“Like anything worth doing in life, happiness takes time and patience and consistency.” – Mark Manson
We often imagine life as a straight line. Do X, get Y, or go from point A to point B. But most of us already know, life doesn’t always work out like that.
In our treacherous yet beautiful reality, the path looks more like what mathematicians call a “random walk with drift.”. It is a messy, unpredictable journey influenced by detours: chaos, choices, failures, and fortunes.
As children, people told us our 20s would be our prime: full of beauty, clarity, and everything falling into place. Some even advised us against overindulging – enjoying it so much that we make mistakes. But for many of us, our 20s seem to be the most confusing and painful time of our lives.
We often begin our personal development journeys because we feel we need more or lack something. Often, it is the pain of where and how we are that drives us to seek growth.
But what many of us fail to realise is that personal development is not the same as acquiring more, or even success.
I think there is something insidious about having someone or something that never admits being wrong – from parents and pastors who don’t like being questioned to presidents and gods who don’t condone being challenged – especially in this world where we have seen, time and time again, that everyone makes mistakes and many people suffer because of bad ideas.
While most people may not wish you harm on a very good day, it is important to realise that everyday they try to lay eggs of their values, opinions, ideas, wishes, expectations, or demands into your own life. And, those eggs, once they hatch, leverage your fears, ego, and other strong emotions to gradually compel you to nurture them.
We all have our selfish desires, but achieving things that are truly grand or worthwhile often requires the input of more than one individual. Hence, to achieve our selfish desires, we often need to do selfless things. And, even when success comes, the wise can tell that the most important thing was the tribe (not the selfish prize).
In this place where almost nothing works the way it should, well, money surely feels like the only way out. However, I like to think money isn’t the only thing that builds people or society – our attitude is far more critical.
Going back to the year 2020—it was lockdown + death anxiety for me. I was tired of being stuck indoors, tired of the voices in my head telling me I was going to die soon. So when a friend invited me to some church, I tagged along, hoping for a change of scene.
We got there, and the prophetess or whatever title she preferred, looked at me and said she saw a vision: I’d die in 2023.
Many people believe they need others’ approval to feel good about themselves, but real confidence isn’t something others can give you; it’s something you cultivate from within.
In this post, we’ll explore why external validation is harmful and 7 useful strategies to build unquestionably strong confidence.
This article explores a counterintuitive truth: why people with less experience sometimes achieve better results than experts. And, at the end, it will show you how to stay innovative even as an expert.
