Important Life Lessons

The process of living life every day provides us with interactions, a great deal of information to process, experiences that add to our collective background, and occasionally we are also given opportunities to grow, we acquire new knowledge, and we are provided with situations that challenge us personally and/or professionally. There are five distinct lessons that I have learned over the past few years as I have grown personally and professionally, while addressing significant changes, circumstances and events (internally and externally based).

The first lesson learned is that you can overcome challenges. People are often remembered for overcoming “the odds,” especially athletes who have experienced significant injuries or setbacks, and then utilized self-determination to make a comeback. But a challenge can be anything that requires our focused attention, conscious thought as to how we will address it, and a decision to move forward or remain stuck in the past. For everyone who has faced a challenge and addressed it successfully, you have likely realized that you are self-contained. This means that everything you need to succeed, to be happy, and to be fulfilled can be found within you. External circumstances and personal health matters must be first addressed internally through your personal belief system.

The second important life lesson learned is that defeat is not the final answer. Defeat is only temporary. All of the time available to you in your life is ahead of you and the past is behind and cannot be changed. The future holds unlimited “fresh starts” and new beginnings. Every day can be a new day, if you believe that you can create a new start or beginning for yourself.

The third important life lesson learned is that if you don't like your current situation you have an ability to create a new and very different future. Everything that is being experienced right now isn't fixed. Life is a continual process and cycle of renewal and self-discovery. You can maintain a determined focus to look forward and think ahead of what you can do or you can be stuck thinking about the past and move forward in slow motion.

The fourth life lesson learned is that everyone has a potential to succeed. Just as everyone has an ability to learn at any age, each of us also has a source of success called self-belief and self-determination. You can make a decision to believe in your capability to succeed and your capacity to learn or you can choose self-doubt. That choice is always yours and only you decide your future. It is a powerful feeling to know that you get to choose regardless of what anyone else thinks about you or believes about you.

The fifth and final important lesson learned is this: if someone tells you no, simply ask why not? You do not have to accept “no” as a final answer. Whenever you are faced with a potential limitation it is often natural to feel fear and apprehension, unless you have a powerful sense of self-confidence and ability to examine information received objectively. What goes on in your external world does not control your internal thought process, unless you allow it to do so. In contrast, you do not control your external environment; however, you interact with it through your internal environment, which holds your values, hopes, and dreams. Look for possibilities, not limitations. This is where your true strength lies; in your ability to dream, create a vision, and then make it a reality through the power of your beliefs. Hold onto your vision and you will make it.

Wishing you the best,

Dr. J