How To Free Yourself From Life's Anchors

The major goal of every rational person is to achieve as much long-term happiness as possible. To be happy you must strive to maximize your pleasure and minimize your pain. Happiness will exist naturally in the absence of fears, doubts, and negative emotions. This article presents the starting steps you must take to release yourself from painful situations and begin walking your path to happiness.

There is no worse feeling in the universe than being painfully aware that you should not be doing what you're doing.

Fortunately, the majority of situations in our day-to-day lives by which we feel most enslaved are those which we have the power to control completely. You must become conscious of the fact that it was your choice (and yours alone) to become involved in a bad business deal, crashing project, or unhappy romance. You might not have known the way it would end when you were going in, but it was still your choice to make. Happily, you maintain power over your choices.

Your life right now is a result of the decisions you've made in the past. If you're displeased with the way things are happening for you right now, the only certain way to change your future is to change your decisions. Remember that you are the one with the final power over every decision you make.

A major change for the better will immediately be yours, if you so choose it.

It is time for you to mentally draw a line in the sand. Above this line make a list of everything which is currently in your life. Include projects, businesses, relationships, absolutely everything which requires your time, energy, and other valuable resources.

Next, imagine that you have been granted an opportunity to completely start anything in your life over again. This would be a second chance granted to you on everything you have written above the line. A totally fresh start.

Is there anything now in your life which, knowing what you now know, you would not get into again if you had a chance to do it over?

This is a phenomenally important question for you to ask yourself. It is so incredibly powerful that you will be amazed at the positive changes you can immediately effect in absolutely every area of your life.

Think again, Is there anything currently in your life which, knowing what you now know, you would not get into again if you had it to do over?

Once you have decided on whatever it is that you wouldn't do again, begin taking steps to cut each and every one of those things out of your life immediately. Don't try to make something work that you wouldn't even get into again. What a waste of your extremely precious resources, especially your time and energy.

Why wouldn't you pick up the axe and start cutting out all of your life's negatives?

For starters, far too many people allow themselves to fall into the "previous investment trap." They feel they have already invested so much that there is no choice but to see it through to the end. But the actual truth of the matter is that there is always a choice. If you're willing to make it.

If you've determined the truth about your situation and the truth is not to your liking, do you possess the courage and self-discipline to make choices which are in accordance with that truth?

The question to ask yourself then becomes, "How will you get out, and how fast?"

Use the simplest and most direct method of escape available to you. You will demonstrate the ability to use remarkable creativity once you have determined what it is you are going to do.

Don't continue throwing good money after bad. You can always think of a way to set yourself free, if you really want to.

It is nearly impossible to make progress if you allow yourself to be held back by the decisions of your past.

Be strong; don't let yourself be held back by the fear of failure. It's entirely a matter of having the courage and insight to look at life and business from an independent perspective.

When you are proactive and exercise your self-discipline to begin effecting beneficial changes in your life, you will begin dealing from a position of strength. And this is a very lucrative position to put yourself in, no matter what your business may be.

To paraphrase Benjamin Disraeli, you possess the power to create your own circumstances.

At first it may be difficult to take action. Your ego might be very deeply enmeshed in the situation. Don't fall into the trap of protecting a bad investment than for no other reason than that it is yours. What a waste this would be. Allow yourself to be flexible enough to choose the best route for your future.

The Take-Home Message for today is: Knowing what you now know, what would you not get into again, if you had it to do over?

Remember that nothing has as much power to determine what you will do and how well you will do it as your own decisions and determination.