Have you said or heard these sentences –

• I am not progressing at the pace I can because my partner isn’t ambitious enough
• My husband doesn’t understand me at all
• I don’t get time to exercise because I need to give all the time I have to kids and kitchen
• My mother in law is the cause of all my misery
• The way my wife behaves irritates me to the core
• I never enjoyed mathematics because my teacher wasn’t good enough
• Because of my father’s strict nature, I have become an introvert
• My parents love my brother more than me
• If only I had a good boss, I would have been on a different level in the organisation
• And so on ….

Isn’t it true that more often than not, someone else is the cause of your misery? If not for one (or a few) of them, your life would have sailed through beautifully. Don’t you ever feel like having a magic wand, where with a whoosh, those people will vanish forever?

Well, the unfortunate part is – that can never happen. It is beyond your control. You would instead want to do that which is under your control – your thinking and emotions.

I truly believe that how much ever we blame others for whatever reasons, the one who suffers and bears the brunt is – YOU. While others might get angry on you, ill-treat you, disrespect you, irritate you, make you feel incompetent, ensure you are miserable, or any other such negative feeling, it is you who are in a problem.

The only way out of this situation is TO STAND FOR YOURSELF. In the race of life you run for yourself. Yes, people will help you train, give suggestions, and show directions when needed. But when the race begins, YOU ARE FOR YOURSELF! You need to trust your gut and take decisions and overcome obstacles.

The world always rallies behind those who are successful right now. The moment they fall, they rally someone else and then someone else, and so on and so forth. This cycle never ends. If you get dependent on outside appreciation and accolades, you have a serious problem. It is very easy to bring your downfall. You are absolutely vulnerable.

So, trust yourself for whatever you are and wherever you are in life right now. Leave the mistakes behind and look at the future. Work on your weakness and focus on your strengths to propel you ahead. Have gratitude for all the appreciation that comes your way, but don’t be dependent on it. It is dangerous to depend on outside world (including your loved ones) for mental and emotional support. STAND FOR YOURSELF!

The bottomline is – you will always have people around you when things are going well. If things are not going well, there might be no one at all. In times, which are good or bad, even if there is no one, you should always have yourself standing right up for you! Remember, this golden rule of life for a lifetime of positivity and growth is – “YOU ARE FOR YOURSELF!”