It’s 06.12am and I haven’t been able to sleep! Frustratingly, this is all too common for me. I am so tired however the moment my head hits the pillow I completely wake up! Every thought in life seems to run through my head.
However tonight and this morning, I have been thinking about how we lead our lives, the choices we make and the attitudes we hold. WHY do things happens the way they do, and why we do what we do? Life is the ultimate behaviours we adopt, stemming from the CHOICES we make. We need to understand we are the architects of our own attitudes – or at least we can be!
Choices. A simple word – but do you genuinely ever stop to think about what are the choices and decisions you have to make today? This week, or year? Do you understand HOW you make the decisions you do? Or do you ever reflect back on the ramifications of the choices you’ve made in the past? For most the answer to the above questions are NO.
I’ve realised, my life has been one big long string of choices – some good, some not so much. I chose to campaign aged 11 against racism and volunteer in the OAP club. I chose to move away from home age 15. I chose to get active in politics. I chose to go on a reality TV show. To stand for Parliament and Chair the Youth Parliament. I chose to move to London. I chose to quit my job and start my own company. I chose to write this after months of not blogging! All choices I’ve made. That I haven’t really probably thought about enough. But I do know I’ve made choices, and not been afraid of failure or looking stupid – from failure we learn. Only from a risk of failure can we ever truly seek and find originality.
Well choices change the world. Your choices change your world, and probably hundreds if not thousands of people around you without even realising! Even the choice to smile at the pensioner on the bus, or make a coffee for a colleague could make a huge difference to their emotions that day!
It too easy for us to get bogged down in an unproductive pit of negativity – trust me – I catch myself doing it ALL the time. We get worried about money. We get angry at politics. We feel let down by people. We hate our job. We feel fat. Or dumb. Or unsuccessful by comparison to the next guy. Or don’t see our parents enough. Or let the negative attitudes of others define your self worth etc etc etc. Well I believe its a positive mindset that genuinely enables us all to make FREE and PROGRESSIVE LIFE CHOICES! It’s about attitude.
If we change how we look at the world and ourselves, and make good choices from that, theres nothing that cannot be achieved and no barrier that can’t be overcome! Take risks. Help people. Go first. Lead life. Risk failure. Thats what life is about right?
Ive made the choice to sit up after a negative 2 hours of frustratingly ignoring my phone, pretending I’m tired and trying sleep. I changed my attitude. I thought well lets use this time in the hope something makes sense in my brain, or someone else reads it and feels inspired.
So maybe we can all try just remembering today if you do read this :
1. What is your bedrock attitude right NOW in life? Is it positive, optimistic and realises how amazing you are and what you’re capable of? If not, change it!
2. What choices will you make? It was Mandela who said “may your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears.” Agreed! Make the choice that makes you feel alive, that helps you and others, and one you can look back on and defend.
3. How do you facilitate failure? Be willing to fail! Failure is good. Even a fear of failure is good – as long as it doesn’t defeat your elements of positivity, hope and ultimately stop you acting on your thoughts.
4. If you are able to believe it, you CAN achieve it. The biggest barriers we’ll ever face, are the ones we put up for ourselves in our own mind! Thats the whole Dare2Lead philosophy! That my life philosophy and what my choices have taught me – we CAN all realise our goals!
Im now choosing to try catch a wee bit sleep eye ;P night.
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