By Henry Ukazu

Greetings Destiny Friends,

As humans, it is normal to feel disliked when we don’t get the desired attention or job we crave for. It is also normal to blame our environment or lack of education as being responsible for a lack of opportunities. Sometimes, we feel because our parents are born poor, that’s why we are poor. Let me tell you, if your parents are born poor, you don’t have to die poor. It is sadder to note most times, that we give excuses and blame others for our misfortunes in life. The truth is that nobody is responsible for your failure, you’re the one holding yourself down.

If you really want to get work done, you’ll have to get to work. Talk is cheap. I have since come to the sublime realization that the universe always set apart the man who knows where he is going. Waiting for the perfect time sometimes, is not the best. The more you explore, the more opportunities you will see. Most of the innovators who are truly successful didn’t see the big picture when they first began their project. The same is true for wealthy people who started their businesses with little capital.

Most times we think we need to be in a particular environment before we can make a difference, but that’s fallacy because if you truly want to make an impact in the society, you must start with yourself, with what you have and where you are. Let me ask you, have you ever wondered why you were born in a certain place? Have you bothered to know why you have peculiar traits or features? Have you ever wondered why you have an interest in a subject, business, or even arts? All these are very symbolic because they signify one thing; you have all you need to jumpstart your life.

Your success in life depends on many principles, but for the purpose of this article, we shall be exploring the TEA principle.

Time

If you are desirous of making an impact, what you do with your time defines a lot about you. You need to know how to maximize your time. Your time is the most productive asset you have in life. You can waste money and recover it, but you can’t waste time and recover it. Imagine if you are given $86,400 daily and you are told if you don’t use it will be erased, what will you do with it? That’s simply how time works. Each of us has 24hours in a day, to some, it’s not enough, to others it’s enough.

Environment

Your environment has a role to play in your life. I agree some environments encourage innovation, but remember, an artist, preacher, and comedian who was born and raised in the USA might have a challenge doing the same work in Africa and vice versa for an artist, comedian or preacher who was born and raised in Africa trying to entertain people in Europe. It is instructive to know that you’ll always be the same person except for two things; the books you read and the people you relate with. Avoid environments that bring out the worst in you. Once your environment is conducive and encouraging, your chances of succeeding in life will be high.

Association

Your success and failure can be linked to people. Human beings are the most priceless asset in life. According to Robin Sharma, “the business of business is human relation, but the business of life is human connection”. When you join worthy groups, associations and organizations, the tendency of succeeding will be high. Associate only with those who share the same or better values than you. And you will succeed.

How to Release Yourself from the Chains Holding You Back

Seek approval

If you are always focused on what others think of you, you are not ready to take charge of your life. Yes, there are times when it’s good to get the opinions of others, but you don’t need constant accolades from everyone around you. You are your own person, with your own successes and failure.

Define Your Goals

Defining your goals is the first step toward making them happen. It’s about creating a roadmap that will guide you. Without a plan to pull you into the future, you can easily go off course without even knowing it.

Avoid Self-doubt

Self-doubt is a dream killer. The fear of rejection will only fuel feelings of uncertainty and indecision. If you constantly doubt yourself and question whether your goals are attainable, you are one step from failure

Desist from Staying in Your Comfort Zone

Taking risks is a scary proposition for many. Stepping outside your comfort zone means taking a leap of faith and inviting the possibility of failure. But you will never know what you are truly capable of unless you try. Consider the many business leaders who took radical leaps out of their comfort zones such as Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Larry Ellison and Warren Buffet. All of them failed at one point, but none would have been successful if they hadn’t pushed themselves. Remember, with great risk comes the possibility of great reward.

Do Not Fold Your Arms Waiting for the right time

If you refuse to jump into the fray until it feels like the “right” time, you may spend your life as a benchwarmer. It’s one thing to make calculated risk by watching the economy or taking the time to fine-tune your skills. But don’t let fear keep you from moving forward. If you never start, you will never succeed.

Don’t Be Consumed by Fear of Failure

Sometimes, we let failures hold us down. Don’t let failure or past mistakes weigh you down. Instead, wear it like a badge of honour. I call failures experiences. No one succeeds without failing sometimes. In order to learn from failure, assess what went wrong. Learn the lessons you need to learn so you can move forward and make better decisions next time.

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a mindset coach and public speaker. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright To Success and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com