Many of us live as victims to life and circumstances. We choose to allow our jobs and other people to be responsible for our happiness and fulfillment. We wait and wait and wait for the next "phase" of our life to finally lead the happy life we always wanted. We use people, schooling, and events as mere stepping stones on the pathway to happiness in a never-ending dance of "practice" for the "real thing". A never-ending dance of waiting to be happy after we achieve x, y, and z...and then r, g, h and t....and then d, q, c and v and so on. You know exactly what I'm talking about! We worry so much about looking good for others who are so caught up in having the same exact worry for us. We attach meaning to childhood events that have held us back from the freedom of now as though they actually have to mean something when really nothing has to mean anything and the past doesn't even exist, except in our minds. Life is inherently meaningless until we give it meaning and no matter how much society tells us what things mean, the choice is ultimately ours. We are the creators of our own meaning and the meaning of things. Every moment we experience exists in an infinitely empty space of nothing with endless possibilities for the creation of anything. The best part is we are the creator of those possibilities! We settle for living an inherited life of inherited meanings when we can be living a created life of created meanings or simply no meanings. Understanding that the meanings we attach in life are only creations of a life that is inherently meaningless makes you unmessable with and that's powerful.

I'm short. I'm only 5'5". I blame my mother, but I still love her. Point is I've always felt small and not just in height, but as a human being among billions more. As one little person whose miniscule actions are seemingly meaningless and instantaneously ineffective. As just another fish in an endless ocean of people. I got tired of it. Tired of feeling incapable. Tired of holding back. Tired of being afraid. Life's too short for that nonsense and too precious a miracle to leave unexplored the incredible potential of the greatest natural resource on Earth: human willpower.

So, what is human willpower anyway? The dictionary definition calls it, "The strength of will to carry out one's decisions, wishes, or plans." I call it self-control. It is the foundation from which confidence builds, change happens, and willpower flourishes. It is the solution to most major problems, whether personal or social, largely stemming from a lack of self-control, whether it's compulsive spending, short-sightedness, procrastination, or chronic anxiety. It is our ability to grab hold of the present while better shaping the future. When I took control of those little voices in my head telling me I'm not good enough, I realized they were the only barrier between me and a world of endless opportunity. That I was my own worst enemy. I've never looked back since.

For some, embarking on a life-changing journey built on sheer determination and raw willpower usually begins with a dramatic or major event. For me, it was a simple question. A question so simple, it begs the question of why we question ourselves to begin with? I believe there isn't a single moment in our lives where we can pause and say, "I know all there is to know about myself, including my limits and capabilities," because you never know when you'll shatter your own expectations and where your willpower will take you.