The pseudo-scientists will tell you that stress is not caused by circumstances in your life.
Or by emotions you experience, either.
They say it is caused by your resistance to your life. In their world, it is possible for you to encounter a wide variety of circumstances in your life, but it is your resistance to those circumstances that causes you discomfort.
Their reasoning is this – when you resist circumstances in your life, it takes energy and that produces stress. So, they say, you should just learn to accept life the way it is.
And I say that thinking, combined with some potting soil, would make good food for my rose bushes. In other words, it’s horse manure.
You see, challenging and changing circumstances and resisting them are different. Challenging a situation is using your will to change what you are experiencing—to change the dynamic within yourself that is producing the situation. Resisting is wishing in that moment that you were not experiencing it. It is attempting to stop the experience.
“To hell with circumstances. I create opportunities” – Bruce Lee
It’s easy to get locked into a reactive mindset. To follow along with whatever is happening. To do what everyone else does. To react to whatever is going on.
And get lost in life’s circumstances.
But this way of thinking doesn’t feel good. It leaves a person powerless and just drifting along. Have you ever heard someone proclaim – “I just go with the flow”? That’s a terrible philosophy in life. After all, water flows in only one direction, downhill.
A better way of living is to be proactive. As Bruce Lee says: to create opportunities despite the circumstances around you. This is the way to success.
But on the other hand it’s also more difficult. It can be easier to just drift along in the stream of life. Because being proactive means taking charge and taking responsibility. And that can be scary for some.
I’ve seen many people fail to achieve what they want in their life, all the while giving a lousy excuse that they didn’t have the opportunity. They thought all they lacked was an opportunity to be successful. But in fact, they have had plenty of opportunities. They just wouldn’t take action to pursue them. That’s the reason why so many people are waiting and doing nothing. They’re just accepting their circumstances in life.
Yes, you can wait for opportunity to come to you. The problem is when? When will you know that the right opportunity has finally arrived and it is time for you to strike and go all in? You won’t. A person that is waiting for opportunity to come may wait their whole life.
Some people say that they will take action when the feel better about the economy. Or that they’ll do something once it looks safer. This is the wrong mindset. Why? Simply because you don’t know when you will feel better about the economy. And if it takes 5 years for you to feel the “time is right”, you will have wasted 5 years.
Know this – even when the economy is in great condition, most people don’t take action.
They’ll still give the same excuses by saying that they are waiting for the right opportunity.
Heres what I know – opportunity won’t wait for you, so don’t wait for it.
Just like playing soccer, you have to chase for the ball and break the defense (create opportunity), and then take action by shooting for a goal. If you don’t create the opportunity, there is no way you will get a chance to make a goal.
It’s easy to make excuses, but nothing happens until a person stops blaming their circumstances and takes control of their life.
It is up to you to take responsibility for your life and create your own opportunities. You may not be able to do exactly what you want right now, but you have the opportunity to take steps toward it.
That’s exactly what I did. I was born into a low-income family. But I didn’t accept those circumstances as my fate. I just started taking steps towards financial freedom. One after the other until I achieved independence.
While you may feel that you can’t change your circumstances, that’s not reality. If you believe your career and financial situation is out of your control, you’re buying into a lie. It’s a lie that will keep you underemployed and under-earning for as long as you choose to believe it.
You can believe that the circumstances you now experience will prevent you from moving forward and improving. Or you can believe that you are bigger than your challenges. You can do the work that is hard and come out on the other side with something more.
You can change your mindset and start approaching your problems from new angles. Those new angles will lead you to solutions you couldn’t see before. A shift in mindset can bring you to new opportunities, new work, new income.
Remember this – No one will create the dream life for you. You have to do it yourself. The “right time” is an imaginary moment that many create in order to delay decisions and bold actions.
Take massive action today, even if things aren’t perfect before you start. People that wait for the perfect time never get started at all. The right time comes from acting.
Go all out for what you want. If you want to make more money, then go all out for it. If you want to be financially free, go all out for it. Resolve to not live a life based on circumstances. Create the opportunities you need to be successful.
Be free. Nothing else is worth it.
Want even more information about changing your circumstances? Check-out these other articles from the blog archives”
Are You Not Wealthy Yet Because You Have Been Disrespecting Your Money?
Are You Holding Yourself Back Unintentionally?
If You Want Financial Freedom, You’ll Regret Not Doing These Things Now