Why A Personal Philosophy Is Important Today

By: Eszter C.
_______

It helps navigate the unexpected curves and bends of life. Most importantly, it serves as a guideline to keep you on track. A life strategy outlines the non-negotiables in life. Your top values become your driving forces. These values help you stay on the path you envisioned for yourself instead of letting you wander through an unknown forest. A personal strategy tells you whether to turn left or right. It assists you in making decisions based on where you want to go.

Why is a personal philosophy necessary? Society has ingrained in us that the people who have achieved the most are the ones with the highest number in their bank account, the most expensive car, and the longest title on a business card. However, not everyone needs to suffer through building a multi-million dollar business. Success is a subjective definition, and if you don’t make it clear for yourself, you’ll end up chasing someone else’s desires. You don’t want to end up swimming in pools of cash overlooking the Beverly Hills with a hollow and empty feeling because it is not what you truly want. A personal philosophy helps you make decisions that align with your central values.

Decisions are the root of your results. If you aren’t satisfied with the outcomes, you need to change the choices you are making. Even if you say that you are not choosing between one or the other, that is a choice. No decision is a decision. Lack of interest and responsibility is a decision you make. Often the choices we make are based on cultural practices and our upbringing. Ordinary people make choices based on accepted customs, whether they believe those to be true or not. For example, there is a common belief that the more you have, the better. Is this true? Less is often more. Less means you have enough. Enough means you can appreciate what you have. Once you focus on the things you already have, you begin to forget about the things that are absent in your life. To live a simple life, you don’t need more stuff. Yet, this is what people chase after, and when they are not content with what they own, they go to buy more. Extraordinary individuals decide which beliefs bring them closer to their ideal life and which do not. They understand that some rules are to be broken. Once you accept this notion, the dark curtains drop and reveal the bright world of possibility.

Developing a life strategy is not easy. You need to look deep within yourself and tap into the beliefs you have installed to evaluate if these rules serve you or don’t. Here are four actionable tips you can test today to create your unique life philosophy.

  1. Think about what you value in others, what beliefs determine your actions, and what ideas resonate with your core. It’s hard to understand these embedded philosophies immediately. The best way to bring them to the surface is by journaling or meditating.
  2. Study the philosophies of people you admire. If you can understand their driving motivations and values, you can duplicate their successes in life. The best way to expose yourself to the thought processes of individuals is by reading autobiographies.
  3. Don’t chase perfection. Perfection is the most absurd thing to pursue because it doesn’t exist. Your life strategy will continue to develop and evolve as you gain more experience and knowledge. It is not a set of rules set in stone. It’s a moldable block of clay that changes shape as new wisdom is acquired.
  4. Test your philosophy. Does it work in all situations? Experiment with it. Tweak it as needed.

A worldview is our interpretation of the things that happen around us. It’s our specific lens that we view the world through. When we understand how we see the world, we can understand what motivates and drives us. We can use that to our advantage and use it to guide our actions. Set aside time today to understand what are your non-negotiables in life. Come up with five things that you value most. Hereis a list to help get you started.

References:

  • Young, S. (2007, June). 10 Steps to Developing a Meaningful Life Philosophy. Retrieved from https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/06/26/10-steps-to-developing-a-meaningful-life-philosophy/
  • Chan, J. T. (2018, June 7). Here’s How to Create Your Own Personal Philosophy If You’re Sick of Everyone Trying To Tell You Who…. Medium. Retrieved from medium.com/swlh/heres-how-to-create-your-own-personal-philosophy-if-you-re-tired-of-everyone-trying-to-tell-you-3537fe56ac5d
  • Shannon, R. (2018, April 21). How building a worldview brings you happiness. Medium. Retrieved from medium.com/building-worldview/how-building-a-worldview-brings-you-happiness-a317a6792c84

You Might Also Like...

Get Enlightened Cloud in Your Inbox

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.