How to Make The Most Out Of Your Life (Regardless of where you start)
We can’t control where we start, but we can control what we do next.
Equality of outcome is something that more people have started to insist is necessary.
I strongly disagree. What we need is equality of opportunity.
Equality of outcome would mean the results of your actions, regardless of the effort, time, etc, would give you the same result. That would remove the incentive to work hard, be creative and even be unique.
Equality of opportunity on the other hand would mean that everyone has the same (or at least similar) starting point - nothing crippling them from the start.
Unfortunately, equality of opportunity is also next to impossible.
That’s why what I’m about to say is important.
You need to do whatever you can to make the most out of YOUR life, regardless of your starting line.
This is how you do it.
Do your best, no matter the circumstances
You have no control over what happens.
I mean, you’d like to think you do, because you want to feel as if you have some sense of power… but at the end of the day, you don’t.
None of us can control the outcome.
The only thing you have control over is your effort - whether you do your best or not.
This reflects in every area of your life.
For example, if you truly do your best every single day at work, you theoretically will quickly get promoted and get raises. If you don’t, you will likely be able to get a new job that treats you properly - employers want hard workers.
Effort matters in relationships too.
If you are not spending enough time with your family, or taking the time to continuously learn about your partner, these relationships will suffer.
These things matter.
Your output matters.
To maximize what you get out of your life, you need to maximize the effort you put in.
Make healthy choices
The relationship between what you get out of your life, and the choices you make are directly correlated.
Making healthy choices will dramatically improve your potential, or at the least, not harm it.
If you are:
Using harmful drugs
Not drinking enough water
Consuming an excess of alcohol
Sleeping in because you’re partying
Eating food that makes you fat, lazy and low-energy
You are directly lowering your potential in life and your output will reflect that.
This is simple - make healthy choices and you will get more out of your life.
Don’t hide from the world
Humans are social animals. We need to talk to each other to feel happy and fulfilled.
You’ll regret it if you make the big mistake of isolating yourself from the world. Unfortunately, this is common with people who have a hard time finding “their people”.
This lack of socialization is harmful.
We are lucky though. We live in an era where humans are more connected than ever.
Now, I’m not saying that you don’t need to go out and socialize if you do so online.
I’m saying that it is easier than ever to find your people because of the internet.
You can find local meet-ups for practically anything you can think of.
For example, I found a chess club that meets locally every week online and now I have people I can play with. And, I still have my other friends I can do everything else with.
Don’t hide from the world - allow yourself to find like-minded people.
Take the time to enjoy what you have
One of the best new trends has been the growth of practicing gratitude.
It is very important to reflect often and realize how lucky you are to have the things you have. There are tremendous benefits to this practice.
It doesn’t matter who you are, there is always someone who has it worse than you.
And it doesn’t matter who you are, things could always be better.
I like to practice gratitude by writing what I’m grateful for in my journal and then meditating on it for 5 minutes.
You can take this a little further though.
Enjoying what you have also means making the most out of the present moment.
When you are experiencing something beautiful, be present. Let yourself be vulnerable and open to take it all in.
If you are constantly worried about the future or if you are stuck in the past, you will not enjoy what you have.
Bring yourself to the present, enjoy what is happening, and be grateful for what you have.
Always lead with love
The last and most important area to focus on - love.
How you approach any person or situation is 100% in your control.
You can approach with doubt, fear and hatred, or you can approach with warmth, love and respect.
One of these approaches will make your life miserable and the other will make almost every day a blessing.
It is not hard to lead with love, but it is something that will take practice.
All you have to do is ask yourself, “What would love do if it were a person?”
The answer to that question in any scenario is the best way to go.
This will lead you to respect everyone, be welcoming to strangers, help random people and assume the best in others.
Practicing to lead with love is a choice I made a couple of years ago and since then, I have enjoyed the presence of more people, been open to more thoughts and mindsets, and have been just plain happier.
Love is a beautiful thing and if you also choose to lead with it… you will make the most out of your life.
Conclusion
Look at each of these areas of your life like pillars that you need to stack.
Effort
Health
Social life
Gratitude
Love
Your goal as a human, if you want to make the most out of your life, is to maximize each one of these pillars.
You must focus on one when it is lacking, and keep them all balanced when they’re thriving.
If you can do that, then you will be able to live a great life.
Thanks for reading