DANIELLA BIANCHI
MAY 29th, 2022
How many times have you looked at Instagram or your social media feed and thought “wow, they seem to have such a fantastic life. I wish I was doing that”? Or what about the number of instances when your friend has told you about an exciting upcoming trip or an awesome promotion, and you wish you could do the same? Well, I am here to tell you that you can, and you should. We seem to spend too much time lusting over what could be, instead of putting our time into making it a reality. Here is
Yes, life can be tough, and we are thrown many curveballs. What matters is how we respond. These challenges make us grow and learn. Why lock yourself in a box of fear when instead you can face it and be better for it. Besides, the more you try to land your dream job, reach your dream net worth, or essentially build your dream life, the higher the probability that you will. Thinking about doing something only gets you so far, whereas actually taking control and organising something for yourself will do wonders. Your life can be awesome if you just put in the effort to earn it and be satisfied.
Life’s greatest risk is taking no risks at all and, just settling for what you have but do not want. Life for you, should seem exciting. Every single day, you deserve to wake up and look forward to what is in store. Don’t get stuck in the common cycle of auto-piloting your life and be honest with yourself and ask, is this how you want to be living. Find the point. To be living a life and living it fully…… We should be taking chances and leaps, instead of resigning ourselves to only doing what others expect of us. I am going to give it to you straight: as morbid as this may sound, you could die today. What would you want your tombstone to say? For me “engineering student”, just doesn’t cut it. The more you sit back and wait for things to happen to you, the more time you waste and again, who knows how long we have. What is more important than how you will be remembered though; is how you present yourself daily.
What I am saying should not come as a surprise. I am not declaring that this is some sort of completely new idea. Acting on your wishes and seeking a higher quality to your standards of living should not be a new phenomenon for you. But the thing is, ordinary people think that achieving their extraordinary dreams is just not done, so they don’t even bother trying. This makes me sad. Realise that everyone was ordinary at the start and what has made others extraordinary is the fact that they do go after their dreams and reject the fixed mould of “who they are”. Yes, that means nobody was born amazing, and Robin Sharma in his “The Everyday Hero Manifesto” brings it home. “You are a mighty force of nature and a dynamic producer, not a slumbering casualty caught flat-footed in a world of degrading mediocrity, dehumanizing complaint, compliance and entitlement”. We get to choose and say who we are. As shocking as this may be to comprehend, we all begin our lives as simple humans. But what differentiates those successful from those not, is a drive and belief that it is their responsibility to give their life meaning.
I started working pretty young because I had always wanted to have my own money. Saving for a big solo trip was at the top of my list. Well, after 6 years and some (thanks covid), I have finally booked in for a solo trip to Europe and I leave in a week. I didn’t just wish for it. I made it happen and boy, I am excited. Some people have said to me how jealous they are, that I get to go to Europe. The thing is, they could definitely do the same, if they just worked for it. There is no reason why not. Others have said how lucky I am to be doing this. Again, it is not a matter of luck; rather purposeful planning. Plus, I can’t wait to share all my learnings (and failings) once I return, so watch the blog space!
Okay, so in theory, this makes sense, but how do we actually make that step to doing rather than wishing? Here are 5 easy tips to get you started.
the go
on don’t wish for it, work for it.Yes, life can be tough, and we are thrown many curveballs. What matters is how we respond. These challenges make us grow and learn. Why lock yourself in a box of fear when instead you can face it and be better for it. Besides, the more you try to land your dream job, reach your dream net worth, or essentially build your dream life, the higher the probability that you will. Thinking about doing something only gets you so far, whereas actually taking control and organising something for yourself will do wonders. Your life can be awesome if you just put in the effort to earn it and be satisfied.
Life’s greatest risk is taking no risks at all and, just settling for what you have but do not want. Life for you, should seem exciting. Every single day, you deserve to wake up and look forward to what is in store. Don’t get stuck in the common cycle of auto-piloting your life and be honest with yourself and ask, is this how you want to be living. Find the point. To be living a life and living it fully…… We should be taking chances and leaps, instead of resigning ourselves to only doing what others expect of us. I am going to give it to you straight: as morbid as this may sound, you could die today. What would you want your tombstone to say? For me “engineering student”, just doesn’t cut it. The more you sit back and wait for things to happen to you, the more time you waste and again, who knows how long we have. What is more important than how you will be remembered though; is how you present yourself daily.
What I am saying should not come as a surprise. I am not declaring that this is some sort of completely new idea. Acting on your wishes and seeking a higher quality to your standards of living should not be a new phenomenon for you. But the thing is, ordinary people think that achieving their extraordinary dreams is just not done, so they don’t even bother trying. This makes me sad. Realise that everyone was ordinary at the start and what has made others extraordinary is the fact that they do go after their dreams and reject the fixed mould of “who they are”. Yes, that means nobody was born amazing, and Robin Sharma in his “The Everyday Hero Manifesto” brings it home. “You are a mighty force of nature and a dynamic producer, not a slumbering casualty caught flat-footed in a world of degrading mediocrity, dehumanizing complaint, compliance and entitlement”. We get to choose and say who we are. As shocking as this may be to comprehend, we all begin our lives as simple humans. But what differentiates those successful from those not, is a drive and belief that it is their responsibility to give their life meaning.
I started working pretty young because I had always wanted to have my own money. Saving for a big solo trip was at the top of my list. Well, after 6 years and some (thanks covid), I have finally booked in for a solo trip to Europe and I leave in a week. I didn’t just wish for it. I made it happen and boy, I am excited. Some people have said to me how jealous they are, that I get to go to Europe. The thing is, they could definitely do the same, if they just worked for it. There is no reason why not. Others have said how lucky I am to be doing this. Again, it is not a matter of luck; rather purposeful planning. Plus, I can’t wait to share all my learnings (and failings) once I return, so watch the blog space!
Okay, so in theory, this makes sense, but how do we actually make that step to doing rather than wishing? Here are 5 easy tips to get you started.
- Write down your goals A classic. Conceptualising and verbalising to yourself what you want to achieve cements the real possibility that you can accomplish it. Goal setting forces you to assess what you want to be doing and can jumpstart your progress.
- Stop complaining and start searching Whingeing unfortunately does not change your situation. Instead, seek something else, whether it be applying for jobs on seek, enrolling into courses online, or even switching one activity for another (if you really hate bike riding, give running a try. Let me convince you how good running can be for you).
- Budget Having savings is always a good idea. They set you in a good place to say yes to more opportunities without any extra stress of fumbling around with funds. A good tip I learnt from George S. Clasons, “The Richest Man in Babylon” was to put aside 10% of what I earn a week into an account that I don’t touch. It really does grow nicely.
- Read autobiographies Understanding that successful people find their success through facing many challenges is humbling. They make you realise great lives are never just given to people. Hopefully that gives you some inspiration for your own.
- Let others know what you want By communicating with people about your hopes, you inadvertently increase your opportunities. When I let my work team know how one day I’d like to be in engineering grad roles, I instantly gained a whole squad of helpers. My co-workers fully support me and have been the reason why I have connected with the right people and attended relevant events I wouldn’t have known about before. Don’t be afraid to let people help you.