We need to develop a purist mentality to the environment.
That's because if everyone wants to have a piece of the pie (the environment) then eventually there will be no pie left! At least not any that we can enjoy or future generations can enjoy. Can the fate of the environment bring an end to our inherent selfish views? A topic like the environment can only gain prominence through self-less thoughts and actions.
When it comes to making decisions involving the environment, the bottom line should be seen as what it is, the "bottom line". The "top line" and first priority should be our environment and its preservation and growth. Let's measure our standard of living on environmental terms—not on financial or technological terms, both of which we could possibly live without!
Ever thought about what would be a good analogy for the progression you want to make in your life or career? How about envisioning the progression like climbing the staircase of a multi-storey building...without using the elevators? In this context an elevator would represent leverage given to you by someone else as an advantage, opportunity or benefit. Without that leverage, you must climb the stairs with your own energy, motivation, determination and persistence.
Now, let's take this analogy a bit further.
Wherever you are on your stairs, so long as you haven't reached the top, there is always one more tread to climb. And, unless you’ve reached the "ceiling or roof", there will always be one more level to go…i.e. one more rise and tread combination for you to maneuver.
The effort used to get to the present tread won’t help you to get to the next, nor the next, and so on. Each time you must summon up new motivation, determination and strength to get from one tread to the other... and from one level to the next.
For those who are already climbing: ensure you're in the right building (profession, relationship, network, career, etc.) and on the correct staircase (group, team, values, attitude, session, etc.)! The correct staircase should take you where you want to go; be it in your career, life goals, personal self-actualization or short-term accomplishments!
But should you have doubts during this ascent, stop climbing. Evaluate your situation carefully. And don’t see the fact that you're moving or that you've invested a lot to that point, as a deterrent to reassess your priorities and start over if you must.
If you realize you're climbing the wrong staircase, stop and go find the one you should be climbing, i.e. the one that will take you to the summit of your dreams and goals.
What personal analogies have you used to great effect in your life's journey so far? Share them with us. We are always happy to gain new perspectives, as we are also climbing our staircase to success!
One way to look at our lives is like climbing the staircase of a multi-storey building without using the elevators. No matter where you are on the stairs, if you have not reached the top, there is always one more tread to climb. And, unless you’ve reached the roof, there is always one more level to go. The effort you used to get to the present tread won’t help you to get to the next, or the next, and so on. Each time you must summon up new motivation, determination and strength to get from one tread to the other and from one level to the next.
Everyone knows it’s easier going down and while you are going up, you are always bound to see someone going down. Other people have reached higher levels but got too complacent—they have climbed the stairs and believe this is where they want to be. While they are in a better situation than those going down, they have lost the drive and motivation that got them to where they are today.
People who fall usually have a greater will to rise again and to go even further than people who have settled into a pattern that they feel comfortable doing—complacency is stagnation at best. They have a false sense of security that can be very destructive, if interrupted. We must always be wary of any aspect of our lives in which we have stagnated, unless it's a conscious choice, such as when you decide to retire.
For those who are climbing persistently, a word of caution: make sure the staircase you’re climbing is in the right building! And, if there are multiple stairs, make sure to choose the right one that will take you where you want to go! These two precautionary notes relate to planning and evaluating, which are critical for you to get where you want to. If you have doubt: stop climbing and evaluate your position carefully. Don’t let the fact that you have invested a lot to get where you are be a deterrent to start over, if you're on the wrong path. Continuing along such a path would be disillusioned and providing only a false sense of progress that will only get you to a point of no return.
Don't be like the many people who spend years climbing the wrong stairs, because they were too busy trying to get to the top— they missed their marks totally and became despondent. Instead of a euphoric and triumphant shout when they reach the top, they are barely able to choke out a whimper because of their disappointment.
Imagine you lived in a world where people failed to acknowledge their gifts and talents. Such a world would be void of fun, artistry, creativity and innovation—not a place anyone would aspire to live in. Fortunately our world is nothing like that. We learn from our instructors and mentors, who use their extraordinary gifts and talents to communicate complex ideas to us so that we may comprehend and build upon them. If they didn't discover their talents, we would be an ignorant people, constantly reinventing the wheel.
Clearly a world in which we can discover, explore and share our gifts makes more sense than one void of self-actualization. Fortunately, we have an inner drive that pushes us into different directions and allows us to excel and enjoy different things. These are not our creations - they are God-given gifts and talents! Some of these gifts and talents are easier to discover than others, mainly because society, in its own interest, has come to reward or appreciate some gifts more than others.
We need to summon all the gifts and talents present in the world and let our lights shine ever so brightly to create the type of tomorrow we can all be proud of!