We are quick to forget where we have been. The fears we’ve had, the pain we suffered, the challenges we had to face, the corners we had to cut.
And in that tiny space between where we were and where we are now we build up the judgement for those who have yet to complete their journey.
If only we could extend a helping hand instead.
How often do plans only feature the place where you want things to end? How often do plans completely disregard the place where you are today, your current resources, your needs and wants, the requests of those involved?
A plan needs some solid basis to be taking you where you want to go.
We constantly think at what is missing, the part of the journey we have not completed yet, what others have that we do not, the emptiness that we need to fill.
And by doing that we fail to notice the kind gesture, the moment of joy, the hand that’s being extended to us, the gratitude of our neighbour, the fullness that we don’t want to empty.
That’s how it goes.
It is much easier to digest a failure if you don’t look at it as the opposite of a specific success, but rather as the necessary step towards some success.
Even when it takes you far away from your goal, even when it is repeated in time, even when it looks like you are just not going to make it, failure is always capable of revealing some truth.
Sometimes it’s harsh – e.g., “this is not for you” -, but it is never definitive – e.g., “nothing is for you”.
Everyone wants to be liked. But there is a different between striving to be liked in the moment and striving to be liked in the end.
To be liked in the moment means that you are betting on your capacity to escape immediate evaluation. It’s about being erratic, leveraging every situation, and since people talk, caring about short-term benefit.
To be liked in the end means that you are betting on the capacity of people to judge by themselves. It’s about consistency, authenticity, and long term.
So, the choice is not really between wanting to be liked and not wanting to be liked.
It’s a choice between now and forever.
You've got this 