When life is hard we tend to look outside ourselves for reasons. We don’t want to think the cause is a lot closer to home.
As always, GenuLines helps re-direct you back to your “self” as a start toward getting your bearings.
Are You Making Your Life Hard?
Every day brings us a million things to take care of and it’s easy to fall behind. But sometimes life is hard because we’re making it that way.
One reason we make it harder is that we want to feel like we have some control. Let’s look at some ways you might be getting in your own way.
You Assume Malicious Intent
Most of the time people don’t mean to inconvenience you or make your life harder. Could be the person who cut you off in traffic was in a hurry.
Your significant other was quiet this morning. It may have been due to fatigue rather than anything you did.
If we decide the world is out to get us, we make life harder than it has to be. Be very slow to assume malicious intent.
It usually leaves you angry and unpleasant. The truth behind someone’s intentions is usually far from malicious.
And often not personal at all.
You Maintain Unreasonable Expectations
One thing we can control about life is our expectations. That doesn’t mean that we should go through life expecting and getting nothing.
Instead don’t expect the glass to be half full, half empty, or even a little full. Be grateful that it contains any wine at all!
You’re Afraid of Risks
Avoiding risk is part of human nature. We don’t want to run into danger unless we know we can get out of it.
But our bubble of comfort can often become a prison. Risking social rejection, loss of money, and loss of time is a trade-off for making our lives better.
When we spend most of our time avoiding risks, we make life harder.
Make sure you take smart risks! Think of an area in your life you’d like to expand upon and set some short terms goals.
Once you’ve challenged yourself and become comfortable again, set some higher goals!
You Compare Yourself to Others
One negative feature about social media is that it enables us to compare ourselves to others. Even worse, we compare ourselves to others in only their best moments.
Your friends may not have it as good as they’d like you to think. There will always be someone with more money, more friends, or whatever else than you.
The only person you should compare yourself to is the version of you from the past.
In short, we need to worry less about others, less about risks, and maintain our expectations. Don’t spend your life trying to be other people.
Or thinking the world is out to get you. Or afraid to take a chance.
Don’t expect things to get better without changing your actions. That sets you up for failure.
Stop making life harder!
JohnK 6-7-2020
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Overheard: “The greatest pleasure of life is love.
~Euripides
Article image by David Mark from Pixabay
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