We all want to know and learn why Knowing Yourself is so essential. "Know Thyself," a famous Ancient Greek Aphorism, tells you to know and conquer yourself before you can conquer the world. It is easier said than done. I know it all too well that when you consider doing something new, you fantasize everything about it and how easy it seems that you can grasp the whole world in your hands.
The reality then kicks us hard when the first obstacle surmounts to no smaller than the biggest mountain. So much energy is spent just thinking of ways to surmount that big task that we lose our energy to go on.
There is an adage that a goat learned how to get to the top of a peak but forgot how to get down. Everyone looking from below thought this goat a sage; many animals went to the goat for wisdom, but all the goat asked was how to get back down.
This happened to me so many times, going from one goal to another, from one interest to the next. Losing energy somewhere in the middle and losing all hope. The hardest part was what to do next?
Through countless experiences and twists and turns, I learned a few things to tackle this situation and the indecisiveness. Let me share with you, friends, what I learned.
Knowing When to Take a Break or When to Quit
Whatever endeavour or journey you embark on, there will always come when your energy is depleted, and you have no motivation to go on. No matter how many angles you look through, the picture is the same. No option left to improve while seeing no fault in your design. At that point, you must take a break and relax. Take some time off to clear the clutter in your mind and step back to look at the picture differently. A new angle with a fresh mind may give you the answer you seek. Here are some of the stories that show you what I mean.
IT Repair Business – IT was such a craze back then; every tom dick and harry wanted to jump into the IT business, it was my second business, and I was so enthusiastic. I wanted to jump on the bandwagon of earning quick money, ultimately called the IT genius, and make big. Little did I know I knew nothing about the intricacies of the IT business. I wasn’t getting any customers and didn’t know how to promote and market my business. The competition was too fierce. Quitting the business was the best option for me then.
Quitting Gym – Though I have become regular, the journey to regularity took me a lot of quitting. I was not ready for the excruciating pain that ensues when you join a gym. All it takes is the first time you increase the weight higher than your threshold and do it at least 10 times. That's when you start conquering it. You do it to build strength and resilience. After many failed tries, I am now a regular for almost 15 years.
New Courses – Buying self-development and business courses, jumping from one to another to find success. Always thinking that the next one might be the answer. Yep, I was one of those people. Not anymore.
Any Progress is Good Progress
I forgot to ponder whether failing was the experience that I was learning from. Even though I completed some significant things and experienced great moments in my life, I typically ignored the lessons learned from each failure. It is the way of life to teach you essential lessons when you fail and are at the lowest of the low. The moment you learn to get up from a fall is when you know thyself there is no way but up.
So each time I couldn't complete my project, I learned a new way to fail. My memory added a new red flag or a pitfall I should be careful the next time. It was as if I was walking through a minefield. One mine goes off, I knew what I should do now, and it won't hurt me again.
I started learning to play musical instruments, enrolled in a degree programme, started my blog and vlog, and even became a gym enthusiast. Learning to do good every time gets you one step closer to the victory line. One milestone achieved; get ready to move on to the next one. The journey continues.