Life is What YOU Make of It

“Life is what you make of it, nothing more or less. Life is yours to mold and shape as you wish…” — Rick Cox

Due to your back ground and upbringing, the above might be difficult to swallow, but is none the less, true. Even the children of Russia and Romania became successful when applying themselves; for some went on to do much more than being star athletes. Many have enjoyed the fruits of the long hours of hard work and years of training by receiving preferential treatment from their governments and or becoming American citizens. As a result they are living as free people to do with their life as they wish. The fact is if they can do it then you can too. The bottom line is the choice is up to you. It is up to your beliefs, not someone else’s; for it is only the IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUR BELIEFS that will make the picture you hold in your heart, a reality.

This is where the struggles begin in that we have a picture or a dream to which we aspire yet, there are others having strong influence on our lives that have their own version of that picture or dream and in many cases these are in conflict. In most cases the others who carry this picture or dream ‘for us’ are actually well meaning parents, family, friends, agents, or similar. Still, there are those that use children and young people to bolster their own standing and or prominence among their friends or in their community, state, or country. The communist countries have long been guilty of exploiting children and doing so to bolster their international stance. They take the children from their parents at a very early age placing them in a government run facilities to enhance and hone the gifts and talents of this child into highly developed skills. There is often no concern to what happens to these young people after they are used and discarded. On the other hand most are well meaning parents, coaches, agents, or others doing nothing more than prodding, coaching, and encouraging these young people to become their best. You should be thankful if this has been the case with you.

Think about the young kids in these communist countries, which started out with nothing only to be taken from their parents at an early age to become a star for their country. During the course of their training many were able to grasp hold of what they wanted by realizing they did have talent and could convert this talent into a spendable commodity thus helping them climb out of the mundane existence into which they were born. The fulfillment of this dream would provide the ticket necessary to become a passenger on the jet to freedom; no longer having to ride on the train to nowhere. While these children followed the prodding and pushing of those around them, many held onto their belief of one day being free to use their talents for their own benefit. That is to say they held on to their dreams with enough tenacity to see them come true.

When you look at how the children in these communist countries are raised from an early age it would seem they were destined to be what the ‘state’ wanted them to be. Stated another way, they were destined to make their country famous rather than themselves. They were destined to portray something to the world other than what was going on. What happened however is many of those who were pushed also pushed themselves thereby, going on to notoriety due to their successes. This notoriety allowed and afforded them the ability in one way shape or form to purchase or gain their freedom. They did not allow the many pitfalls and obstacles they faced to stop them; but held on to their beliefs and wound up achieving what they set out to accomplish.

So, if they can do it in a communist country, what about those of us here in the land of opportunity? What excuses are we using for not being able to be all we can be? What excuse do we have for not pushing through the smaller obstacles here in the land of opportunity? As bad as things may appear to be, there is always an opportunity to provide something of value to someone who is willing to pay. As a matter of fact, Napoleon Hill said in every failure or adversity there is a seed of equivalent advantage. In other words, there is the opportunity for success in that which appears to be sure defeat. However, the fulfillment of your dream will not happen unless you hold fast and true to your beliefs that what you want out of life will come to pass.

We all recognize there is a difference between being a child with the lack of mental acuity this holds versus being an adult and the mental acuity this affords, for once you become an adult it is up to you to decide the depth of influence anyone shall have on your life. What I am saying is, you should not allow the influence of others to sway you in any way shape or form to keep you from your dreams and aspirations. Instead, you should learn to use only that which will move you toward your dreams and what you believe for yourself, doing so in the same manner of those in the communist countries. You don’t have to allow others to influence you toward anything other than that which will take you where you want to go. On the other hand by giving in to the pressures around us, we allow others to set the course and direction for our life. When you allow this, there is no one else to blame, but yourself. NO ONE!

A very real example of this, which all have witnessed, is when young and impressionable entertainers have become wildly successful. Hordes of leeches gather round to use these entertainers for their own benefit making money for themselves even though it may be to the detriment or destruction of the person used. At times entertainers are pressed to be or to portray something to the public, which may be contrary to what they believe. When this happens, it begins the erosion process on their self worth and character. Jim Carrey once said it was best he did not achieve the level of stardom he eventually went on to enjoy, as he was not ready to handle all of the pressures and responsibilities that go along with it. He was able to climb slowly making his own decisions versus having them made by others.

What I am saying is don’t allow others to steal your dreams. Don’t allow others to push you into being something you are not or remaining something much less than you are capable. For you will find these are simply tests in the path of life. Learn to push back and thus not allow others or obstacles to keep you from being ALL you were meant to be. Do you know what you were meant to be? Do you know what you were meant to do? Are you being and doing or are you following the advice and path others have laid out for you? The choice is yours is yours to make, but YOU have to make it. Don’t leave it up to someone else.

Best of LUCK as you
Labor Under Correct Knowledge…

Respectfully,

Rick Cox