There is one thing that many people crave.

However, very few possess it.

No one possesses it all the time.

That is control.

It is a scary thing to lose control. Losing control can be likened to being a piece of driftwood  tossed about at sea.

Being able to have control of what happens or what’s to come gives one a sense of security it makes one feel grounded.

However, the truth of life is that there is so much that we are unable to control.

In other words, for the most part, we are subject to what life give us.

We can’t control the weather

We can’t control time.

We can’t control others.

We are merely subject to these things.

Thus, we have to learn to be flexible, to adjust, to take things as they come and deal with them accordingly. This is not easy.

However, being flexible in dealing with issues that one cannot control is something that must be mastered in order to be successful.

It is often something that is learned with time, with trial, and through many tests.

As an old adage goes, often one must be thrown in the water before they can learn how to swim. One must be pushed out of the nest before learning to fly.

One must face what seems like the impossible to make possibilities real.

When you have no other choice but to sink or swim, you learn to control your fears and emotions and you swim. It is okay that you get a little anxious, it’s a natural reaction to a loss of control, but understand that this is a part of life.

Remember whatever you are going through at that very moment this too will pass.

When walking through the inferno’s of life sometimes it gets hard to recollect this, to bring this to your remembrance.

That is why meditation, reflection, stillness, and motivational pieces are so important.

All these tools work together to remind you that trouble and test do not last always.

Life can be a hard school-master, but growth is always the result.

If you find that your life seems to be spiraling out of control, stand still, observe, and regroup.

If things become too overwhelming, focus on what you can control, such as your response.

This will help you find your footing so that you can reasonably deal with that which you cannot control.

In times when you just want to just give up say a little prayer.

When reflecting on life and all of  the components that comprises its significance, there are a lot of interesting comparative models that one can use to make greater sense of the myriad of complexities.

Let’s look at life as a market for investment.

Each person has 24 hours a day to invest.

This can be broken down into hours, minutes, or seconds but all equivocate to the same amount.

Budgeting  your time is your responsibility.

There may be many advisors who can tell you how to invest your time or where to invest your time, but  you have the final say.

One can choose to take their time and invest a significant amount in one particular activity.

One may choose to invest in a portfolio of activities.

In investment terms, a portfolio is a “grouping of financial assets such as stocks, bonds, and cash equivalents, as well as their mutual, exchange-traded and closed-fund counterparts” (Investopedia)

This is known as diversifying.

In life, we can consider the myriad of things one invest in as a portfolio, a grouping of activities one chooses to invest in, in order to assume less risk and greater probability of assuming a return.

It is up to us to choose our portfolios, what mix of things we will invest in.

The Pay Out

Some activities have big dividends while others not so much.

The financial investor must remain vigilant of market activity to be able to detect changes in trends that will impact the market and earnings.

“Spikes are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to predict. Stock market trends are like the behavior of a person. After you study how a person reacts to different situations, you can make predictions about how that person will react to an event. Similarly, recognizing a trend in the stock market or in an individual stock will enable you to choose the best times to buy and sell” (Barrymore)

The smart investor knows the cues that indicate downturn and knows  when to move his or her investment.

The same can be said of the individual and his or her commitments in daily life.

The wise individual knows when to power forward and when to pull back.

He or she is aware of changes and can read the signs of the times.

This means that he or she will know when it is time alter the amount of time invested in activity or to forgo an activity altogether.

One want to ensure that you are progressing toward your path to achievement is to stay away from activities that lead to diminished returns or no returns.

If an activity in no way moves you toward your goal cease from investing.

If an activity seems to take you backward and not forward change course.

The point of investment is gain.

If you are not making any gains then why are you investing?

Investment is Essential

That is in terms of material or immaterial wealth.

Investment is a must.

Increasing the Risk

Some will want big gains over short periods and thus they take bigger gambles in life, make riskier investments.

In life, just as in the market, it is not always wise to pursue short-term gains as such comes with tremendous risk.

The shorter the term of gain usually the more risk involved  in the investment.

These are pursuits not to be taken lightly.

When participating in the market, investors looking for short-term gains  look to invest in stocks that have a high yield interest rate.

This is risky because there is always a possibility that the stock will plummet or the market will tank before being able to sell.

“Short-term trading can be very lucrative, but also risky. It can last for as little as a few minutes to as long as several days. To succeed at this strategy, traders must understand the risks and the rewards of each trade. They must not only know how to spot good short-term opportunities but also must be able to protect themselves from unforeseen events” (Investopedia)

In it for the long-haul

Other’s invest in sectors with a solid history of gains and with a greater possibility of return over the long-term.

This is something that many people learn is essential to success in life.

Investing in solid opportunities for long-term growth and development is a must.

Solid achievement is predicated on such investments.

Remember there is never an investment without risk.

In life you assume some risk, it is inevitable.

The purpose of life is growth.

Growth comes by efforts and investment.

The main point is to assume a return. This is your goal.

Your goal is “to get something out of life.”

Recap

Our time is ours to invest in any number of activities.

Some activities have direct payoffs while others take some time.

Some activities increase you as a person exponentially while others diminish you.

Life is about taking risk.

Investment is a risk.

There is always the slimmest possibility that things will not pan out, but this does not diminish the necessity of risk taking.

The level of risk  you take is an individual decision.

Be sure that regardless of what you decide to invest in get something out of it.

Barrymore, John. How Stock Market Trends Work. Web. http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/financial-planning/stock-market-trends.htm

Read more: Mastering Short-Term Trading http://www.investopedia.com/articles/trading/09/short-term-trading.asp#ixzz3jqCO0EUb

Read more: Portfolio Definition | Investopedia http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/portfolio.asp#ixzz3jpqcQZSP

Virtue, as defined by Merriam-Webster means ” a particular moral excellence,” cultivated by one’s inherent desire to do what is right, what is good,  and what is just.

It is the earnest drive to choose humanity over baser instincts.

One who strives to do such can not help but to manifest his or her virtue. It is divine nature.

A virtuous nature cannot be masked.

Virtues are like resplendent jewels, their  brilliance creates an  inner light that drives beauty in  action.

A virtuous nature is the embodiment of a set of character traits that drive a person to perform acts of good will.

It is the essence of good that rests in a person.

Unfortunately, our world is sorely in need of virtue.

As a result,  self-interest and materialism drive destruction.

To rise again as  individuals, as a collective, we must return to a commitment to live a life driven by the following;

• commitment
• compassion
• consideration
• cooperation
• courtesy
• humility
• modesty
• moderation
• loyalty
• justice
• tact
• responsibility
• respect
• trust
• honor
• integrity

As one can be hard-pressed to find many of these in abundance.

This is truly sad.

These attributes are the drivers of our humanness.

If this be true, would not the loss of virtue man’s inherent nature, also indicate the loss of one’s humanity.

One must not look far to find an answer to such a question.

Failing marriages, increasing crime rates, an explosion of hate crimes and brutality, neglect, the decline of  justice and rightful governance all result from a loss of virtue at the individual and collective level.

Humans have lost their virtue.

There is no longer a drive for moral excellence or human relevance.

As we replace our virtue we accelerate our  devolvement.

If you were to trace the origins of these bitter fruits you will find at the poisoned root of all of these; a loss of commitment, compassion, consideration, cooperation, courtesy, humility, modesty, moderation, loyalty, justice, tact, responsibility, respect, trust, honor, and integrity.

There is but one solution.

To let go of our vices.

Strive to live our lives in moral excellence.

Yes, always aim high.

Life is too short to live beneath your success potential. You are too special.

You must dare to be more! You must dare to be greater.

Never strive to be the big fish in a small pond as it will never be reflective of your true potential.

This is what is termed as “thinking small”.

But rather,

Don’t believe that you are limited in what you can achieve.

Truth be known, what one see’s as a limitation is really only a mental impediment. These can be overcome by a change in thinking and then acting according to that new pattern of thought.

Unfortunately,  a move in direction of that perceived limitation is often required. Limitations cannot be overcome without advancing toward it, challenging it, and overcoming it.

Greatness is only a byproduct of challenging yourself to stretch beyond what seems possible.

It is understandable that sometimes you just don’t know how.

Don’t worry, there is always a process, there is always a way.

Here is a process that can work for you!

•  First, you  must move past mental confinement (Believe anything is possible)
•  Second, you must understand that you have to strengthen yourself to succeed; and the fundamental way to accomplish something hard is to simply sweat it out.

• Thirdly, never fear or accept labels from others, especially the label that you are average. Remember the very fact that you are challenging yourself, believing it is possible, and sweating to make it happen means that you are already  beyond average

Sometimes the fear of being labeled average drives some to hold back from running in more challenging circles. Don’t let this be you.

• Fourth, don’t worry about failing. If you set your sights to the mountains and yet fail to reach the summit remember even if you are, for the moment, at the base of the mountain you are still higher than what you would have been at the apex of the hill.

• Fifth always aim to find something that will stretch you, that will lead you to struggle, to build greater competence, and in turn greater confidence.
• Sixth, inspect and expand your circle. Seek out those whose success, intellect, and habits, create within you a drive for aspiration. Those are the people that you will learn from. Someone once said you are the sum average of those you keep company with. Look around at your close group of confidants, peers, and friends. Then look at where you are. Ask yourself two very important questions.

1.  Does your circle of friends reflect your aspirations?
2. Do they challenge you to be better?

If not maybe it is time to expand your circle.

•  Seventh,  get to work. Vow to break the barriers that hold you back from reaching beyond your limitations and growing to your greatest self.

Eating the bread of idleness gives way to misdirection and misalignment.

The yeast of such catalyzes the bloat of non-commitment, apathy, or boredom.

What is Idleness?

Idleness is the state of inertia, a lack of movement, often resulting from  disinterest or boredom “a state of mental complacency.”

Because a person has lost interest in an activity or fails to find interest in another he or she remains idle.

Fundamentally, boredom often leads to acquiescing oneself to a state of inertia.

When one reasons to remain dispirited or morose due to lack of interest in anything in their immediate environment, depressed emotional states are perpetuated, thus further increasing the desire for stasis.

It is an ugly cycle that one must immediately break.

During these time of idleness is when calamity begins to fall upon one.

A mind empty of activity is like a pitcher waiting to be filled

Idleness tarnishes one’s brilliance and shine and if not careful one’s reputation and subsequently his or her life.

It as these times when misdirected activities gain in allurement.

It is in these hours of under occupation that our unfocused thoughts run rampant wreaking havoc on our sense and sensibilities.

The creative and innovative mind is never bored.

There will never be a time where there is nothing to do.

The world is too vast.

There is much to be done.

The dreamer and achiever can create meaningful experiences.

Boredom is ultimately a sign of disingenuousness.  It is a sign of lack in one’s life; lack of sincerity, drive,  and direction.

Ingenuity and creativity are solid attributes of success and achievement.

Excellence is a result of industriousness, not inertia.

Set challenges.

invest your time in activities outside of your norm.

Do something constructive.

If your interest wanes then ask yourself a few questions.

1. Have I been creative?
2. Do I need a change of scenery?
3. Is there a good book I have not read yet?
4. Have I exercised?
5. Is there some volunteer work I can do?

There is always a cure for boredom and idleness if one so chooses.

Make the right choice on the path to success.

Disavow idleness and move towards excellence.