October 17th, 2021
3 minute read
However, none of that matters if we don't ever feel like we've done enough. Something we are all learning the hard way is that happiness comes from within. We all have this big picture of what success looks like to us and that's all we chase. The harsh reality is that social media is morphing that picture in ways we don't even recognise. For instance, 2 years ago I used to think a G-Wagon looked ugly, now that it's glamorized online, I'm actaully starting to like it - Ew. This is unhealthy.
Whether we see it or not, our happiness is being manipulated by the hundreds of posts we interact with online and it's killing us. We think to ourselves "if I buy that car, I'll be happy" or "If I land this job, I'll be content". These if-else statements are completely conditional because true gratification won't be reached. Your goalposts will ALWAYS change so what is the point in chasing it till death? put more time and energy into what you already have in your life like family, health and passions.
Gratitude comes in all forms, let's try placing our happiness in the people and experiences we already have. It is time we turn to our elders and ask them what makes them content, the answers will surprise them. It would be the simplest thing to you, but to them, it means the world. If you are grateful, you act out of a sense of "Enough" and not of a sense of scarcity. If more people lived this way, it will change the power pyramid under which we live.
There are too many get-quick-rich schemes out there that disguise themselves well, but take it from me, There can never be a replacement for hard work. And let's face it, most of you wanna be successful but you don't want it bad, you just kinda want it. Your momentum needs to be replenished and those adverts or reels have that effect, but motivation never lasts. There are two types of motivation, push and pull. You need to have something you desire so much that you rise up early in the morning and take it to the next level. What is pulling you? is it your family? your children?
Similarly, they say that talent runs out in the second half of the football game, your batteries are depleted. Uh Oh, what you gonna do now? push through it and persevere. What wins games isn't talent, it's grit. Pure, unadulterated grit. There's a reason why your colleague got that promotion, why Mohammed Salah is dominating the league. They live for the second half because that's when talent goes away.
The greats in our era also have another edge, a mental edge. They are annoyingly optimistic. If you’re a pessimist, you might say "I screw up everything". Or "I’m a loser". These explanations are all permanent; there’s not much you can do to change them. They’re also pervasive; they’re likely to influence lots of life situations, not just your job performance.
If, on the other hand, you’re an optimist, you might say, I mismanaged my time. Or "I didn’t work efficiently because of distractions". These explanations are all temporary and specific; their “fixability ” motivates you to start clearing them away as problems.
As always thank you for reading and if you want to read more about topics such as this, subscribe to my newsletter, Over-Sharing Sundays here