challenge.

There are many people that have disabilities like having only one arm, leg or even not being able to walk at all but they still find ways to muster the courage to navigate through life and perform the same tasks as anyone else. So what's our excuse? It is the sense of mindset that drives us to the task's completion or not. The majority of the world are not willing to do the work that the highly successful people are eager to accomplish. 

Success is not Simple

Being successful is not an easy task, it is actually very complicated. We naturally would love to be in our comfort zone. Sitting and relaxing, streaming videos or scrolling on our phones sounds much more appealing than working hard or exercising intensely. We need to get our of our comfort zones in order to achieve what we truly want.

The key is to have an idea of what you want to achieve and understand that that idea needs to be completely against what most people think. The world's great achievements were from people who looked outside of the box. When I say for example I get up at 5am most people respond by saying " No way! I can't do that. I'd rather be sleeping." However, by getting up early I am able to utilize my time to meditate, exercise, and reflect on my goals in silence without distractions. Remember, silence is golden.

A perfect example is Kobe Bryant, who was one of the best basketball players in the world. He would get up at 4am everyday to practice his skillset. His game plan was executed with great precision and focus which compared massively to his peers who got up much later. This gave him a huge advantage. It is not only about talent, it is more about execution. By putting in the work you can achieve success that most people only dream of.

                                                      Photo by Jukan Tateisi 

FOMO: Fear of Missing Out

Most people are not willing to do the work because as they put it, it takes too much time. Human beings are too attached with instant gratification. Basically, the fear of missing out on having everything now instead of having to wait for it with patience. Having and wanting it all now is just not how it works. I have spoken to many twenty something adults who are upset and frustrated they don't already have the big house, fancy car and ginormous bank account. They feel they are failures without it when in actuality it takes a tremendous amount of time and struggle to build success. 

Ridicule can also be a huge hurdle in our success. I am sure when I preach my ideas here it will be met with disbelief and laughter. But that's ok, I am comfortable in my own skin and know that what I am doing will make a difference in the long run. For every finger of judgement you point at someone there are three fingers pointing back at you. I stop trying to compare myself to others a long time ago. Comparison never served me any good in the past so I don't bother with it in my current routine.

    Here's a great Ted Talk video related to FOMO

Comparison is the Root cause of all Evil

Measuring ourselves to others gets us into trouble with our thoughts all the time. We can be scrolling on our phones and see someone posting a video about driving their fancy expensive car down the road with great envy. We see they look very happy living the rich life and just want the same thing. Unfortunately when we pull the veil it can reveal the unseen truth. What we don't see is the same people showcasing "The Rich Life" may actually be riddled in debt and thus overly stressed trying to pay for the material culture they desire. 

The Buddha once said "All Life is Suffering" 

But what we need to understand is that suffering is a choice.

                                                     Photo by F. Plastino

Comparison can be the root cause of this suffering. We only see the external view of being happy whereas on the inside could be riddled with stress and depression. When we observe others' lifestyles it can make us envious and then resentful at the same time. This is an illusion to happiness that we've created in our minds. The mental strain of working so hard to achieve these objects of material desire is not necessary and will not fulfill what we truly need.

We are Unique

Understanding how different we are from others is actually a good thing. We start to understand this uniqueness as we get older since when when we are young it is all about how we feel judged from our peers. Winning at the game of life means being true to who you are and what you are good at by doing a little better everyday. There is no doubt that there things we need to improve on to overcome challenges but it takes time and patience. 

When we sit and reflect on how to optimize our daily routine then it will improve gradually, with effort of course. It is not a race to the top; slow down and enjoy the ride. Take a good look at where you are today and how incremental improvement can best serve you. Believe in yourself because I believe you can. Ask me how in the comments section.

Remember one step at a time, one day at a time will lead to incredible results.

Recommended Reading:  Living Untethered by Michael A. Singer 

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