What You Want Should Not Be Expected
But that shouldn't stop you from trying to achieve it
Photo Source: The Drive- WordPress.com
Before we begin, I’d like to tell you about a cool project that I’ve been working on that I think you’ll love. To all new subscribers- by subscribing to The Socrates Project, you’ll receive a free copy of my brand-new mini e-book, The Art of Letting Go. I’ve written a lot in my life, but this book is some of my best work, not only due to the writing style but also because of the content. It’s a collection of some of the best ideas from some of the greatest minds to live, made short and simple. I believe that this read will truly impact the way you view the world and see growth.
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Food For Thought: 4/30/2023
Main Topic:
Many people believe that life owes them something. That they are meant to have luxuries, riches, and fame. They expect these things and are upset, even infuriated, when they don’t happen.
And that, my friends, is called being a spoiled brat. Because life doesn’t owe you anything.
There’s nothing wrong with desiring a good life. However, if we believe that we are entitled to have everything we want and that there’s something wrong if we don’t, that can lead to problems. Because then we start to believe that were are the victim, even though life already gives us an infinite amount of treasures and blessings that we don’t notice. You might think, ‘Well, I never live like that’. Let me tell you how I figured out that most of us, including myself, probably think along the lines of what I mentioned above, just with different variations. Here’s a conversation I had with myself recently:
Dilan 1: Man, this Socrates Project idea is really getting nowhere. I’m doing all of this work, and for what?
Dilan 2: Well, do you enjoy writing?
Dilan 1: Yeah, but it would be nice to have a bigger audience.
Dilan 2: Why don’t you think you have a bigger audience?
Dilan 1: Because Substack is such a goofy program that’s terrible with appearing on Google search engines.
Dilan 2: Is that the reason? The only reason?
Dilan 1: Are you suggesting I don’t work hard enough? Because I do.
Dilan 2: You might work hard, maybe with writing the articles, but have you ever tried to do anything to promote The Socrates Project besides sending it to some friends and family, and occasionally advertising it online? Did you do any of the research before starting? Did you analyze your target market and construct a plan? Those are the basics for online growth.
Dilan 1: Well, I’m a pretty busy guy. I don’t have that much time.
Dilan 2: If you don’t put in the time, how can you expect to grow? Yes, you have other obligations, responsibilities, and activities, but expanding The Socrates Project can be something as simple as investing ten minutes a day into research.
Dilan 1: I never thought of it that way. Thanks, Dilan!
Dilan 2: Your welcome, Dilan. And might I add that you look dashingly handsome today?
Dilan 1: Aw, you flatter me.
End of scene
Do you see how we expect so much? How we feel that we deserve nice pleasures? Even if you do the hard work, you still shouldn’t expect to be guaranteed what you want. And you might think, “Well, that’s not fair!” I agree, it might not be optimal, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fair. It’s just what happens sometimes.
It’s a miracle we even exist. I don’t think a lot of us truly understand that. We hear it all the time: “Be grateful you are alive” and “Everything on this earth has beauty”. But we don’t seem to give it much thought. Even worse, we might view such ideas as hippie nonsense. It took millions of years of evolution and creation to get the world to where it is today, but it could just as well not have been this way. That’s why it makes sense to make sure not to take anything for granted- because this world is ever-expansive and filled with wonders just waiting to be discovered. Our earth is like the biggest open-world sandbox video game, except with the added bonus of being, you know, real.
You probably already knew that, but I just wanted to remind you. And, just so that you don’t forget, I’ll state it once more.
Life is a miracle.
So why should we be owed anything? I’d even argue that we are the ones who owe. I’m not saying that you should sell your soul or anything, but the least you could do is to improve this world for those around you and for future generations. That’s something that’s been on my mind recently, and I think it would help many people if we as the human race start to realize that we shouldn’t be owed anything. That doesn’t mean that we have to quit the pursuit of happiness.
It just means that we shouldn’t expect it to come if we aren’t doing anything to help achieve it.
Try This:
Go back to any one of the previous “Try This” sections. Pick one of them that you feel you struggled with or need the most help with, and try it again this week. Hold yourself accountable by setting goals, setting a schedule or time limit, and anything else you need to do to succeed in the challenge. I think the biggest one that I had a hard time with was last week’s ‘count your negative thoughts’. I kept forgetting to do it and ended up thinking negatively anyway. It’s crucial to success to identify weak points and strike them the hardest, so this week’s “Try This” is especially important.
Quote of the Week:
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince (Extremely good book, I highly recommend it for all ages)
That’s all for now, Dilan out.
good work..be sure to send that book