#511 What comes next came before

“You already know what I’m going to say,” the mentor I don’t have tells me.

It’s true.

I don’t need anyone to tell me what to do.

Neither do you.

All you need is someone to remind you to do what you already know.

If you had constant presence of mind, you could remind yourself.

But if you’re anything like me, your clarity gets lost in day-to-day desires, worries, and chores.

And that’s fine.

Because that’s what you’re here for, no?

Not to learn what your life should look like but to receive a reminder to live it daily?

Achieving an outcome without the daily actions that lead to an identity shift is empty and unsustainable.

I may want to publish a book. But if someone writes the whole book without my input and I put my name on it in the end, do I deserve to call it my book?

I have a book. But I’m not a writer. And I’m not an author.

I may want to have a million dollars. But if tomorrow I win the lottery or receive a large inheritance without any action from my side, what does that mean?

I have a million dollars. But I’m not wealthy – and research suggests that without proper guidance, I’ll spend it all, ending up back at square one.

It works the other way around, too. You can blindly chase an outcome (or slip into bad habits) without considering how the actions you need to take to get there will change you as a person.

Depending on your actions to get there, chasing fame can make you happy – or very unhappy. Writing a book can make you happy or very unhappy. Building a hugely successful company can make you happy or very unhappy.

The value, satisfaction, and resentment are all in the actions, not the outcome.