The world is a dynamic place. Things keep changing and there is nothing we can do about it, it’s all part of a process. There is one thing, however that we are in control of, our lives and destiny-Be it through our actions, thoughts or words.

You have been in situations where you have broken the law even without knowing it. Other times, you might have said something or took an action that seemed ideal to you, only to be frowned upon by the people around you.

These situations might have cost you your job, money or even friends. So how can you manage to get what you want out of life without giving up so much?

There are millions of self help guide books being published every day and the authors will claim to know the secret to having it easy in life, and getting what you want. Nothing comes easy. You have to break a sweat before you are finally at the helm. But does it have to be done through breaking the law or having to burn any bridges? 

How to avoid breaking the law

You cannot afford to be ignorant, not with the current wave of technology. Always do your research before making any major decisions, to ensure you do not end up taking any unnecessary risks which ultimately leads to breaking the law. It’s a small price to pay for your wellbeing.

A good example can be when trying to attain financial stability. We all want to be wealthy and stable such that we can go anywhere we want or buy anything without having to struggle for it. Yet, I have come to the realization that we don’t always get what we want, and to me, that’s the beauty of life.

You can achieve this stability if you decide to be smart and work hard in whatever field you are invested in. Taking the easy way out to get the money, like embezzling funds, might seem enticing but it’s only beneficial in the short term. What happens, is you risk being caught because it’s against the law. Moreover, you may end up spending the rest of your life in jail.

If you have been working hard all your life and yet you still don’t have as much wealth as you want, maybe it’s time to change strategy and look at other avenues. You can even open your own business to compliment your income gained from your 9 to 5 job.

My cousin, Kevin, was in a similar situation a few months ago. He had finished school, and had got a job which was not paying well. One day as he was walking in town feeling miserable about his lack of money, he thought that if he was invited to participate in a bank robbery, he totally would!

Kevin is not a criminal, but it just goes to show how many of us have thought of taking shortcuts to success. Well, he was never invited to join a group of robbers but he eventually got a better job which pays much more than his previous jobs. By avoiding breaking the law and choosing to be patient as he looked for other opportunities, he was able to get what he wanted, which was to be financially stable.

How not to burn any bridges in the process  

Throughout the years, I have found myself losing more friends and jobs more than I ought to. It is not because I was bad at my job or I was a lousy friend. I had no patient and never seemed to know what to say when. However, I have learnt from my mistakes and I can proudly say I am a better person now.

Why is this important? Burning bridges is like shooting yourself in the foot. This is because nothing good ever comes out of it.

How about friendships

You might have been long term friends or lovers and on waking up one day, you realized the relationship was not helping you in any way. In fact you felt miserable most of the time. More often than not, you will opt to avoid all contact with the person and hope to never see or speak to them ever again.

Here is the deal. This is probably the worst course of action you might take. Why? It may lead to hostility between you and the other person which will ultimately rob you of a peace of mind. Also, you cannot be sure that you will never need their help ever again.

Life has a way of humbling us. Why not take time to think it over and choose to still have those people in your life, but at a distance? That way, you still maintain the friendship, but you can now control the level of interaction you have with them, and how much their actions affect you.

At the workplace

Let me paint a scenario for you. You probably go to work every day, yet you hate being in that environment. It may be the abusive nature of the superiors or the unethical way in which tasks are carried out that you don’t agree with.

I have been in such situations severally. Once, I left a well paying job because I didn’t agree with the systems that were in place. By getting out of that situation, and getting another job, I was able to finally look forward to going to work every day and having a peace of mind, which is what I wanted all along.

And that’s not all.

I later came to a realization that you should never take such situations personally. It will save you a lot of headaches.

When you decide to resign or worse, you get fired; try not to burn any bridges on your way out. Reason being, you don’t know where else you might go looking for a job and find the same people.

Do not, under any circumstances, badmouth the other workers or the management. You will also need a good recommendation and references for your future jobs. Why ruin any other chances you could have by making a scene?

At the end of the day, you will walk out of a bad relationship or a job and be in a good space. You may never want to see those people again, but also, you won’t be in an awkward position if that chance presents itself.

The bottom line is, you have to learn the art of being truly free. You will not achieve this behind bars or by always trying to avoid the many people you had issues with. This will only hold you back.

It’s only by being free that you will be able to achieve even beyond what you expected. We create our own destiny. You are in charge of your future. Make going for what you want a worthy cause.

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