It shouldn’t come as a surprise that nothing of significance just happens by itself.  There is planning and preparation by individuals and groups of concerned people, all of whom have a picture in mind of how their ideas will make a difference in their lives and in the lives of others.  And while preparation and planning breed success, there is always the possibility that the dreams and plans may fall short of hopes and expectations.  Why?  Because in life, failure is always a possibility where even the best of plans may fail.  And while I mention this fact, I would also vehemently state that achieving success is based on the fact that if we plan to succeed, statistically, we need to believe and act as if our efforts will succeed.

Taking risks to improve, to move to higher levels, and to possibly change the world is an exciting process; a necessary process based on the idea that we don’t usually move to higher levels accidentally.  It happens, but we all know that we can’t simply rely on luck.  Luck happens, but our odds of success are based on the idea that since we can’t fall off the bottom, we need to stretch ourselves to move up the “ladders” of life.

Logic states that while we need to keep our expectations high for ourselves, and low for most other people, we need to remember to face the challenges of life confidently.  So, dare to be bold.  In fact, if we fail to be bold, many opportunities will pass us by.  Generally, if we risk nothing, that’s what we get.  Growth only comes from taking calculated risks.

Our belief system pretty much determines what we get from life, where we go,  where we work, and ultimately what kind of success or failure we experience.  Our beliefs are that powerful.  In fact, our beliefs attract people with similar characteristics.  Beliefs are so important that they ultimately determine our happiness, so each of us is ultimately in charge of our destiny.  We can’t allow others to determine who we are.  We are ultimately the master of our lives.

When we believe that we have sufficient worth, we influence not only our success, but we determine our destiny.  Success or failure, happiness or confusion, our strengths, our weakness, and even our future are determined by our thoughts.  What that means is that we don’t have to remain at the bottom of our group.  Whatever we practice, becomes easier to integrate into our lives.  We didn’t come into this world to fail.

So, what are some of the steps that allow us to change our perception? Very simply, decide want we want and commit ourselves to work toward those goals, and then take the steps to practice acting as if we want those characteristics.  Whatever we practice will be absorbed into our personality.  The more we practice anything, the easier it becomes to make it happen.  In essence, make a plan, implement that plan, and stretch ourselves into the future.  And then serve as if what we do makes a difference.  Give more than we get.

Practicing these patterns may feel a little strange at first, but the more we practice anything, the easier it becomes, either positive or negative.  Make the effort to practice the positive.  

Never stop learning, and keep trying to make a difference.  Opportunities to make a difference are everywhere.  What a coincidence!  With all of this information, reach out and make a difference.  Accomplish something every day.  Take charge of life.  Everything we do will make a difference.  The tragedy of life is not so much what we suffer, but what we miss.

The reality is that if we hold on to the darkness, we will miss the benefits of the light.  If we hold on to our fears, or if we hold on to our old patterns, we will miss the benefits of the possibilities of our newfound freedom.  And if we follow fears to hold us back, we will miss the joy of our existence.

The One and The Other – Author unknown

“He was an average kind of guy,” said the one.  “I agree,” said the other. “He was somewhere between a B and a C while in school.”  “That’s not really good,” said the one.  “And not really bad,” said the other.”  “His passions were regular.”  “Didn’t stray from the norm?”  “About average,”  said the one.   “Didn’t cause any trouble?” asked the other.  “Didn’t cause anything,”  said the one shaking his head.  “Did he help his neighbor?” asked the one.”  “About average.  Not hot, not cold,”  said the other.  “That’s right,” said the one.  “That’s about it,” said the other.  “I don’t want him,” said Heaven.  “Neither do I,” said the other.  (Author unknown) 

John Waterbury is a retired Clinical Mental Health Counselor who has lived in Utah since 1984 when he moved to Bountiful with his wife and four children. Since then, he has written a weekly column for several years for the Davis County Clipper titled “The Dear John Letters” which was also used throughout the intermountain West focusing on addiction and mental health problems. This new column will focus on mental health and life management issues.