Belief<\/strong><\/p>\n Some people are given a good start in life, some are not. I wasn\u2019t given the best start in life, but certainly not the worse. I found myself as a teenager a bit lost and confused and slightly behind on the academic front.<\/p>\n One thing I did realise, was that I didn\u2019t want the life that I had. That\u2019s where one element comes into play, you need belief<\/strong> to be able to set off on a journey. That first step is probably the hardest to make.<\/p>\n When I was young I was more or less told it was pointless trying to do anything useful and many objections were put in my way, but I saw through them and knew that I wanted to reach to something better so that’s what I pursued. I found the strength to accept the status quo was not only below what I wanted but that I wasn’t going to accept it.<\/p>\n Perseverance<\/strong><\/p>\n You tend to find is that belief on its own is not enough. Desire, belief whatever you want to call it, wherever you want to end up, is unlikely to be a straightforward journey. So that\u2019s where the second factor comes in. You need to persevere, often in the face of significant adversity and barriers.<\/p>\n I think it\u2019s honest to say that life is generally not fair. My peers and mentors have often reminded me of that fact and I firmly believe that coming to terms with that fact is part of how you deal with life. When life deals you a bad hand, you may have been completely right but it still gave you a duff deal. Knowing that helps you deal with it. Sometimes it works the other way, but it’s human nature to spot the bad moments.<\/p>\n Life will throw all sorts of brickbats, curveballs and issues at you. But it\u2019s not that that will define you as a person. It\u2019s how you deal with it, that will define you. Things are not fair and injustice should energise you, don\u2019t dwell too much on the disappointments.<\/p>\n Surprise<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the things that surprised me, was that after years of hard work when you finally get your breakthrough; you expect the world to change. It doesn\u2019t.Life carries on as normal and there isn\u2019t any recognition that you have \u2018made it\u2019. Nobody holds a party to say well done. If that\u2019s what you are looking for, be prepared to be disappointed. This tells you that your objective at the outset must be clear and achievable and take this into account.<\/p>\n Life carries on as normal and there isn\u2019t any recognition that you have \u2018made it\u2019. Nobody holds a party to say well done. If that\u2019s what you are looking for, be prepared to be disappointed. This tells you that your objective at the outset must be clear and achievable and take this into account. I do projects now for the achievement and not for reward and I get a huge amount of satisfaction from that. It’s what gets me up each morning, in the case of this morning at 4am!!!<\/p>\n 2nd Surprise<\/strong><\/p>\n The second surprise for me was that you can reach a point where you are very confident about something, because you have explored it thoroughly, explained it beautifully and actually did it. But people will still choose to try and proffer an opinion that opposes it or what you did. People will push their opinion on you simply to make themselves feel better. Though 1+1 = 2 for some people if that means confirmation that you are right, they will do everything to prove that it actually equals 17. Never let people sway you from your path. People often speak with words that satisfy their own position. Regardless of whether that is the truth or not, they do it to fit into their worldview. Don’t let them sway you.<\/p>\n You quickly learn that even if you are completely sure of something and know you are right through careful\u00a0application of your principles, it may be out of favour with others. Social conformity will ensure that your view does not shine through. Don\u2019t suffer fools gladly, you will not stand a chance of overturning their views, no matter how right you are.<\/p>\n If your view is correct, then it will eventually shine through and people will catch up with your opinion and wonder how on earth you had such foresight. But the fact is you were right all along, it\u2019s just that nobody realised!<\/p>\n That\u2019s the essence of perseverance. Sticking to your guns, for valid reasons and seeing things through to their successful conclusion. People will tell you it\u2019s not right, not possible, even if you know it is. So I never fear to go against the grain anymore, never. People say things for their own reasons, even if they are entirely\u00a0false. Ignore them, see through it. Don’t let them dent your confidence.<\/p>\n Characteristics<\/strong><\/p>\n During my journey, I\u2019ve leant on people who are much older than me to give me a path of what happens next. I\u2019ve also noticed that you do need an injection of youth. People coming up behind you do not carry the same prejudices as people who have gone before and they always carry more energy. Change and being challenged is good, change sweeps away the old and brings in the new. You need to change to move forward, embrace it.<\/p>\n I would conclude that another element that will help your new journey is to surround yourself with good people. Good can mean anything, it doesn\u2019t mean wealthy, it doesn\u2019t mean successful. But having a mix of different types of people will allow you to weigh up all options available to you and give you a good view of any decision that you must make. Realise nobody can be 100% \u00a0right but alternative views will provoke some thoughtfulness in yourself. Accept their thoughts and yours with appropriate humility. If somebody forcefully puts across a view, dismiss it. They are not listening to your question.<\/p>\n Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n You can see I\u2019ve talked very little here about luck. That is because I\u2019m not a believer in outright luck.<\/p>\n People often feel that if something good that happens, it\u2019s down to skill. If something bad happens is because you got stitched up somehow. The truth is both happen in equal proportion. Don\u2019t praise yourself too much when things go your way. Just try and steer a common path. Don\u2019t keep changing your mind every time something good or bad happens, just keep on ploughing on to your eventual goal, which is probably in sight from your current position, but maybe a bit distant at times. If you keep walking forward even a meandering path will allow you to reach it.<\/p>\n So when people say to me, \u201cHey Peter you\u2019ve been very lucky\u201d. I just remind them that luck is where opportunity meets ability.<\/p>\n Not only that, you must have the ability to take the opportunity when it is presented to you. Sometimes that takes some guts, and sometimes the opportunity doesn\u2019t turn out to be what it is, but taking it and learning from it is the most important step to continue your journey.<\/p>\n And last but not least. I’m not just talking about trading here, it’s in everything you do. As they say in Latin, Carpe Diem.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/kaplanchiropractic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Make-Your-Own-Luck-small.jpg\")
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