My dad is wise. Like, really super-fucking smart. Although, I am always the person in the current situation that thinks my way is the only way. Whenever I am stuck in a situation, my dad always says, "Life is all about choices," Truth. We make the decisions that shape us and not all of us accept responsibility.
I think that what we have to realize is that we have to 100% take responsibility for the actions we take in our lives. We blame others, we procrastinate and say we can't get anything done because we work too much, we watch too much television. We do all sorts of things and say, "Well if only I had more time, I could get so-and-so done,"
Well you can, if you allow yourself.
*chokes on spit* Ahem,...
Allow?! I want to
ALLOW myself, but alas, I
CANNOT. I do not have that
LUXURY to
ALLOW myself. Do you have any IDEA how my day goes?! OBVIOUSLY, YOU DO NOT!!
You have to put yourself first. Not in the selfish "take-all-that-you-can & give none" sort of attitude. People need to know that they need to respect you and the time that you set aside for yourself. But how do they know? The allowance of you pursuing your goals is only possible after you do one thing:
Accept 100% responsibility for your life. After you accept 100% responsibility for your life, nothing can deter you from what you really want. If you feel temptation to stray, it's a good time to practice restraint so you can train yourself to make good choices that make YOUR future bright and possible.
Once you decide what you want, you can start making the right choices. There was one instance, yesterday, that made me want to willingly and consciously make the decision to be more like a certain person I admire at work. There is a guy at my work that always brings in amazing and delicious treats to enjoy. He doesn't do it for any reason besides the fact that he wants others to eat, to drink, and to just take it all in. Yesterday, there was a new french press and new espresso. I looked at the package and someone said, "I wonder if that espresso is any good" and I automatically stated, "If he brought it in, it has to be very good," That statement, although small, kind of shocked me. This person holds himself to a standard and always brings in the best to share. Not the crumbs or measly leftovers (if he brings in leftovers, they're f-ing amazing). He has consistently brought the best and therefore, people expect that of him and don't expect less. That sounds like a lot of pressure but I'd rather be known for bringing the best than for something less than average (or worse, nothing at all).
So, what's next?
- Accept 100% responsibility - First & foremost. Only you control your body, your opinions, your thoughts, YOUR CHOICES. You have the choice to watch tv and surf the internet instead of draw a few new drawings. You have the choice to sleep in late instead of going to practice surfing. You have the choice to procrastinate on finding a school with classes that would further your passions. You have the choice to have another beer/glass of wine instead of talking a walk. You are responsible for your life. Not the bad driver in front of you, not your friends, not your parents pressuring you to go to their alma mater, not your roommate, not anyone... but YOU.
- Decide what you want - If you want to be the best surfer on your side of the states; if you want to bake the best damn, moist, vegan cupcake ever; if you want a big girl job by February; if you want a new snazzy smartphone; if you want to have a sweet artistic portfolio... you will have to decide what you want. Write down everything you ever wanted to do, and decide on your most wanted.
- Set aside "dates" for yourself - People think it's weird I have dates for myself. They're the ones that don't get anything done! Look at your calendar--I mean weekly and monthly. Look at weekly first and take a look at the unplanned hours. Can you afford to wake up a little earlier? Can you maybe stay up a little later on Thursday? How about those hours between jobs or classes? Plan dates for yourself where you CANNOT budge or reschedule. Respect YOUR time and YOUR dreams. Just like a relationship, they cannot happen & prosper if you don't give them time to grow. Canceling a date with your passion is laziness and fear taking over. After you decide on your times, literally pencil them in and put them in a visible location where you can see them. Or set a reminder in your phone.
- Let nothing deter you - Your friends will ask you to go out when you have your "date," But you cannot cancel on it. You made a promise to yourself to nourish and grow. You need to pay/put yourself first. Your friends will start to respect the fact that you have priorities and that you are serious about your life. Maybe they will follow suit and start doing the same. They will see you as a class act and want to mimic what makes you so successful.
- Repeat & get back on the horse - You'll probably fall off the wagon (hey, just being honest). I have many times. But just like eating healthy you can't have the "oh well, guess I'll just start tomorrow," No. You start now. Just like that, you plan your next course of action to be a healthy one that will get you back on track. The key is to take it one day at a time. Today, decide you will not eat anything with tons of sugar. Today, decide you will go surfing. Today, decide you will draw at least one thing. Don't let yourself go to bed without doing that one thing.
