Own It!

By: Juanpablo Barrantes

Leader’s Approach

5 min 📖

How convenient is living comfortably... just be cautious because the easiest thing it’s not always the right thing. As you go through life you might be foxed by confusing easy with simple; when simple means transcendent, easy is equivalent to transient. The problem is, most people think simplicity is an easy thing. Big mistake.

In fact, your level of success in life is highly determined by the degree of discernment you make between easy and simple. When you rule your life by a shortcut mindset, the minimum effort you show up (what you actually give) contrasts with how demanding you are (what you want to get). In contrast, being simple is a philosophy of life, it’s certainly not easy to follow through because it starts in mastering self awareness and being respectful of everything around you. Then it ends on your strive for transcendence.

So what is the main difference between having an easy or a simple approach in life?

Unfortunately, there’s a big chunk of people who manage themselves by immediacy or instant gratification.

That is to say:

- people who’s waiting for a miracle to happen in their lives while doing little or nothing about it, in such a way that something pleasantly unexpected radically changes their fate: like winning the lottery, or receiving an inheritance, or even finding a hidden treasure and bullshit like that...

- people who regardless of what is right, rule themselves through shortcuts and under the law of least effort while usually seeking the shortest path, even if it is the wrong one. They generally learn about deception early in life from their parents (unfortunate inheritance) so they start deceiving at school, at home, at work and so on until life hits them right in their faces. It’s always been this way and life will always respond accordingly.

The other day I heard someone complaining about his current job, he was talking about how disengaged he felt because his work was not valued so far, while he had been waiting for a long time about a job promotion in his workplace. While he was talking, what just came to my mind was - he's playing the victim, this is typical of those with an easy approach. So in order to confirm my thoughts, I asked him a couple of questions.

—So in your opinion, what is the main reason you haven’t achieved a promotion yet? "Hmm, I think I need to be more focused on delivering the expected results in the projects I’ve been assigned..." —Ok.. so what are you doing right now to address your project management skills? "I’m planning to take an MBA, but currently not much time... I just couldn't enroll because ... but my plan is ..."

As I thought, I am in front of one of those people who are waiting for a miracle while doing nothing for themselves. He seems pretty comfortable playing the game of blaming someone else such as his boss, the system or his lack of time to justify himself. It’s like putting a mask on the one and only reason he should address to get ahead in life: himself.

In contrast, living by simplicity means you acknowledge the irrefutable fact of making yourself full accountable of your current reality, and at the same time you know that the present choices you make will determine your future life. It also means that the most valuable aspects of your life take time to unfold, so you constantly work on being patient and persistent while striving to be a better person each day. Living by simplicity also means you have an appreciation mindset towards everything around you, while having a healthy ambition to look for those things, events or moments that will bring you joy and fulfillment. It’s precisely in the simple where you will find life’s meaning as a result of having inner-contentment, which means your self awareness makes you tolerant of your weaknesses but at the same time proud of your strengths. So whenever you reach such state of self mastery, as a consequence you earn inner peace.

There might not be a wiser advise for you about life: —Own it!— Live in the present assuming full responsibility on your destiny since it really does not depend on anyone other than yourself. Boundaries really don’t exist because you impose them every time doubts overcrowd your head, so do trust your gut and let your own inspiration to rocket your life higher and higher while you enjoy the journey ...