By Henry Ukazu

Greetings Friends,

If we are truly honest to ourselves, we will admit that we like to be comfortable with all the good things life can offer. There’s hardly anyone who doesn’t like comfort. No, no one. We like to be financially stable/independent; we like our business to boom; and not forgetting the fact that we like our family and friends to be comfortable. We always like it when things go our way. In general, we like our path to be comfortable. Nobody likes to be stressed. Stress itself is toxic to human nature. This comfort has left a dent in the minds of some lazy beings which made them remain in their comfort zone. However, it should be noted that being comfortable in this context is relative. We are not concerned with the literal, denotative or connotative meaning of being comfortable, like being complacent and docile. Our focus here is how to go over and beyond by appreciating yourself, your business and being true to whatever you are doing as opposed to looking and wishing you have what other people have.

In order for you to move on in life, you need to leave your comfort zone. Becoming the best version of yourself means that you’re going to move away from where you are, so you must be willing to shred your old self. When you’re raising your own bar, you’re essentially creating a gap between you and people around you. As usual, your old self is going to resist, but it’s up to you to reject by not allowing the resistance to have its way.

Human beings by nature, are insatiable. We always have the urge to get the good things of life even if it means going the extra mile just to satisfy our appetite. For example, we always look for title in order to appear successful in the sight of men or approved. We believe if we become a partner in a major law firm we’ll be happy and successful; we believe if we have hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions of dollars in our bank accounts, we’ll literally be happy; we believe, if we become a lead supervisor in a reputable company or organization or even attain a particular position in life, we’ll feel fulfilled. In reality, it doesn’t work that way.

We all have what it takes to succeed in life, all you have to do is look internally and figure out one of the problem/challenges facing the world and then use your creative skill, knowledge, talent, etc. to solve it. We all have the potentials of succeeding in life. I call it the seeds of greatness living in us. All we need to do is to activate it and watch it grow. Don’t look down on your gift, talent or the little work of your hands, it might be the secret to your turnaround in life. You might even be solving one of the greatest problems/challenges facing the world today if you stay committed to your purpose. As a word of advice and encouragement, start small and build, but always have the big picture in your mind.

There’s always an underlying pressure to be the number one in the world. Nobody wants to play the second fiddle. We all want our business to top the brand/market, we all want to be seen as the most talented, successful, best entertainer, student, worker, writer, etc.  Sometimes, we need these affirmations to feel good about ourselves, otherwise, we won’t feel good about ourselves. But we fail to realize that every case is different and each and every one of us is running a different race. Most times as human beings, we seem to forget who we are and the power we have in our possession. If only we can work on ourselves by striving to be a better person than what we were yesterday we’ll literally out stand ourselves. Sometimes, we even wish to imitate our friends or colleagues who go on vacation, gain promotion, etc. This attitude makes us to wish we have what other people have, and if this habit is not controlled, we might begin to breed jealousy in our hearts. But if you can stay true to your lane by appreciating yourself, your business in addition to looking internally and hearing the inner still voice speaking to you, you’ll succeed. Just play by the rules, work hard and do what you have to do.

The journey of life is not a competition, though a healthy competition is good. Let me share a little story with you; it was said that two labourers Mr. A and Mr. B were digging the ground to get gold. Both of them spent a considerable amount of time but all to no avail. They had the hope and believe that they will eventually find gold. In fact, at a stage, they were almost giving up hope because they didn’t see any hope/chance of finding gold. While one of the men felt all hope was gone, the other continued to strike the wall and luckily for him, he was able to find gold and he happily went home feeling good. When Mr. B saw his colleague had found gold, he left his spot to concentrate on his partner’s spot with hope luck will favor him, he didn’t know there were piles of gold in front of him. In fact, all he needed was little patience to reap the fruits of the labour. That’s how life works, most times, we are always busy focusing on other people’s work not knowing that we can spend the same considerable amount of time building ourselves and our empire. The moral of this post is that it’s better to concentrate on your craft than believing its green on the side of the lawn. Mr. B was too myopic to find out that he was merely surrounded by gold.

Be informed, in the journey of life, you are not running anybody’s race, you’re runing your race, and don’t make the mistake of competing with anyone, otherwise, you might be frustrated. Quit driving to outperform someone. Be comfortable with who you are, your business, and whom God has called you to be.  It takes a secure person to say I’m comfortable with what I am, who I am and what I am doing or building.  Don’t be concerned with another person’s story, rather, write your own story and chart your path. Don’t compare the sun and the moon, they shine when it is their time.  Your race is made up of no other person but you.

Let’s share some ways on how we can be the best version of ourselves.

1. Amplify your strengths. You can be anything, but you can’t be everything. Concentrate your energy on what makes you happy. Always maximize your strength and minimize your energy. You can do this by majoring on your strength and working on your weakness. One of the best ways to figure out what you can do well is doing any positive work whenever you are called. It doesn’t matter if you are just waking up or you are not paid to do it.

2. Live your every day to the fullest by doing what’s necessary. Learn to differentiate what’s within and beyond your circle of control. Once you’ve done your best, what happens, happens for a reason. Be patient and keep grinding.

As long as you’re working in the right direction, things will work out. The most important of all, enjoy the journey — even if it sucks sometimes. In summary, let me give you a rule of thumb, don’t compare yourself, celebrate yourself. It is only by so doing, we’ll be comfortable with our lives and business.

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. 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. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com