4. You make Your Life-Your Life Does NOT Make YOU
Most people believe that their life is dealt to them like a hand in cards. It is all just luck what cards you get. The life that is imposed on you is set in stone. But this is just not true.
I want to give you an analogy that I have seen so many times in business. It is often said that it is the person who makes the job and not the job that makes the person. Whenever the person doing a job changes then suddenly the job changes. You look at one incumbent and they may be for example permanently stressed, taking work home, always tense and working in the evenings disrupting their home life. They never seem to have the time to talk to their team and co workers or customers. Alternatively they may find the work unrewarding and maybe even boring. They count off the days until they can get away from this job. And then suddenly that person moves on and is replaced by someone new. And when you change the person who does a job, you also change the job. From day one the new incumbent seems to be relaxed and enjoying the job. The job immediately looks different. They seem to have set different priorities. They have time to network with co-workers and talk to customers. They seem to have control over the demands of the job but at the same time give an air of confidence that they have the important things covered. They actually seem to be enjoying it and walk around with a smile on their face!
The previous incumbent may still be around in another capacity and would look on at their replacement in wonderment. How on earth can they appear to be enjoying their old job so much? Why could they not be so fulfilled and content in that job?
And so it is with life. You put someone else in your life in your place, if you can imagine that for a moment, and hey presto you get a different life. Your life, that you believe to be so set in stone, would suddenly look very different. Many of the things you may not like about your current life they do not notice or are not an issue to them. But many other things about your life that you never noticed they think are great and are grateful for them. And so it goes on. They are seeing positives that you never did or could.