Where to start?
Excuses
If anyone wondered what happened to me, I have been on somewhat of a journey over the last few months. I disappeared for a while, my excuse to myself was an inability to produce anything of quality due to a lack of available time and energy but I now see that was a mistake. If I want to improve, practise is what I need, not a break!
If you really want something you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse.
Tragedy
I was about to return to write about a suicide in my family. I never finished writing that piece, but this tragedy set me on a trajectory of learning and research. It left me with so many unanswered questions and some answered, and raised concerns about myself and others who may be affected by suicide and mental health.
What it has done from a personal point of view is to help me come to realise that, for me, suicide is not an option due to the wreckage it has left behind. I am now building momentum in the opposite direction. We were unable to save my family member, but I hope, through my life and lessons learnt, I can help others.
Rethink: passion
I realise I have been thinking about things the wrong way.
Recently, I have been listening to a lot of motivational and financial education books. A core theme that keeps coming back is passion. I wrote about it before, and it is time to make it a priority in my life again.
Security is important, but I now see more clearly that being stuck and without passion is much riskier, especially for people like me. If you have read my previous writings, you may see contradictions in my words. I do not always follow my own advice-this is a reflection of learning, changing attitudes and the life of a person experiencing various levels of depression at different times. Your mind can convince you of certain things if you do not keep your thought patterns in check. Some days, I can see a bright future if I just take action every day to grab it. Others, self-talk leads me down a defeatist path. The aim is to have more optimistic days than pessimistic.
The future, goal setting
It has become clear that I need to write in detail what I (and my family) want from life, especially now some of my previous goals have changed. My wife and I need to really have a clear vision. We need to make clear what we want to have, what we want to do, and who we need to become to achieve these things. It is obvious that the only way to overcome the apathy and procrastination is with passion and faith. If you can imagine it, it is possible. Passion combined with action are the keys to success in mental health, wealth, family and life.
The Present
The only time that truly exists is now. It is always time to seize every opportunity whether you think you are ready not. The opportunity may not come again, or it could be a very long time before it does. Things are never as bad or scary as you think they will be. The fear of starting is what stops most people. Think how different your life could be if you said yes to more opportunities. Do not put off for tomorrow what can be done today. Tomorrow may never come.
Changing attitudes and priorities
I have grown up thinking that having a lot of money is something to feel guilty about. This is easy to believe when you do not have it. It is so easy to blame the wealthy for your lack too. Sure there is corruption, but having wealth gives you a much bigger opportunity to impact more people if you choose. Money amplifies who you are. Wealth is not just about money.
I am still overworking and this will probably continue for some time, but I am becoming more and more efficient. I am using time now to create an abundance of time in the future. The difference now is my priorities. I am cutting out more and more of the things that take me away from that path and focusing more on the things that take me toward it.
Passion
Everything comes back to passion. Although we do not yet know the details of how we will achieve the life we want; the successful, wealthy people I have been studying all talk about passion, generosity and creating more value than you take. This will be my new approach moving forward, whatever I choose to do to build a better future and a better me.
I will develop my detailed plan, continue to study, learn and invest the small money I have. More importantly, I will spend more time practising the things that I am passionate about.
Achieving wealth will not make me happy, but the pursuit of betterment and following passion will. I believe the money and improved quality of life will follow…
What is your passion?
thejourneyx 