I believe every person comes to a point wherein you are starting to ask questions about your life.
Questions like…

• Am I proud of what I am right now?
• Do I inspire people?
• Did I do something that can make myself and my family proud?
• Can I consider myself successful?

When you hear the success stories of your friends, how do you usually feel about them? Most of the time, you feel happy for them but sometimes it sparks questions about yourself and how you are doing in life.

Remember that you are different from them. You have different interests and skills. You grew up in a different environment. You have different opportunities. So it would be unfair for you to compare yourself to them.

Looking back at the questions above, I realized a few things about how we can approach life.

1. Hone your own craft.

We have different crafts and talents to hone. Not everyone is made to be a scientist nor everyone a doctor. You should not force yourself to be like your friends because you are not them. You have a different set of skills and interests. Remember that you cannot be the best at what they are doing because you are not the best person for that. You are passionate, deliberately seeking for and on fire about something that others are not. And that is what you should be pursuing..

2. Be faithful to one.

Being faithful is not just for romantic love. This can also be applicable to what we do. Some people may have tried doing a lot of things just to impress other people without actually knowing what you truly want or what you are truly interested in. Have you heard the figure of speech “jack of all trades, master of none”? Maybe, instead of trying to be like that, why not try to be the “specialist”, focused on one thing and become the best at it.

3. Run the race at your own pace.

Not everyone would be successful at the same time. Not all people become successful at the age of 25 nor 30. It is not about the number of years you are living but it is about discovering your own passion and being determined to pursue that. It is not about working hard everyday but it is about embracing your purpose and calling in this world.

4. You are the captain of your life.

A lot of people may influence you along the way to your success. They may give their opinions and judgments about the things that you are going through but remember that they are not in control of your life. You still have the last decision because you are the one going to benefit or fail if you follow them. Do not let other people dictate where your ship will go because when the time comes that they don’t care anymore, you may end up feeling lost and nowhere to go.

5. Take calculated risks.

A lot of times decisions go together with risks. Many people are afraid of risks. I believe that risks just become scary if you are not sure if you really want it and if you do not have plans regarding that decision.

When taking risks, you should know deep down in your heart that it is what you are desiring for. When you are sure and when you settle your mind on that decision, you will have peace and the feeling that no matter what the outcome is, you will still go on with your life.
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You may not yet know the answers for the questions I raised above but I hope that someday you can go back to this post and say YES to all those questions. If this is not yet your time for success, believe that you are a work in progress and every day is one step closer to it.