By Bayo Ogunmupe
The age of believing is over. We are now in the age of knowing.
Which is why you have to verify whatever you are told, for, if it turns
what you are being told is a myth, it will hinder your success in life.
Your knowledge creates the habits which in turn mold your identity. And
this has profound implications for how you interpret the universe and
events in your own life. Your habits determine your identity and your
identity informs you on what to interpret the world. Your habits also
decide how you see others, and how they see you.
By shutting yourself up, avoiding work, you become a loner which in
turn, make you perceive your boss as annoying. The small, daily actions
you take ultimately decide what to explain to yourself on what's going
on around you. The more you think of yourself that you are worthless,
stupid, or ugly, the more you condition yourself to interpret life that
way. You get trapped in thought loop. The same is true of how you think
about others. Once you adopt the habit of seeing others as angry,
unjust, or selfish, you see those kind of people everywhere. This sends
an important message or warning, as well as a call to action. Though you
didn't feel your behavior emanated from your habits, you feel you are
in control of your worldview.
Your habits determine how you interpret the events of your own life. By
the time they happen, it's too late to change. You will react based on
who you are in the moment. If you are not already " a non-smoker" when
that Friday night cigarette is offered you, you are unlikely to turn it
down. On a long enough time scale, however, you can change what
perspective you defer to when confronted with any given situation. And
you do so less by talking to yourself than by working on your habits.
What you do when you don't have to, will determine who you will be when
you cannot help it. Be the person you aspire to be, when you can, so you
can continue to be that person, even when you think you can't.
Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things
while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a
single step. Without attention, time doesn't matter. Back to our movie:
Yes Man: Every morning, Carl grabs a coffee at the same cafe. Each time
he lives the building, there is a guy handing out flyers for a concert.
Of course, Carl's canned response is"no." But after starting his deal
with the universe; he had to collect the flyer and agree. And behold,
who's the singer of the band? the girl that kissed him after he got
stranded. Thus, our most important asset isn't time but attention.
The quality of the experiences in your life doesn't depend on how
many hours they are in the day, but in how the hours you have are used.
Though time indeed is limited, with attention it can be diluted to
expand beyond most other people get out of the same quantity. Which is
better? A life of 80 years spent in half- conscious daze, or a life of
40 years, spent in intense focus on what matters to you? Time is just a
measure; having and spending more of it provides no indication of
quality. Without attention, time doesn't matter. It is with your habits
that you can influence the world and others. Habits also determine what
happens with your time while you don't control your attention. Good
habits make time your ally. Bad habits make time your enemy.
Just as your habits shape your identity, interpret the events of
your life, your attitudes and beliefs, they shape your perception as
well. Therefore, you should pay attention to habits because they direct
your attention. Good habits maximize how much life you can absorb and
where you go when you are not looking. Try to cultivate good habits,
they determine your impact on the universe. We go where we look.
Without attention, you cannot choose where to go. Your identity, your
interpretation of the world, and your attention: your habits steer you
to achieving greater focus. So, be the architect of your habits rather
than their victim.
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