The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them. – George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was an Irish playwright and critic. A complete detailing of his life and work are beyond the scope of the Thought for the Day, but his influence on Western thought has been profound. Though commonly known by all three of his names, Shaw himself only used his middle and last names.
We must get up every morning with a purpose. If we do not, our days will be a mindless procession of wayward days culminating in an unsatisfying life. When the time comes to take stock of our time on this planet, we will look back and wonder what if, two of the saddest words the English language can muster.
The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want…
What is interesting is the circumstances do not necessarily have to be Earth-shattering. Sure, there are some who live down the ages or transcend their time. These are people who have looked for and found the circumstances they wanted and those circumstances happened to get them in the history books. Good for them.
Not all of us are meant to live down the ages, however. That’s all right. It may not seem like it’s all right, because every day we have images of the famous and rich shoved in our faces, with some, perhaps many, ending up believing that being rich and famous is the only life worth living.
Nothing is further from the truth.
The only requirement for a good life is that the circumstances we want come from inside us. The circumstances won’t be too hard to find, either, because to find them all we have to do is follow our heart and trust our instincts. Both will lead us to the life we were meant to lead.
and, if they can’t find them, make them
The hard part is not actually going out and looking for the life we want. The hard part is having the focus to do it every day. Regardless of whether you live down the ages or pass an average life, the happiest lives are spent by those who relentlessly go out and put nature and circumstance to work for them.
