Need To Level Up? Seek A New Perspective
Ask anyone who has accomplished anything notable, and you will soon learn that on the journey to success, things rarely go according to plan. In fact, sometimes they go horribly wrong, take years (yes, years) longer than expected, and force you to change in ways that you didn’t know you even could. The road to success is not a straight line, but one that twists and curves and looks like it falls off a dangerous cliff at times. If you are chasing your dream, you should know that as sure as the sun rises and sets, resistance WILL come.
Resistance comes to everyone on the rough and tumble road of dream chasing, but if you equip yourself with a mindset for success you’ll remember this: in the toughest parts of your story, that’s where you are supposed to learn that you always rise above your circumstances. Learn that failures are not failures, but opportunities to learn.
In other words, get a new perspective.
With the right perspective, your struggles are not in vain. We live linearly without the benefit of omniscient vision. We are often so close to our problems, it’s hard to see the big picture. That’s where a proper perspective is absolutely critical. A proper perspective gives you FAITH that everything you are going through is not only worth it, but necessary. It’s often been said that we must live life forward but it only makes sense in reverse. A proper perspective helps you set your mind on this fact: IT’S ALL PART OF YOUR STORY.
How can getting a new perspective be the difference maker in my journey to success? Good question. Thanks for asking.
When you are frustrated, ask yourself this: “what am I focused on?” Are you focused on your shortcomings? Your failures? Or - here’s a popular one - what you DON’T have and that’s the reason you are feeling the way you are feeling? A new perspective will teach you that YOU, and you alone, are in control of where you are. YOU put yourself there, and YOU can get yourself out of it, and you do that by taking responsibility.
Getting around successful people really helped me hone and refine my perspective, specifically with money. If you grew up in a middle class family like I did, it may sound familiar to you to drive around town for an hour on a Saturday afternoon to multiple stores, just to use coupons and save a couple bucks. When I got around financially successful people, I learned that you cannot save your way to wealth. Wealthy people out-earn the problem. By taking an hour out of your life to save $10, you are telling yourself you are worth $10 an hour. A wealth perspective will help you realize that you can use your most valuable asset - time - to create something bigger than you.
A huge perspective shift that I learned as a struggling actor is that wealth is the result of adding value. I would go from a 2 hour commercial gig that paid $2K to making $10/hour at my day job. I felt this was really unfair, and became indignant and self-righteous. I knew my worth, and because I knew my worth, I thought I was being underpaid! I didn’t realize that income is directly linked to value added.
This might hit a little too close to home for some of you, but I used to have the worst habit of being late. I never ran out of excuses - I got out of work late, traffic was bad, I overslept, you name it. I was always late, and when I was late, it was me, me, me. And you know what, that’s pretty accurate. When I got a new perspective, I realized that being late was actually quite selfish. Being late often makes others late, and whether you realize it or not, you are devaluing their time. Being on time shows that you value the time of others. Getting a new perspective on being on time for others was huge.
Speaking of selfishness, I learned to put my ego aside and look at things from a different perspective. I started to realize how lucky I was to live in such a time as now, with an abundance of resources. I started to really think about the sacrifices my parents made for me and my siblings by upending their entire lives to move to this country, all so that we would have the CHANCE at a better life. Perspective helped me understand that my life was a gift, and not to be wasted.
Perspective taught me to let go of selfishness. When I launched my business, I was almost completely self-focused. What is this venture going to do for me? How will it benefit me? What’s the least I can do to get the most ROI? But the reality is, HOW you succeed matters. How you invest in other people, how to build others up to success, how you create a culture… if it is all about you, it’s going to crumble pretty quickly.
And lastly, one area that I’m sure we can all use a reminder on, is having a perspective of gratitude. Gratitude for those who have come before you, and for those who lifted you up to help you succeed. There is no such thing as a completely self-made man. When you look back at your life, I mean really look back on it, I bet you will be astounded at how many people helped you get to where you are today. And by the way, don’t ever forget it.
If it’s time to level up, it’s time for a new perspective. You can take that to the bank. Literally. I’ve done that.
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