Life is hard for the modern man. Everywhere we look there’s someone telling us what we can’t do. I’m here to tell you we’ve been lied to. Here’s how you can do what others consider “impossible.”
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If you want to get angry or depressed, turn on cable news. I don’t have cable, but I was on a business trip recently and turned on some cable news in the hotel—it was scary and upsetting. You hear bad news on top of predictions of the destruction of our rights, society, and blah, blah, blah. Don’t get me wrong, society and life are in a tough place, but there is more to life than what is being portrayed.
From an early age, we’re taught to color between the lines and exist within our comfort zone. We were sold this idea of the “American Dream,” but once you get old enough, you realize that life is a myth. When guys try to follow a path they haven’t chosen, failure and stress develop convincing us to get back in line.
Living a “great life” will take on a different meaning for every man. I think one thing all men long for is freedom. The ability to spend each of our days on the things that are important to us is a dream. The freedom to control our schedule without worrying about the typical life stressors is priceless.
Believe it or not, there are guys who wake up every day living a life they didn’t believe was possible. I’m one of those guys. I wake up every day experiencing true freedom after spending four years building my dream life. This kind of life is attainable for you. Here are five beliefs that can help you start this journey to freedom.
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- I’m strong enough to overcome failure. The journey to create a better life is paved with failure. Life doesn’t work out the way we want it to, and failure is an important part of success—it just sucks to go through it. If you realize and accept that failure is going to happen, you can prepare for how you will react and that will help you overcome it. You can choose to be strong enough to rise above whatever unexpected circumstances are thrown at you.
- I’m brave enough to reach out for support. I wouldn’t be living my dream life today if it weren’t for the support I had through my friends. There were more days than I can count when I wanted to give up—they helped me through. Sometimes it’s not seen as “manly” to admit you need help and support, but who cares what other people think. A good support system is honest, firm, and encouraging. Good friends don’t sugarcoat it, but they are there when you need them. They can help you live your dream life.
- I won’t let anything or anyone convince me to settle. Life has so much to offer. You may not have the finances to travel the world, but there are attainable goals and dreams in your life. Don’t let anything convince to settle because life is too short. Other people will project the things that terrify them and use their fear to try to convince you. When they tell you it’s not possible, just smile knowing you’re going for it anyway.
- I won’t be afraid to step outside of my comfort zone. Your comfort zone exists to guide you but it doesn’t have to stop you from going after bigger opportunities. If you’re going to live your dream life, you’re going to continually step outside of your comfort zone. Don’t let doubt or fear keep you from taking the necessary steps to achieve what success means to you.
- I will live each day as if it were the last. Life is short and time is precious. How we live each day is important because it might be our last. Living your dream life starts with vowing to make each day matter. You won’t live life every day this way—that’s not realistic—but you can do the best you can. Living your dream life is going to require you making the most out of the time you have.
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I realize an article like this might seem kind of woo, woo, but it doesn’t have to be. You can experience true freedom in your life and live life on your terms. It starts with beliefs because what you believe affects the actions you take. If you believe this is all a fairytale, you won’t act and you’ll stay stuck. Once I changed my beliefs, I was able to radically change my life.
It takes time—sometimes what feels like too much time. It takes perseverance and a good plan that’s been researched. The cool thing about today is the access we have to information through the Internet. If you start today, you’re one more day closer to living a life most men won’t even take the first step towards. This is YOUR life—you only get one of them. Make it count.
What do you believe about your dreams and what’s possible?
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Photo: Flickr/ chiaralily
Thank you for sharing- inspiring article and I salute you Kimanzi for all your well researched articles. Infact all of your articles are fun and fantastic and i’ll never miss to read.
Keep it up Kimanzi
Yusuf, thanks so much! That means a lot and please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you!