How to Win at Life
I have this friend that constantly inspires me.
She’s young, extremely positive, has her own successful business, but like every other human, she still has bigger dreams and desires. However, unlike most, she doesn’t stop until she accomplishes those dreams. Her journey to making these dreams come true is consistent and positive.
And I get to see those pieces fall into place every time we talk.
One day about a month ago, she was telling me about her latest adventure over our usual Monday night Thai food date, and I thought to myself: I need to write a blog post called ‘How to Win at Life,’ because she’s nailed it.
I’ve mentioned here before that there are ways to overcome your fears, take chances, take small steps toward a goal, and that it’s important to surround yourself with inspiring people, and like I said:
She’s nailed it.
In the past few months, she’s been working on a book, she’s also experienced a healthy dose of self doubt (like most people). However, she reads books that inspire her, spends time with other positive, loving, and inspiring people who support her, she’s continued to nurture her relationships on social media, and she even took a week to fly to New York to establish more meaningful connections with some of the casual acquaintances she’s established in her field.
When she left for that New York trip, I couldn’t wait to hear what amazing things would unfold that week- because I had no doubt it would play out like a movie (yep, she’s the kind of person that makes miraculous things happen).
Fast forward to now, and her book and business are going places she hadn’t dared imagine (I would give details, but I don’t want to disclose too much out of respect for her privacy).
I like to think she and I learn from each other, and inspire new ideas and perspectives in one another. I don’t take nearly as many chances as she does, but we’re both happy, healthy, and have a crazy love for life.
Having said that, here are some ‘How to Win at Life’ tips that I’ve observed from her and other happy, successful people:
- Stay positive. If you start feeling negative, work your way back to positive immediately. You can’t accomplish big goals when you feel bad about them.
- Keep moving toward your goals, even with teeny tiny steps.
- Make meaningful connections in your field of interest through social media or in person, and nurture these relationships with occasional communication over time.
- Find friends and loved ones that are positive, inspiring, open-minded, and supportive. If everyone you spend time with believes in you, you’ll believe in you (and vice versa).
- Don’t let fear stop you. As soon as you take a scary step and realize this ‘obstacle’ was all in your head, you’ll be excited and less scared to take the next step.
- Stay out of your comfort zone. Try to do one scary, but beneficial, thing every day. If your everyday routine is too comfortable, you’re probably not growing as much as you’d like to.
To use an overused but undervalued saying from the biggest dreamer of all:
“If you can dream it, you can do.” -Walt Disney.
So go out there and win at life.