“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” ~Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a brilliant man, but people didn’t think that way his entire life. The difference between him and others was the fact that he never gave up; he looked at everything from a child-like perspective with awe and fascination. That “what if?” scenario probably passed through his mind daily, but in a positive way instead of one filled with anxiety. Many people in this world are so focused on being better than everyone else, but what they should really focus on is improving themselves more each day. Einstein is one of my biggest heroes because he was extremely humble. He didn’t think he was above everyone just because he discovered ideas that would change the way others think about the world. He only wanted to make a difference in others’ lives and make the world a better place.
“Fall seven times and stand up eight.” ~Japanese Proverb
When we were babies learning how to function in this world for the very first time, we were innocent and perfect. We didn’t try to conquer everyone else because we were more focused on trying to master ourselves. From the time we learned how to walk, we never gave up. Every time we fell, we would get back up and try again…and again…and again… until we triumphed proudly that we were able to stand on our own two feet without falling. However, we didn’t look at the fact that we fell so often; we were more focused on the end result. This is how we should look at our lives in general. If we want to accomplish something and get somewhere, we need to stick with it, no matter how many times we fall! What if, as babies, we fell and never got back up?
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” ~Aristotle
I honestly believe that ANYONE can accomplish their goals, dreams, and aspirations as long as they keep trying. We were not built to be dominated by our thoughts or the negative influence of others or else we would have never tried to get back up so many times as babies after we fell. Yes, life is difficult and it will drag you down if you let it. Believe me, I was there once, and it wasn’t a very pleasant ride. I am not going to sugar coat things and tell you that life is effortless and only the “lucky” people are the ones who have no problems. We look at our lives and the lives of others through muddy lenses in the fact that if we don’t know the entire story we assume that person has it better than us when that is simply not the case. Everyone struggles in one way or another, and everyone makes mistakes.
“I’m not in competition with anybody but myself. My goal is to beat my last performance.” ~Celine Dion
I understand that this is a competitive world. I too can be extremely ambitious at times. I love to win games and get better scores than others on certain things that may or may not supposedly prove I’m smarter, but most of the time it’s all in fun. I refuse to look down on others or be condescending because I know more in a specific area than they do. There is always something to learn. You can learn something from anyone in your life, and if you are open-minded enough, you will see that even your children can teach you something you don’t know. It’s bogus to believe that just because you are older than someone that you know more than they do. Someone out there always has more experience in a particular area than you do, and the only way you can master what you want is to look into the mirror and face that rival because only then will you truly be happy with what you have accomplished in your life!
