The Road That Lies Ahead in Life
Here's some good news for anyone struggling in the school of life
Image credit, author. (Wide Open Road)
Life gets better with age. That's my experience after a little over six decades in the school of life. It's not a universal law, but I'm not the only one who feels this way.
If you're struggling right now, I want to plant seeds of hope that will get you through anything life throws your way.
"Wrinkles will only go where the smiles have been." – Jimmy Buffett
Over recent years, I've noticed that I am the oldest person in business and networking meetings. When people walk by, they call me "Sir." Most companies would not hire me even if I were willing to work for a bi-weekly paycheck.
But I don't mind because ...
Aging with grace is a mindset.
In other words, although I'm relatively old, I feel young and on fire. I have the enthusiasm and energy of a younger person again. I have a clear purpose for my life: loving God, spending time with my family, and growing my new photography business. These things keep me young of heart and mind.
But it wasn't always this way. I used to be consumed by fear. It was mostly the fear of irrational things that went beyond heights, horror movies, the sight of blood, and axe murderers roaming the planet. Bullfrogs used to scare me as a boy in the middle of the night, but I grew out of that.
Other fears included not being liked, accepted, picked for the Varsity team, getting a date before college, winning enough trophies, and feeling like I could fit in when I could not. Most of all, I feared being a loser and was too attached to winning.
Being motivated by the fear of failure and attached to outcomes I couldn't control was a recipe for continuous disappointment and self-abuse. That was how I lived until I was about sixty. But something big changed over recent years, and it's the main point of my story.
If you're behind me in school and struggling, I want you to know that life improves with age if you believe it can.
The biggest thing holding me back has been fear. Face, process, and grind through your fears. Remember that love is the antithesis of fear.
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." – George Lucas, Star Wars
No one gets a hall pass through the school of life. We all face trials that test us, and our suffering can become the gateway to our salvation and shared faith. Bad stuff happens along the way, no matter how good we think we are.
We suffer, fall, and fail, but through all the tough stuff, we can improve our perspective and way of dealing with life when it throws us an angry chainsaw. But life only improves if we accept and learn from the harshest lessons.
Unless we learn to avoid past mistakes, as bankruptcy does for young real estate developers and startup founders, history will repeat itself.
The Biology of Belief
If you have doubts about your ability to overcome the most challenging times, you need to know about the power of your belief system. Epigenetics is a relatively new science. It's also known as the Biology of Belief, the title of a bestselling book by Bruce Lipton.
Lipton, a biologist, reveals three powerful insights about our belief systems.
We instantly reset our body chemistry by changing our perception to a higher perspective. Lipton is a scientist and former atheist who believes in a universal, higher power.
Our genes do not control us, even though genetics plays a role in our development. More than our genes, our perception of the environment controls gene activity.
We are never to be victims of our genetics but more masters of our destiny. We can overcome tragedy and find unconditional love, forgiveness, acceptance, and surrender to a higher power.
Life improves with age only if we choose a healthy, higher perspective. We are free to choose our point of view unless we become stuck with a fixed mindset and closed heart.
Be open, willing, and honest.
Success is most about maintaining a willing, open, honest mind and heart. I no longer guess the role of fate, luck, or anything beyond God's will for me. My primary purpose is to improve my conscious contact with my higher power and follow His way to be the best human I can be for my remaining days.
I suggest this to anyone who is struggling. Whether your career is off track, your business is failing, or you're facing relationship or health issues, I want you to feel hopeful.
"Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light." - Helen Keller
You can look forward to increased happiness and life satisfaction. You can learn not to sweat the small stuff that used to make you too sad or mad. You will be more optimistic. You will foster stronger social and emotional connections and well-being.
Elevated faith makes a world of difference.
The most significant difference I've experienced is that the more I elevate my way of seeing and being in the world next to my Creator, the less stress I experience. If we agree that stress is the silent killer that crushes us when it goes untreated, elevating our perspective can relieve the pressure.
In closing, here's the bottom line: life gets better when we grow through our struggles rather than be defeated by them. Fear may have once held me back, but faith, perspective, and purpose set me free.
If you’re struggling now, know that it will pass. Keep pushing forward, embrace the lessons, and trust that life will become more prosperous and fulfilling than ever imagined with time, wisdom, and the right mindset. Most of all, find your higher power.
The best is yet to come. Never stop shifting your perspective to a higher level.
I’m a corporate, brand, and headshot photographer serving brand-conscious leaders and professionals in the greater Phoenix area. I also write about the art of faithful living, consciousness, and mental health. Learn more at www.CliffordJones.com.
A powerful and uplifting message, Clifford! I really enjoyed reading this one