Stop using others as a means of measuring your progress!

I’m not talking about getting their approval, I’m talking about using what you perceive to be their achievements as the yardstick to measure your own!

You are a unique individual with experiences and abilities no one else has. The “place” you start from and build your progress upon, is going to be different than any other person’s. To look around at what other people seem to have achieved is a waste of time and will always make you feel bad.

After all, someone will always seem to already have what you may be striving for.

A couple of things to remember which will put “what others have” into perspective:

Most people are in debt up to their eyeballs! That new car or truck carries a hefty monthly payment. Few people have the where-with-all to pay cash for a new car. The same thing applies to a house. Many people in nice houses are what is known as “house poor”. They have a nice home in a nice neighborhood but it’s furnished by “Wal-mart”! Because they bought the house for 5% or less down and have enormous monthly house payments!

What I’m saying here is that things are never what they seem.

When I was a young man in my twenties I remember questioning myself after visiting one of my cousins. He went directly from college into the management training program of a major corporation. I felt bad about my choices because this guy was living in a brand new house and driving a brand new car. I was in a rented house, nursing an old car and had just decided to go into business for myself…I was 26 years old at the time.

I made a different decision about my life. I didn’t go into the “corporate” lifestyle. I wanted to make it on my own. But my cousin, who was the same age I was had the “trophies” that I was still dreaming about.

I was making a mistake using what he was doing with his life and comparing it to mine…Luckily I stuck to my “guns”.

To make a long story short, less than two years later my business activities made it possible for me to buy a new house and FIVE new cars, in one year! (really) I was increasing my income by 20-30% a month. I don’t think he ever recieved more than a 10% increase in salary and bonus in a year!

I came to realize that he sold his time for a fraction of it’s real value… for the security of a weekly paycheck. On the other hand, I learned how to go “out into the world” and create money. That was my security!

What it comes down to is this: Don’t be deterred from “staying the course” in your life because you see others who seem to be “getting ahead”.

What you see is probably a facade! A false front. Your personal determination and commitment to be the best that you can be, at what ever undertaking you have chosen, will always have a pay-off much greater than those who opted for “security”.

The intrinsic differences are by themselves astonishing! I’ve always been amazed at the limited real-world experiences and subsequent knowledge and wisdom those who choose security cheat themselves out of. It’s like living a partial life. They never really had to test themselves, so they never had to find out what they were made of. The more years they spend in the secure job the more fear, uncertainty and doubt they feel about their own abilities.

Opting for security has a way of robbing you of experience and self confidence.

The personal commitment you make to start from where you are and go to where you want to be, is its’ own reward…and is a journey with a value only you can measure. The pay-off is huge! You get to live a full life, learn and prosper from your experiences and make decisions based upon your own criteria.

Stop looking around at what other people seem to have and focus your time and energy on recreating your self and your reality.

Living life on your own terms is its’ own reward…And is something money (or going into debt) will never be able to buy.

-Bob Baran