Captain of your Own ship

Our life is the measure of our happiness versus the goals we need to achieve.
Along the way, we reach even more obstacles within ourselves,
smaller than the goals we need to reach, but bigger than we'd ever believe.
We chase our wildest dreams, hope for the impossible, and pray for a miracle.
We forget about our goals.
Never do we think about the simplistic words like dedication, work ethic, choice, or sacrifice.
Life isn't a breeze, nor are it's achievements.
If we didn't have to work hard enough for it, we don't deserve it.
Nor did we earn it, or want it. Simply put, there's something more.
Choice, my friend, is what life is all about.
The choices we made yesterday affected us today.
Today, our choices will affect tomorrow.
And Tomorrow, our choices will decide our fate.
It all starts with a choice, which makes up our journey.
Do we want to wake up tomorrow and go to work to earn some money to pay the bills.
Do we want to wake up tomorrow and go have fun, lose some money, and hurt our credit.
Or maybe, we want to not wake up and give up on life because it revolves around money.
And most of us, never put in the effort to attend anything meaningful after high school.
We got stuck working part time jobs at restaurants, or full time at some minimum wage job.
We tell ourselves, "I'm lazy, I'm not going back to school."
We stay in these jobs because we choose to take the other half of the part time to party.
We choose to better our friendships instead of bettering ourselves.
We live paycheck to paycheck, with unstable job security, in-the-moment type lives.
We make even poorer decisions by purchasing things we can't afford, hurting our credit, and creating a deep hole of debt.
We believe we have found love, accidentally bringing children into the world we can't afford.
How can we take care of the children if we can't take care of ourselves.
Instead of making life simple, we make it complex.
They say the world is struggling and the government needs to do something about it.
Why should they help us if we don't show them how hard we can and WANT to work.
"Unemployment doesn't help you, it hurts you."
Yet most of us say we'll collect unemployment until it runs out because We're lazy and we don't want to work.
Instead of blaming the government or anybody else, we need to face the reality.
In reality, we are the ones struggling to make the right decisions to make our lives better.
We are the ones that got us down into this deep hole we can't escape from.
Most of us don't want to put in the time or the work for the price tag we believe we are worth.
Most of us prefer not to go back and get an education, or learn a skill.
Others who have the skill set and the talents to reach the highest plateau stop short,
because of life obstacles such as debt, laziness, or sickness.
We were built by the government but over taken by the media.
We believe we deserve better and expect some miracle to give us riches.
If things were so easy, we would all be this rich.
If things were so easy, we wouldn't be living in a struggle.
Right decisions will equal hard work paying off.
"The Rich stay Rich and the poor stay poor."
Only because we let it happen.
We look at our families, our parents, our siblings.
They brought us into this world, raised us as their own, and set the expectations no greater than what they have.
And that equals our mediocre goals.
We believe that education after high school isn't as important.
We expect the corporate world to hire us because we deserve it.
But what separates you from the person next to you.
It sure isn't a degree you possess.
What miracle skill set were you gifted that nobody else has.
"Get paid to do something with your mind, not your hands."

Happiness doesn't revolve around money.
But the world does.
And if we don't act now, work hard now, we will be working for the rest of our lives,
Mediocre jobs.
Paycheck to paycheck, no retirement fund in place, or stability and security.
If we follow what everyone else does, we will suffer.
If we follow what everyone else does, we will be no different.
Hard work wasn't supposed to be fun.
And it's okay to have fun from time to time.
But it is you who needs to sacrifice your fun for your education.
Broadening the horizon, taking the time and effort to learn, will better you.
It will only Better You.
But with greatness comes sacrifices.
With expectations, comes effort.
With choices, comes responsibility.
Your responsibility.
It is you who needs to walk the path because nobody else can walk it for you.
We all have our own lives and our wants and desires.
It is only us who can shape that fate, walk down the aisle, and make the choices.
Remember, if the choice was easy, the outcome will be mediocre.
Change your work ethic and you'll change your life.
Change your choices and it will change your outcome.
Don't change it for me, your family, or your friends.
Change it for you, your life, your style.
Change it to better produce for your children.
Set the expectations higher and you'll better your future.
Independently Independent, not Independently dependent.
You are the captain of your ship, and you have two choices.
Sail to the cove where your friends and families are playing in the sand.
Or sail off to the unknown world, where nothing is for sure.
Nothing is given, and nothing is known.
Maybe another world is there.