A Lonely Journey

 As we welcome 2022, we hope the year brings us better fortune than the last two years. With the pandemic still very much affecting how we live and preventing us from resuming some form of normality, I hope this year brings an end to most of the restrictions and allows us to be with our loved ones without the fear of infection.

The last two years have been very lonely for many people, and isolating and social distancing have separated us from the regular people around us. I have said in a previous article that this pandemic has given us opportunities to pause, reset, and learn things that we may not have had the time for previously. It's been a time to reflect on ourselves and to try and push for the things we want to achieve and allow us to prepare for it. 

To be successful, you have to go on a journey of self-fulfilment. Humans are social beings, and we like to be a part of tribes, and it's our animalistic trait. Society has created social classed to separate the groups we are established in, but to progress or transition to another social class, we must go on that journey alone. 

If the people around you are the same group of people you started your journey with, you are truly blessed. Success usually tests the character of those around you and how much they are willing to follow your path. When you lose a friend on your way, sometimes it's because you don't want the same things from life. Your mutuality has run its course, and now you have a choice whether to stay where you are or move on. They also have the same choice, and even if you both want to be successful, it doesn't mean you will move in the same direction. 

Where has your journey taken you so far?

Mine has taken me to a new country with new faces and environments, and I refuse to get complacent and stagnant. Being out of your comfort zone keeps you on edge, heightens your senses, makes you keep your mind active. However, you still need familiarity to keep you grounded so you don't drown and lose yourself in unfamiliar territory. That's the difference between success and failure; trying to balance those two aspects of your journey. There are so many factors that come into the lives we live. The things we want for ourselves always come at a cost. Our lives can be compared to a see-saw. Too much of one thing means you lose out on something else, so you have to ask yourself: 

What are you willing to lose for the things you really want?

You see the most successful people at times with little to no time to include loved ones or a partner in their lives, and you can also see the most prominent families struggling to make ends meet and just managing to keep their families afloat. Neither of those comparisons means those people are unhappy if that's what they want, but the decision made comes with consequences. Success is a less travelled road because it comes at the cost of people you love. Your family may not see your vision or be as motivated or dedicated as you are to the things you want to achieve. Some may find comfort in where they are in life, and you will have to understand that your progressions don't mean that you love them any less. It just means that your interaction with them will be limited. 

If the love of those people is real, they will understand and reap the rewards of your success. When you grow, you have more opportunities for them also. You may be an accountant or have a casual job, but you enjoy working out. The successful family member could have a chance for you to be an accountant personally to them or even just their security.

Opportunities occur for those who make the oppurntiny for themselves. Someone cannot give you anything if you're not in the proper position to receive it. That is where the self-development of you and your success journey begins. Only you know how much you want something, and only you are to blame for your triumphs and your reactions to setbacks. Whatever you want to do in life, know you're the driver of the road you travel. If you don't want to be on this route, dare to get off the road and find another route. Just know not everyone will get off the same exit as you. 

Enjoy 2022!