Live your best life in 2022
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Introduction
Attitude is everything
Albert Einstein is widely regarded as one of the most intelligent men ever to have graced the earth's surface. In the 50s, Albert said: “In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.”
This statement is still very much relevant today, more than 70 years later.
Albert Einstein did not mean we should exploit a bad situation at the cost of another person’s happiness or health. He also did not mean that we should find opportunity in someone else’s bad luck.
No, he was probably referring to a perspective, a world view, a process that happens within us when we are confronted with a crisis. He was referring to our attitude towards life and how it is a key to unlocking opportunity.
Find opportunities
It’s all a big mess
When the wheels fall off, and things go wrong (as they often do), most of us find it virtually impossible to see the ‘good’ or the ‘potential’ in the disaster. However, it is often at these times that we can grow the most. We are allowed to mature, although we don't appreciate it at the time, of course.
Einstein’s words remind us to relax about the things we can’t control and focus on what we can. We can control our emotions and our attitude. A positive outlook bears fruit more often than not. A crisis is also an excellent opportunity to build our faith and to learn to trust.
The opportunity in success
A video that recently went viral showed Christiano Ronaldo stopping to take selfies with wheelchair-bound fans after a big cup final. A couple of years ago, the rugby player Sonny Bill Williams made the headlines when he gave his gold medal to an adoring fan infringing on his privacy after a match.
These incidents spoke volumes of their attitude, and in both cases, the stars turned a potential crisis into positive opportunities.
The take-home message?
Be gracious when you’re on top for more significant opportunities will be presented to you for doing good.
The opportunity in the mundane
Live in the moment.
Experts say we should be ‘mindful’ of our surroundings and the place in life where we’re at. A beautiful sunrise on the way to work, a butterfly sitting on a concrete slab, your son or daughter mastering an ordinary skill for the first time- these are opportunities for joy amongst the crisis of boredom in our lives. Stop and savor the small things in life. Being grateful is not an art. It's an attitude.
The opportunity of family and friends
We know. Sometimes family drives you nuts, and your friends can be irritating, but they are all unique in God's eyes.
When the usual chaos descends at the Thanksgiving table or a political argument erupts around the Saturday evening barbeque - be wise and deliberately sit back, smile and enjoy the company.
Try to enjoy the uniqueness of people, no matter how much they differ from you, your opinion, or your agenda. Instead, look for new opportunities to make a positive contribution.
The opportunity in change
Few of us love and embrace change, especially when it is forced upon us and when it doesn’t happen on our terms.
Change provides enormous opportunities. It takes effort to find the option in every dynamic and evolving situation – and you definitely need the correct attitude!
Conclusion
Find your opportunities in 2022
Albert Einstein certainly had an exciting life. He was born in Germany, educated in Switzerland, worked in Berlin, and settled in the United States during tremendous political turmoil and technological advancement.
Like us, he was exposed to change, crisis, opportunity, and countless hours of mundane boredom (research is a rather tedious affair), and his super-intelligent brain could not possibly have offered him escape from all of these. We are pretty sure his famous quote was forged in the fires of Mount Crisis - his saving grace was probably his positive attitude towards life.
These five ways will help you live your best life in 2022, and they will also improve the lives of others around you. It is a new year, with new opportunities. So, let's embrace it with both arms!
Resources
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1921/einstein/biographical/
https://www.biography.com/scientist/albert-einstein
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMa5dJ4kUPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_TP2TphtO0