Do Battle with the challenges of your present…
…and unlock the prizes of your future
I recently started an incredible book by Andy Andrews, entitled The Traveller’s Gift – 7 Decisions to Success.
Why is it so incredible?
Well, before I go any further, I’ll be honest with you: most of my reading over the last 12 months is in this category. It all started in August 2008, when I began to hunger after real progress in my life as a business owner, entrepreneur, dad, husband, and man.
I recognised that there were gaps in who I was, and where I wanted to be. By the way, in case just for a second you’re tempted to guru-ize me, let me be quick to point out that I’m on that pilgrimage road still, and will be until the day I depart this amazing world. That’s not to say that I don’t have something valuable to bring to the lives of others, including possibly yours. I want to point out though – and it’s related to the title of this blog – that we all have something to offer, whatever our current circumstances and challenges.
It’s with that latter point that I’ll get back on track.
So, in recap, what is the title about?
Andy Andrews lays out the 7 key decisions any person needs to make in order to truly become successful in life.
It’s the second decision – Seek Wisdom – that I want to focus on in this post. You see, ever since August 2008, I’ve been seeking wisdom in my life, knowing that in order to find it, I have to seek it out. I’ve read, studied and tried to put into practice what I’ve come across in the almost countless books that I’ve been pouring over between then and now, and I’m not done yet.
Why this continual quest?
I believe that the experiences of this life – the relationships, challenges, circumstances – are the crucible and training ground within which we are prepared for something even greater, both in this life and beyond.
What I love about Andy’s book is that he spells it out very clearly. I’m not going to go into the details of what the book says –you can do that on Amazon.
Instead, I want to focus on the Aha! moment that I had whilst reading the second
decision for success:
I will seek wisdom.
My aha! moment is the title of this post:
DO BATTLE WITH THE CHALLENGES OF YOUR PRESENT AND UNLOCK THE PRIZES OF YOUR FUTURE
Think about this for a moment: Do you see your current challenges as insurmountable problems, or do you see them as opportunities for growth? If you see them as the former, perhaps you’re in a period of deep introspection or incubation in your life, where there seems to be no clear direction forward If that’s the case, watch this video on the Psychology of Success elsewhere on this website.
But before you jump off (assuming you haven’t clicked on the link!), just meditate on the statement again:
Do Battle with the Challenges of Your Present and Unlock the Prizes of Your Future
.
There are several pearls of wisdom wrapped around that grain of sand.
Here’s just one:
- If I choose to accept my current difficulties as challenges to overcome, I release the possibility in my mind that I can overcome them, and that I will also reap the future rewards associated with the permanent changes in my character that result of accepting this hardship as a discipline for my personal growth.
Now, grains of sand are irritants, and the 7 decision of success in Andy Andrews’ book are meant to be the same.
Every one of us faces difficultieschallenges in our lives. None of us is exempt. But we have a choice to make in how we respond.
What you should do now
- Spend a couple of minutes thinking about your response to the pearl of wisdom
- WRITE DOWN what you’re going to choose to do about what you learn
- Now find a way to immediately put into practice what you have learned.
- Share your wisdom with at least one other person. But do it in a spirit of serving not superiority. We ALL have something to give, something to share, a story to tell. That’s what can make our lives great.
- Finally, watch this video below, and subscribe to Sean’s YouTube channel.