When I first graduated, I thought life was very simple. I always believe that as long as you work hard and try your best, you will definitely achieve success.
But the more I live, experience and work, the more I realize that there are many things that I’ve heard that are extremely paradoxical… but they are absolutely true.
These are 5 life paradoxes that I always wish I could understand sooner on my journey.
1. Paradox 1: If you are the best in the group, it’s time to find a new environment
Before, I really liked the feeling of being the person who knew the most in a group. The feeling of being approached by others, being recognized by everyone and seeing that you have great value always brings short-term satisfaction.
But when I look back at the entire past journey, the periods that helped me develop myself the fastest and break through the fastest were not those times at all.
On the contrary, those are the times when I bravely step into completely new environments, where I am almost the smallest and least experienced person in the room.
At first, facing that gap, I felt very overwhelmed and constantly fell into a state of self-doubt: “Is this really the place for me?”.
But precisely from the suffocation and pressure of that environment, I was forced to learn faster, forced to think differently and grow much better.
2. Paradox 2: The more you want to succeed quickly, the more you have to accept going slowly
In the past, I was always in a hurry, wanting everything to happen quickly. I want to be good at my job quickly, want to see results immediately and am always looking for options to shorten every path.
But later, going through many ups and downs, I finally understood a deeper strategy for success: People who go very far are often not the fastest runners at the starting line.
They are actually people who calmly accept and take the time to build a solid foundation.
Going slow is not procrastination at all. Going slow is careful preparation so that later you don’t have to pay the price and go back to the starting line to start over again.
3. Paradox 3: The hardest thing to give up is not the past, but the old version of yourself
We are often easily framed by self-limiting prejudices such as:
“I’m not the type of person for that.”
“I have no talent and am not good at this.”
“The way I am is still the same, I can’t change it.”
However, only when we dare to courageously give up old beliefs and self-imposed labels… will life really begin to make clear changes.
Sometimes, to receive and build a completely new life, the first and mandatory thing you must change is your own thinking and old self.
4. Paradox 4: If you want life to be less stressful, you must first dare to proactively face pressure
Maintaining the discipline to exercise regularly every day is very stressful. Forcing yourself to learn a new professional skill is very stressful. The journey of starting a business or making a financial investment also brings enormous pressure.
But then I realized the truth: There are pressures that I actively choose to confront today, which will be a lifesaver to help me avoid deadlocked pressures that I have absolutely no choice in later in life.
There are pressures that are considered a smart investment for the future. And there are also heavy pressures that are a high price to pay just because in the past we refused to invest in ourselves.
5. Paradox 5: The emotional savings trap and life-changing investment opportunities
I always believe and maintain the view that saving is a very good habit in life. But what I realized later is: not every expense is simply an expense that makes me poor.
There are expenses that are actually investments that bring the highest rate of return for your life:
- Invest in a good book.
- Sign up for a quality professional course.
- Experience an eye-opening trip.
- Find and learn from a reputable mentor.
- Or simply spend money to care for and protect your own health.
I had a period when I was very hesitant, regretting tens or hundreds of dollars for these expenses. But at that time, I completely did not realize that it was that emotional regret that was depriving me of opportunities that could change the entire direction of my thinking, the way I work, and even a turning point in the direction of my whole life.
Not every expense reduces your assets. There are expenses that help you become richer in valuable ways that money alone can never measure.
Conclusion
The more I grow up and travel far, the more I see that this life is full of interesting paradoxes. And the special thing is, thoughts that sound very paradoxical at first, in the end are often the most correct philosophies.
What do you think about these 5 paradoxes of your life? Are you accidentally stuck in a paradox on your personal development journey? Please leave a comment below to discuss with me.
If you feel this article provides a useful perspective, please share it widely with your friends and neighbors!
Dr. Christina Nguyen
Phoenix Medical Academy
