As we go through life, we accumulate wisdom – about what and who we really are. Wisdom comes with age but if you’re reasonably truthful , this knowledge is yours through all stages of life. We recognise who we are, what’s really important, and how to live life as productively and happily for ourselves as possible. But there are certain things we need to acknowledge…

We Are All A Work In Progress: No one is perfect.  Whether it’s your behaviour, personality or emotions, there’s always scope for improvement. Proficient people accept this and continue honing their skills. They don’t make excuses for their shortcomings with, “That’s just the way I am… There’s nothing I can do about it.” If you believe that you are a work in progress, you will seek out ways to grow and improve. To grow, you must work out old blockages and deterrents, wounds and scars from your past. Healing them and your habits is essentially a step towards conceivable change and transformation. When you accept room for growth, you judge less and accept more. Life becomes more enjoyable and easier and you learn to deal with your own baggage. Perfectionism, insecurity, shame, guilt, spiritual ego – all need tweaking from time to time. 

Doing The Right Thing Even When It’s Hard: Doing the right thing is never easy. Sometimes it’s blatantly painful. Having that hard conversation with family and friends, maybe a valued senior is tough. You may have to quit a job, walk away from a lucrative business, or deal with a compromise on values. Doing the right thing consistently is tough but benefits you over time. When you’re clear about your, it’s easier to make the right choice. By honouring your highest values, you experience peace and enhanced self-esteem. There is no second-guessing or quieting that little voice in your head that refuses to go away. It nags you into doing the right thing.  You tell the truth, you honour your word and you lose the battle becoming instantaneously unpopular. But in doing the right thing, you set yourself free. 

Life’s Constant Divide: This is essentially the division between choosing power and being powerless. When you choose to live in power, you live with the ability to make your choices, to choose your attitude and your behaviour. You don’t blame others or seek constant scapegoats. You are inherently forthright, honest and direct yet avoid being rude or arrogant. You learn to say no and have boundaries. You are your own person and choose to show it to the world. You hardly ever make excuses or default others into taking responsibility for you. You shoulder your weight and responsibilities squarely on your shoulders.

Living a powerless existence makes you complain often, blame others, and constantly make excuses for yourself… “The colleague was not a team player, my boss doesn’t like me, the promotion went to that brownnoser.” When you give your steering wheel to others, you open the doors to bitterness and regret. Being powerless makes you want to get validated all the time, you do things to please others, to fit in and be liked. We wind up marginalizing ourselves and losing our sense of self and worth. A powerful mindset puts you in the driver’s seat. You reason and balance between your successes and failures. You take calculated risks, learning to accept even the mistakes. You don’t settle for mediocrity and you’re not afraid to fail.

You Bring Your Heart Along: This means to put your mind, body and soul into things – you strive to do your best, no matter what the task is or who may be watching. You lead your life with heart and diligence, looking after yourself and others, wholly. You seek to be more concerned with how you behave than worrying about how you are perceived. When you live a life of heart, people remember you long after it takes its final beat. You have learnt the ways of the heart – being gentler, more forgiving to yourself and the world at large. There will be this intangible feeling of wanting to embrace the whole world. Your heart will grow large enough to welcome everyone who chooses to bask in its warmth. 

Respect differences, honour dissenting points of view, listen with empathy, and seek to be of service whenever possible, to make the right choices for your life!