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** GROWING UP by Graham White **
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As children grow up
they are expected to develop more independence and a greater ability to look
after themselves. We expect them to begin looking after their own needs
and to stop relying on their parents.
If they're raised
well, children are empowered to head out and take on the world. If
they're not taught the skills to be self-sufficient, they will continue to
rely on their parents every time something in their life goes wrong.
Are you all grown
up or do you still look to others to solve your problems for you? Do you
complain about "The System"? Are you frustrated by the lack of
fairness at work? Are you upset by the money you lost in your long-term
investments? Do you blame your genetics for your weight problem,
drinking problem or other addictions? Are you hoping the government will
bail you out of the business crisis you're in? Do you blame your parents
or your past for the misery you endure? Are you looking for a way out of
your financial crisis, possibly considering bankruptcy?
It's time to finish the process of growing up. There is only one person
responsible for the situation you're in - You. No one forced you to
start the business, take that job, spend that money, get another credit card
or make that investment. No one promised that the stock market would
always go up, that interest rates would always be high (or low), that the
value of property would always increase or that your job was guaranteed for
life.
Why look to someone else to solve your problems? Are you still
waiting and hoping life will be "easy" or "fair"? Haven't you
noticed yet that it's not? But it's not fair or easy for anyone!
Not even millionaires are without stress or problems.
The movie
"Bruce Almighty" provides a good example of everyone getting
everything they think they want and deserve. Suddenly everyone who buys
a lottery ticket wins...unfortunately they all only win back the same amount
they spent (minus the lottery commission's take, of course). They all get
the promotion they wanted, but so does everyone else, so they're not really
any better off. They all do well on their exams, but so does everyone
and so graded against the curve, they're no better off than before.
There's only one
person who can change the situation you're in and that's you. It's not
the government's job, your boss's job, your parent's job, your spouse's job or
even your counselor's job. The only person who can move you from where
you're at to where you want to be is you.
Here's some
suggestions on how to become the type of person that can handle whatever life throws at them:
Simple
Steps For Growing Up:
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Put
yourself in someone else's shoes: When things are really tough,
I often think about someone who has it much worse than me. What if I
was experiencing the loss of a family member, the deterioration of my
health or what if I was in another country where I didn't have nearly the
same opportunities and lifestyle that the poor do here?
-
Stop
complaining: As long as you're upset about the problem, you're
not focusing on the solution. Accept the fact that life doesn't
always go the way you want and start planning for what you can do to best
resolve the current situation and move on.
-
Determine
that you're in control: No matter what the situation, determine that
you will be responsible for the outcome, no one else. That doesn't
mean you don't ask for help or look to develop other resources, but it
does mean that you do the work.
-
Build
your strength: Each challenging situation is simply an
opportunity in disguise. I'm definitely not saying that you're going
to enjoy the pain of the growth process, but if you focus on the fact that
you will be wiser and stronger once you're through, it's much easier to
handle the pain.
-
Don't
stop growing: Most people stop learning and working on
themselves once they are out of the immediate crisis. Why not commit
to continued growth so that you're even better prepared for what life
throws at you in the future? You know from past experience, that no
matter how perfectly you have your life set up, something always comes
along to spoil your plans, so why not get better prepared while things
aren't so rough?
-
Plan
for the future: Do you have a plan for what you'll do if you or
someone in your family requires extensive medical treatment? What
about if someone passes away? How about if the real estate market
drops, or the stock market dives again? If your business fails
because of a change in economy or you're position is cut due to
downsizing, what will you do? If your home burns to the ground with
everything in it, how will you start over?
-
Don't
over-extend yourself: Don't get involved in anything that would
ruin you if it fails, no matter how phenomenal the opportunity
looks. Nothing is guaranteed. Even if the government or
the business guarantees the deal, what will you do if the business that
you're dealing with goes broke or the government overextends itself and
the dollar itself drops more than the percentage on the investment you've
made?
While I hope life
goes smoothly, I've learned that the most successful individuals have a
plan. They live well above the possible problems that might occur.
When the unavoidable challenges of life happen to them, they're
prepared. Are you?
Graham White www.incrediblepotential.com
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If you are
currently dealing with a challenge or you are deeply concerned about the
situation of another but don't know how to help, e-mail your question for a
reply with the specific strategies that you can implement in yourself to
encourage them to change.
info@incrediblepotential.com
Graham White www.incrediblepotential.com
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