Ownership - The Fundamentals
The world we live in is fast paced, and a large portion of our lives are filled with white noise. The days go by so quickly that before you know it weeks become months, and month’s turn into years in what seems like the blink of an eye.
As human beings we love to consume. There is never enough food, never enough drink and certainly never enough time, and we consume our information just as fast as we consume our food and drink. Chances are, you will forget the majority of what you read today by this time next week, as it joins the static as just another part of the white noise (much as this sentence just did).
This is the first in a series of articles outlining the concept of ownership. Hopefully it will stimulate something inside you that will resonate long after you have read it, and will inspire you to take some sort of action.
These days we move through life at such a blinding pace, that we barely even look out the window anymore, and if we do, it is likely just a whirl of mixed together colours that somehow all look the same. The real question we need to be asking ourselves is – am I the driver or the passenger on this ride? And, if I’m a passenger, am I moving through life sitting in someone else’s car, and if so – where are they going? Or am I on a bus filled with countless others, controlled by some unseen and mostly un-thought of driver? And where is it going?
We are creatures of habit, most of the time just doing things as we always have, because that’s the way its always been done. Or, moreover – because that is the way we were taught/ told to do it.
One of the key principles to the Front Foot Forward approach is that of ownership. Ownership of our own lives, the choices we make, the work we do and why we do it, the foods we eat and why we eat them, and the people and places we surround ourselves with. It is not about over-analyzing the past and finding reasons/ excuses to explain our current circumstances (although there is a place and purpose for reflection/ revision) – it is about accepting where we are right now, and taking ownership of what happens next.
There is an ancient Greek aphorism that states “know thyself”, and that is the first step in truly taking ownership of our own lives. We tend to avoid situations and circumstances that produce feelings of discomfort and unease, but it is in these brief moments that we truly get to understand ourselves and what makes us tick. Internal reflection and self-awareness are the true keys to unlocking and developing a relationship with ourselves. Much like the practice of mindfulness, we must learn to be aware of our own lives, the different roles we play within it, and the consequences/ results of the decisions we make.
The first step is understanding yourself, however that is only the first step. In the next article in this series, we will explore the concept of ownership in action and provide you with simple steps you can take in order to take ownership of your own lives.
