Mediocrity has become widespread and very few people seem to be enjoying life beyond that.
The majority are just getting by, doing a job that they absolutely hate and blaming it all on the luck of the draw.
The world seems cruel to them and they are fixated on doing no more than what is expected of them.
So, it comes as no surprise that these are the same individuals who somehow see the gloomy clouds even on a Sunny day.
But the real difference between those who have given into mediocrity and those who have been able to make lemonade out of lemon is that these supposedly 'favoured' individuals had a vision beyond their current circumstances.
And the vision didn't just come to them in a dream.
It was something that they had taken the time to sculpture in their own minds.
It was something that they really wanted to achieve in life regardless of their current conditions.
And this mechanism is available to all of us, should we ever decide to tap into its reservoir of abundance.
The underlying principle of this mechanism is desire.
How badly do you want something, why do you want it and by when? If you are able to answer these questions compellingly, you are halfway there.
Most such visions quite often include a financial goal, a health goal or a relationship goal for the most part, as these three pillars are regarded as the essential triad of our well being.
Just as the vision, the vehicle that you are seeking to make the journey with should be just as appealing.
If the vehicle doesn't entice you or make the journey too much of a drag, you're likely to get off at one stage or the other.
But in such as an event, before you decide to disembark, it's important to take a closer look and see if it was the vehicle in its entirety that made the journey distasteful or was it perhaps just one or two small elements of it? If it was just a few minor details, it is important to understand that there is no such thing as a perfect vehicle or a conduit.
You just have to use your creativity in order to make the entire process as pleasurable an experience as possible.
Often any situation in our lives can be altered through the thoughts associated to it.
For example, you can choose to see cooking as a boring and a necessary inconvenience or you can choose to see it as creative, relaxing and pleasurable.
But if the entire process or a good part of it is putting you off, then the vehicle you had chosen might not be for you.
As Steven Covey once said "When you are scrambling up the ladder of success, make sure it is leaning against the right building".
And this is how we find our true calling in life.
For example, a Heart Surgeon, who immensely enjoys his work and the satisfaction of saving lives, would primarily be focused on saving even more lives.
Thus for him, surgery is the most suited vehicle for his mission and his future aspirations.
If you are not sure about what your true calling is, it's better to fail forward than to stand still as the more things you try, the sooner you will triumph.
Happiness is a by-product of being contentwith every aspect of your life.
In the physical realm this starts with a daily exercise routine and a healthy meal plan.
This also contributes immensely towards both your physical and emotional well being.
Language is the other important element.
How you talk to yourself on a minute to minute basis, as well as how you speak to others determine a good percentage of how you feel about yourself and thus is a key contributor to your overall happiness.
Integrity in all things makes you a powerful and worthwhile human being.
In fact, actions that lack integrity serve as a negative anchor.
A lie or an act of deception, regardless of its size will often feel like carrying around a ton of bricks, until eventually being exposed to the truth.
And the lack of integrity can only be subdued verbally, as our body commands a majority of every message spoken.
Giving and sharing is the process that you are truly here for, whichever vehicle you may have chosen for our great voyage.
If you can recall the happiest moments in your life, you will find that it has a surprising significance to the act of giving, sharing and receiving.
If you had ever contributed through an act of giving as noble as saving someone's life and witnessed the unfolding of the events, you will no doubt know how immeasurably fulfilling that was.
And on the flip side, it is the act of giving that ensures your rewards.
For example, a salesperson that provides a much needed and appreciated service to his clients manages to retain his customers for future business and obtains referrals through the mere quality of the service or product he may have offered.
But if he were to focus on the process of receiving a profit from the customer rather than offering a worthwhile service, his sales; if any; would have been significantly decimated.
And on a more personal level, very few people tend to buy presents for those who don't buy them anything to begin with.
Spirituality serves as the all true element which determines your direction, balance and peace.
There is no greater investment than the investment you make in yourself to reconnect with your higher self for with this strength and guidance even the most insurmountable tasks can be achieved.
It also contributes exponentially to your emotional well being.
Family & human relations determine as much as 70% of our happiness and on the flip side they can just as easily cause as much as 70% of our unhappiness, if neglected.
Human relations, be it your spouse, child or other should be dealt with the greatest of care.
And contrary to what many believe, it really is not common sense at all, it is a science.
And fortunately for us, this knowledge is readily available through books written by some of the leading Relationship Experts such as Dr John Gray and Dr Ellen Kreidman.
Emerging victorious in this department alone can determine the consequent success of most other departments.
And it is vitally important that you always contribute a good slice of your time to your family ahead of all other on-going commitments.
The other element that contributes to our happiness is self-esteem, which determines how much we like ourselves on a minute to minute basis.
Many of the traits we discussed here will contribute enormously towards elevating your Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence.
But there's bound to be a few isolated internal conflicts, possibly due to negative programming from our childhood.
Negative and demoralizing statements that have been thoughtlessly passed down over the years tend to arise from your subconscious most unexpectedly, and they may hold you back from much of your due success.
One way to short circuit this would be repeat positive and nurturing affirmations out loud first thing in the morning and whenever you feel your self-esteem being stricken by old programming.
A second technique would be to shift your focus.
It would be helpful to have a series of happy memories that you could reflect on as soon this happens.
And the more detail and life you associate with these memories, the more effective they tend be.
In order to maintain your self-confidence (which is also regarded as a highly influential factor), you must make a practise to walk tall with shoulders pulled back and breathe in deep with your stomach to keep your composure.
The same can be done when you are sitting down.
You should never slouch on a chair while you are at work or in a meeting, but instead sit up straight and away from the back rest and continue to keep your deep breathing in check.
It would often help to loosen your jaws, cheek muscles and radiate a sense of control and calm.
Eliminating negative thought patterns such as anger, frustration, hatred, jealousy, disappointment, doubt, fear and any other barrier to your well being and happiness is an essential part of the Success puzzle.
The simple solution is this.
If you are afraid of something, you must force yourself to act brave and to do the thing you fear in order for the fear to dissipate.
And likewise all negative thought patterns can be vanquished simply through the act of doing the very opposite.
For example, hatred can be conquered with love, frustration with far-rightness, doubt with certainty, disappointment with decisiveness and fear with bravery and so on.
This shouldn't be just a change of thought pattern.
It should be followed through with an action or a series of actions that cement the positive traits in place.
Taking control of your breathing is imperative to your physical and emotional well being.
If you have control of your breathing from the get-go, the chance of a negative thought pattern ever taking prominence is slim to none.
You must discipline yourself to breathe in through your stomach at all times, ensuring that you allow the stomach to inflate fully in the process.
As you do, take a moment to feel the coolness on the nostrils as you breathe in and the gentle warmth as you breathe out.
This simple exercise can bring a sense of tranquility and balance within minutes, regardless the overwhelming nature of the situation at hand.
Take a while to reconnect with nature, be it in the form of a walk, just sitting by the beach, going on a safari or just bird watching.
Nature is where our soul is and no amount of buildings and technology can change that.
For you to rediscover your wholeness, you must fill the void within.
Practicing the above principles in harmony will give you a unified recipe for happiness.
And it will also get you started on your road to your financial freedom.
But that is quite a vast topic in itself and will be discussed on a later article.
Life is a gift and its rewards, both in terms of happiness and wealth are directly correlated to your efforts, relations, decisiveness and integrity.
And what we can achieve as human beings is truly unimaginable and in fact it's been said than mankind is living well below 5% of his potential.
Finding your true calling and achieving a desired goal is only just the beginning of the process and although your achievements will reward you amply for your efforts, it is in the continuous venture of striving from one port to another, that you will find your true happiness.