There is a point of view that claims “Life is not a bowl of cherries” and, as the classic Rolling Stones song says, “you can’t always get what you want.” It is a whole paradigm that people buy into as a way to accept mediocrity in their lives and rationalize not striving for more.
That paradigm is in direct opposition to three basic assumptions I Have about people and their ability to succeed:
1. People have their own answers within themselves regarding what will make them happy.
2. They possess the personal power to cause those inner answers to become reality.
3. Anyone can have life be the way they want it.
These three assumptions, when held up against the negative paradigm, can feel either empowering or intimidating, depending on what you believe you deserve and which set of assumptions you operate from.
Whichever basis you come from affects the filter through which you perceive reality. If you subscribe to the negative, that is what you’ll get. Argue for your limitations and eventually they will win. If you subscribe to the positive assumptions, however, you have a far greater capacity to catapult yourself higher toward your natural place up in the stars.
You can deem yourself successful whether you get the bowl of cherries or convince yourself you are content with just the pits. The real question, however, is: Will you be fulfilled by a bowl of pits?
