The Power The Truth: The Secret to Taking Control of Your Life

Well, I’m going to tell you the truth, and you’re not going to like it. 

Shifting your mindset

All of your life’s woes can be solved if you took a hard look in the mirror and realized that you are the only person that can change your circumstances. Not the government, not your mother, and not your best friend.

When I stared at the mirror and took full accountability for who I was, then could I move forward.

If you want more resources on accountability, check out Jocko Willink’s podcast here. He is an Ex-Navy Seal Commander and author of Extreme Ownership, which I highly recommend. 

If you’re fat, it’s your lifestyle choices. If you hate your relationship, it’s because you’re bad at choosing a mate. And if you wonder why you feel like you’re stuck in life, it’s because you haven’t done anything about it. 

It took years to realize this and I hope you will use the power of the truth as your guide in order to take control of your life.

How can I take control of my life?

Tell yourself the truth. Stop saying it’s OK, that’s fine, and there’s nothing I can do about it. The only thing that’s constant with any and all problems in your life, is you. 

It is going to require hard work, and time. There’s no shortcuts, but the benefits of difficult things is correlated to long term performance. It requires a lot of sacrifice, and it’s going to suck.

That’s the power of truth, it’s like the slap in the face that you always needed, but kept trying to avoid. 

The alternative? Stay where you are, hate who you will become, and suffer from regret.

It drives me crazy when I hear people saying how XYZ is the reason for their life’s failures and that the world is pitted against them. That victim mentality is the reason why they’re there in the first place. 

I’m not saying that there are no crazy circumstances or obstacles in your way.

Anything you ever decide to do that is worth doing, will have obstacles. There will be people telling you that you can’t do it. There will be the people that laugh at you, and talk behind your back. That’s a part of it all. It can’t be avoided.

The world can be a shitty place, the only thing you can control is how you react to it.

A different perspective

The world was a lot tougher and harder than the times we are living in now. People managed. Back in ancient times, if you were disabled, you were pretty much casted aside. If you caught the flu, you were pretty much dead. If you were a prisoner of war, you’d probably be made a slave. 

Nowadays, we are complaining about privileges that we take for granted, built on the backs and lives of our forefathers. 

We forget that it cost millions of lives to win and secure the freedoms that we have. So that we can take a stroll in the park, walk our dogs, and eat our ice cream, without looking behind our backs wondering when the next savage is coming to pillage our village and rape our women. 

If the Romans were to look into the future and see the lives we live today, they would think we were gods.

We are living in the most peaceful time in all of mankind (Read Steven Pinker‘s book, The Better Angels of Our Nature), with practically any and all luxuries afforded to us. Yet, we can’t see that. 

Imagine if Da Vinci had an iPad. The truth is that we are pampered. We have it pretty good.

If you’re reading this article, you have the internet, a place to live, and food to eat. I wrote an article on how to be more grateful. Click here.

But, how come even with all these luxuries, privilege, and technology in our hands we still can’t get what we want out of life? Why is it that depression, addictions, and suicide are at all time highs? 

What should I do? 

Maybe it has to do something with finding our meaning, having significance. But, how do I figure out what I’m meant to do? Try a lot of things.

If you don’t like where you’re at in life right now, then you can’t afford to be doing the same thing every day and expecting a different result. 

Start taking web design classes, quit your job and go travel the world or take a trip to Antarctica (seriously, that would be awesome).

Take a hard look at your life, and write down some things that you really enjoy doing, even if you suck at it. Don’t discount something just because you aren’t that good at it. If it’s worth doing, it will take time to get good.

But, the good news is that you probably have 30-50 years worth of work ahead of you. Might as well do something of your choosing and gives you meaning. 

I can’t possibly tell you what to do with your life, because everyone is different. Some people want to be a ballet dancer, and others want to be like Dan Bilzerian.

But, there is probably something that you want to accomplish, but are scared of trying. There is something that will give meaning to your life. 

Life can’t just be about making money, getting hammered on the weekends, and always talking shit about your boss.

There are millions of people slogging through life, blaming their circumstances, and just waiting to catch a “lucky break”. Thinking that if they wait long enough, that something magical will happen and the stork will drop them a golden egg. 

Nope, that’s not going to happen, sorry to burst your bubble. 

Conclusion

Don’t end up being that person. The person that said, “I wish I did that when I was younger”. “I could do that, if I really tried.” “Oh, she’s not that special I would be better.”

You will have to try a lot of things before you get it right. You might be in the wrong career, wrong relationship, and a complete loser right now. And that’s OK.

What’s not OK is not coming to terms with the truth and accepting that’s your lot in life.

No one said it was going to be easy. It’s going to require a lot of hard work, failure, and time. 

But, maybe it’s solace and a relief, that the answer to figuring it all out, is staring right in front of you in the mirror.

Question for you

Can you think back on a moment where you took back control of your life, by telling yourself the truth? 

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