Patience is a virtue. Attempting to speed up life to what you think usually leads to turmoil.
When you are young, no one knows exactly how everything should turn out. Comparing yourself to others is a complete mistake. Everyone has different families of origin, talents, and genetic capabilities. Therefore, what works for someone else, may have a different effect on you.
It becomes far more valuable to learn about yourself. What makes you tick? What do you stand for? Do you have a relationship with God?
Answering those questions will define the direction of your existence on this planet. It gives you the foundation to build on for your life. Figuring all that out might take some years to accomplish. That means having the resolve to follow the process until the end.
That reason alone suggests taking your time. Developing yourself does not happen overnight.
Another critical thing to remember concerns the peer group you spend time around. Look for individuals who are respectful but also challenge you to improve. No one has all the answers, and that includes yourself.
This means having high-character people in your circle is vital to individual growth.
Immediately distance yourself from those who have low moral standards. If you want to know who those people are, see how they respond when you fail. If they are happy, you must get away from them as soon as possible. No matter how you feel about them, leave their presence at once.
Anyone who enjoys your failure for trying to succeed in life you do not want them in your social network.
In the long run, they will bring you down and hamper your progress. They become an anchor to where you are in that moment and will do everything they can to keep in that position.
Spending time with destructive people or environments does not lead to any outcome a rational person would want.
Know that you are the sum of individuals you spend time around the most. Whatever ideas and behaviors are common amongst those people will influence your decisions. Therefore, make sure they are people on the right path and not ones heading to drive off a cliff.
These are the two concepts I wish I had mastered 30 years ago. Hopefully, this will inspire some young person out there to avoid the mistakes I made.
Vertis Williams is a Positive Habits Life Coach and a Mindfulness Trainer. He is a regular presenter at employee and team-development events. Contact him to request more info on his Workshops or on his Coaching Services! Click HERE to Request a Complimentary Habit Coaching Session!