Will you procrastinate and complain that life is unfair, or change what you're doing?
I recently made some notes while listening to a podcast — a report from the recent Bitcoin Conference in Miami, Florida. At the conference, speakers had been discussing how Bitcoin might become more accepted in the wider world - and how they might help others to overcome the fears and resistance that they have about Bitcoin.
Whenever we're faced with a difficult task or need to persuade others of the merits of a difficult idea, it can be frustrating. Such is the challenge that fans of Bitcoin face in persuading cynics and skeptics of the merits of this cryptocurrency. We hope to be able to persuade the wider world to change their opinion but often by wheeling out the same data and reasoned arguments.
It’s tempting to blame the world and circumstances around us rather than accepting that we might actually have to put in the work to get what we want, persuading others of the merits of our opinion.
When feeling despondent it's easier to wish that things were different, that circumstances were more ideal and that the solution (if known) didn’t seem so daunting to implement.
We wish the world would change so we don't have to
It’d be nice if the rules of the game flexed and adapted to favor us and our skills, and played to our strengths and talents. Instead, we have to accept the rules and constraints of the environment in which we operate and make the best of the situation. We have to do the best we can, with what we have.
We’d prefer it if the things we excelled at were suddenly in high demand. Instead, it’s on us to understand what skills the challenge we're facing requires. Then we can focus on learning them, practicing them and applying ourselves to the problem.
How perfect it would be if a product we’d created or an idea we'd had was suddenly in massive demand and people were queuing up to pay us for it. Instead, we have to put in the creative work to understand what people want and then come up with ways that we can help them solve the problems they have.
Occasionally it can feel like the odds of success are stacked against us and to blame the circumstances of our situation for preventing us from doing and getting what we want from life. The main determinant of success and failure at such times is in whether we rise to the challenge or whether we wither and shy away from it.
Will you change yourself or vainly hope that the world changes?
The sweetest successes are those which are hard-won and earned through the work put in.
These come at the times when we can look beyond the obstacles before us and are committed to doing what’s necessary to overcome them. We don’t wait for the obstacle to crumble or for someone else to clear a path around it. Instead we deal with it, head-on.
We always have a choice whether to blame circumstances and surrender to our destiny or to accept things as they are and to play the hand we’ve been dealt. Surrendering ensures we remain in our comfort zone but we’ll likely feel a little more vulnerable and broken by the world as a result of taking the safe and easy path.
If we take on the challenge we may still fail but at least we’ll have tried to adapt ourselves to the situation. Even if things don’t go exactly as we’d hoped, lessons will still be learned and we can claim a victory of sorts, regardless.
Do something different or try a different approach
When I’m feeling frustrated by the response someone has given to something I've done or said, it’s not a fault of the world and the people within it. It's my responsibility to change.
When I’m despondent that I’m not making the money that I want or believe I deserve, I can feel hard done-by or I can try something different to earn more.
I can complain that I’m not fit enough to run a marathon and blame the fact that 26.2 miles is just too far, or I can train myself to build up the endurance to complete the race.
There is no sense in wanting or expecting the world to change to meet our desires and abilities. Instead, it’s our responsibility to change, learn, train, practice and prepare better so that we're able to go the distance and meet the demands of the challenges we face.
It may sound difficult or uncomfortable but it really is the only way.