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focus on what you can control


Happy Wednesday! In Monday’s post - “weigh the pros and cons” - I wrote about a time during boarding school when I threw caution to the wind and decided to risk getting a demerit so I could watch the Eagles play in the Super Bowl alongside other fans. Most of the time, however, I tend to be someone who takes well thought-out, calculated risks. The times when I haven’t followed my usual methodology have also worked out pretty well, but I am not someone who particularly enjoys statistics. There are always going to be things that are out of your hands, but that’s why it’s so important to focus on what you can control. By focusing on what you can control instead of on external factors that are out of your hands, you are able to create your own opportunities and create your own luck.

Have you ever encountered a situation where there were so many variables you felt overwhelmed by the amount of data present? I’ve written before about starting where you are, which is why focusing on what you can control is so important. I would hope that it’s become clear by now that my life philosophy centers around the importance of small things. Small acts lead to habits and patterns of success. And it is usually the smallest step that is often the most important. It starts with making your own decision, choosing to commit, and then starting where you are.

I recently had an opportunity present itself where I would be able to marry a number of my interests into one great package. Have you ever experienced one of those “right place-right time” situations? They are not a matter of luck or chance. They are a matter of opportunity. And opportunities usually come along because of an already-established pattern of excellence and success.

In the entertainment field, it’s those actors and actresses that seemingly come out of nowhere even though they’ve been hustling and grinding for the better part of a decade, hoping for their big break. In the tech world, it’s the young tech geek who gains and loses funding over and over until finally something clicks simply by virtue or his/her tenacity to not give up. In the business world, it's the CEO who fails over and over but never gives up, learning from past mistakes so as to not make them again.

There are going to be countless things you cannot control in life. If you focus on all the things you cannot control instead of focusing on the things that you can, you will go crazy, become resentful, and blame others for your circumstances. If you focus on the things you can control, you'll create your own luck and your own opportunities. Just keep working to find your why, to view missteps as a chance to learn and grow, to take calculated risks, to surround yourself with good, and to play between the notes when things don’t go exactly as planned. The opportunities will come because you'll have been creating them for yourself all along.

Thank you so much for reading, and, as always, if you have any pressing questions or if you want to discuss something further with me, please subscribe below, follow me on Instagram or Twitter, or reach out to me on the “contact” page. I’m so grateful you're here and that I’ve been getting a lot of really challenging questions and even better feedback from a community all over the world. I couldn’t do this without you! So THANK YOU! I’m here for you, and I love hearing from you, too! You’re the best, and you have everything you need inside of you! Please believe it! Starve your ego, feed your soul - and follow your heart!!

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