Success starts with truth.

A life insurance agent once said to me “Ken, you are not immortal.” Picture a tall bird with his head in the sand.

I was in my 30’s, with military, college and business experience plus a wife and kids. This was not new information. He made his point by starting with a truth that most of us avoid. He kept it friendly but serious. When he got my head out of the sand he sold a policy.

The lesson here is being successful involves facing the truth and dealing with it even if it’s tough. A successful doctor or dentist has to get around the fact that people don’t like being worked on by doctors and dentists. An ad writer’s work is mostly ignored or thrown away. People working in banks, restaurants, car showrooms, flower shops, corporate offices, each have their own set of difficult truths.

At home we have attitudes from family and neighbors, loneliness if single, the ongoing cleanliness, maintenance and expenses to name a few. We can face reality or not.

Ignoring what is unpleasant is like hiding under the bed hoping mom and dad will forget about your dental appointment. Childish. We all have bad mixed with the good but usually not as much as we think and not as hard to handle as we fear.

Positive attitude and confidence are gained the same way you lose your fear of dental work. Get out from under the bed, face whatever it is and find out it isn’t as big a deal as you imagined. Your improved self is more efficient, productive, valuable, likeable. As a bonus life is more interesting with your eyes open.

My message is that confidence, relaxation and comfort are within you and the sooner you find them, the better. Fame, money and possessions are attractive but not the end of the rainbow. You can achieve all three and be more miserable than when you were unknown and broke.

Understanding and accepting the realities of life, people, yourself and learning how to handle the inevitable bad breaks, fears and worries is the answer. Before you learn these lessons you can be frustrated and unhappy no matter what your circumstances.

Staying interested is a big key. Wondering what it looks like from the top of the hill? Finding a path and sweating through an hour of exertion to get there is only worth it if you really want to know. When you get there the view may be disappointing or spectacular. Either way you have a return trip to deal with. The whole project is ninety percent struggle for an unknown reward but you can stop wondering and learn something.

All of life is like that. If you are interested enough to embrace the blood, sweat and tears part you can keep checking out new challenges more and more effectively. If not, you can spend your energy finding reasons to pass them by.

File these thoughts under TRUTH:

The old tale about all wisdom in a single phrase is true. “There is no free lunch”.

Progress means change. Being unwilling to change removes the chance. Keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll keep being what you’re being.

The only person you can change or who can change you is you.

Your old comfort zones are quickly forgotten. Two minutes after you’re out of bed the warm, fuzzy under the covers feeling is replaced by an interesting day.

Having an interested and enthusiastic attitude is a choice.

Starting your improvement process is easy. Click the link below and see.

Ken