If you can see the potential in your life, you are ready to be inspired.
In the sports world it seems like all the messages are about struggle, fight, win! Yes, you hear about how the “struggle” brings you success, happiness and fame. But how often do you hear the message find the happiness and joy in what you have right now?
I recently read an article that talked about how so much of life is about finding the lemonade in the bag of lemons that you are handed right now. The difference from all the other inspirational messages is that it stressed seeing your successes in the here and now.
Success starts with finding serendipity. Spotting the moments of joy and peace that brighten your otherwise stressful and busy days. Ironically, these moments of calm and serenity are all around us. Waiting to be noticed. Waiting to inspire greatness. And if you’re looking for them, you’ll find them.
It is easy (and natural) to feel broken and depressed by the stresses of daily conquest. Unless you take time to notice what is extraordinary, you’ll find yourself buried in the mundane and ordinary routines of schoolwork and chores and practice and drills. What the most successful people in the world know is how to find happiness and enjoyment amidst stress and complexity.
The article mentions when the highly secretive United States National Security Agency looks at finding and hiring the world’s smartest mathematicians and scientists as code breakers, they don’t just look for genius in the areas of math and science and theoretic analysis. They pursue brilliant people who are also inclined to appreciate art and who have musical talents. What the NSA has learned from exploring and cultivating genius is that brilliance and ideation is directly tied to beauty and art and serendipity.
What’s the lesson? The better you are at slowing down to appreciate the wonders around you, the better decisions you will make. The more options you will see. The smarter you will be.
Be smart = Stop and smell the roses.
It is true that “what doesn’t kill you can make you stronger,” but it can also leave you broken and unfit to conquer. It is when you see the positives in your situation that you are best prepared to experience breakthrough. So perhaps the question isn’t: “What’s wrong with this situation?” Perhaps the better question is: “What’s positive with this bad situation?”
Let that the wonders of the world around you inspire you to be amazing. This will help you find a way to make it out of the painful situation you are in right now.
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Image credit: Nina Matthews Photography/Flickr
Excellent article. Gratitude and appreciation are excellent antidotes to fear.