Lee Mariano

Too often we put enormous expectations on ourselves. We’re always rushing to do this or finish that or hurry up doing something else. When we live in the past, hanging onto painful experiences, difficult times or wrongs we perceived done to us, we are condemning ourselves to living the same now and in the future. Coming to terms with the past, knowing you cannot change it, helps you move on.

Of all the skills you could spend time developing, strategic thinking is perhaps one of the most important. This is true whether you’re looking to build your professional life or trying to adjust your life in general. Why strategic thinking? The answer lies in the very definition of the word itself. Strategic thinking starts with how we look at a situation. To think strategically, we assess the situation, ask out-of-the-box questions, and analyze our findings. From there, we can come up with a strategy that will take us where we want to go.

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “Sorry, not sorry”. Maybe you’ve even used it once or twice. It may feel unnatural to live your life unapologetically. To do what you want, when you want, and how you want. Let’s be real, we tend to live our lives at the mercy of others, seeking to please everyone else so that we can feel liked. We easily adopt the “I’m sorry” mentality, which leads us to believe we need to apologize for being who we are. Apologizing out of respect is one thing. Sometimes you need to own up to your actions and apologize when it is warranted. Other times, though, apologizing gets in the way of who you are. You must remember that you’re unstoppable, unapologetic, and unrelenting.