Monday, May 22, 2023

The Stars will Soon Disappear


As a little kid, I’m sure you remember how adults around you whether they were family or friends paid so much attention to you. They were in awe if you recited a poem or cracked a joke. They would roar with laughter and you’d probably receive a big hug or peck on the cheek. Your little baby siblings would get applauded for taking a few steps on their own or for even being able to stand up without support.

The Glory continues

Soon you start attending school and here too, you are in command of your own attention. Score great marks in a test and you will earn yourself a gold star or a smiley face. The teacher would say “Great work, Keep it up”. You also used to be admired by your school friends and classmates. You got applauded after you delivered your speech or ended up first in a sports race. All the same, the applause was endless.

The Sudden Death of Attention

Suddenly, maybe just about high school, the stars fall away and further into tertiary education, the applause dies down.

From a very young age, we were conditioned to be applauded for a task well done. Suddenly, as an adult, you are left alone. Succeed and no one is around to present you with a gold star. Fail and no one is there to wipe your tears. The world we live in suddenly becomes cold and dark.

Through the years, your circle of people may get smaller. This is no fault of yours. People move on and their priorities change, sometimes as per the challenges they are dealing with. So don’t take it personally when your audience is no longer there. Stop waiting for the world to applaud you or acknowledge you.

Applaud Yourself!

No one better than you, understands your hardship, your battles, your hard work, or how you persevered and stayed strong all along. Stop waiting for someone else to acknowledge your battles. They will not be able to understand your feelings and what you went through. Be your own audience and applaud yourself. Set small goals and celebrate the accomplishment of every single goal you set for yourself.

Break down large goals into many small goals. Never give up. Take each small goal and break it down further into a million steps if that’s what it takes to achieve the desired end result. Don’t let large tasks overwhelm you. Take it one small step at a time. Each time you achieve something reward yourself if that’s what it takes to get you started with the next step. Journal everything stage by stage and see how your project transforms right in front of your eyes.

Be Patient with Yourself

Rome was not built in one day and so you too should take it in your stride and set reasonable deadlines. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Ask for help if needed and take many short breaks than pushing yourself all in one go, which may result in quitting altogether. During your breaks engage in something totally different from what you are working on.

Don't Forget Yourself

Give yourself small rewards for achieving small goals and when you achieve something big, reward yourself bigger.

Give yourself that gold star. You deserve it!

Love you lots…

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