7 Eternal Truths I Wish I Knew Sooner

Come to terms with these truths and live a more peaceful, fulfilled life.

#1. Passion isn’t something you ‘find’.

Passion isn’t like a commodity. It’s not something you pick up off the supermarket shelf or find hidden under layers of blankets. Passion is something you develop overtime through ‘doing’. ‘Do more’ and develop passion as a result. Don’t wait for passion to ‘come’ because things simply don’t work that way.

#2. Sometimes you just have to put in the hard work.

Sometimes there aren’t any shortcuts or more ‘efficient’ ways of doing things. Sometimes large amounts of grunt work are required. Stop trying to wiggle your way out of doing the hard stuff just to find shortcuts or quicker ways of doing things because this doesn’t always work out.

#3. Not everyone knows what they’re talking about.

Sometimes people like talking for the sake of talking even if they aren’t deeply acquainted with a particular topic. Even worse, some people like giving advice without being accountable when their advice proves to be wrong.

Top tip: Listen to people who have ‘been there, done that’ and who have skin in the game. Anyone can talk; very few people can succeed.

#4. You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to have influence.

Some of the most influential people I know are quiet forces: The ones that you never see working, the ones that make everything look ‘easy’, the ones that don’t say much in meetings but infuse everything they say with purpose. These are the people with real influence; the ones that aren’t always the loudest. Look for the people with quiet confidence. Talk to the people that quietly deliberate over a situation before acting. Influence comes from a proven track record; not necessarily from talking.

#5. There’s nothing wrong with saying ‘no’ to things.

Learn to recognise your boundaries, and most importantly, enforce them by saying ‘no’ to things that transgress those boundaries. Don’t want to have that drink at a party? Turn it down. Don’t want that career even though everyone says you’d be great at it? Say no – You’re the one living with yourself all the time. To hell with what everyone else thinks!

#6. Sometimes being successful paints a large target on your back.

With success comes its many advantages and its many disadvantages. A rather pressing disadvantage is that the more successful you come, the more you may be perceived as a ‘threat’ to others; an adversary to be conquered. Perhaps you might like this, but I know many of you won’t.

This is not to suggest that you should throw success out the window. Just be careful with who you share your success with.

#7. Just be honest… please.

There’s nothing more fulfilling than living an honest life. Screwed up? Admit it. Wronged someone? Apologise and make it up to them. Don’t want to do something? Don’t give a bullsh^t excuse; just say you don’t want to do it.

Lies catch up with you eventually, and believe me, it’s a very painful fall from grace when they do.