The way you choose to see the world is the way the world will appear to you

It is crucial that you see the world as a place of opportunity, rather than a place of suffering and malevolence. But what is more important than believing in the world you imagine is the way you choose to act in it.

If you see the world as a place that will reward you for the hard work you put in and work hard in everything you do, the world can slowly become a place full of opportunity. You will choose to be responsible for the things that happen to you in this world. You will no longer be a bystander and a wishful thinker. You will actively engage with the world that you envision and the world will also appear and interact with you in a different way.

When I started a new job, I asked myself what my attitude would be on my first day. What kind of impression did I want to make? What kind of person did I want to be? Did I want to be a positive or a negative person? A sociable or reclusive person? A hard worker or an indifferent employee?

I decided to see my new position and workplace as a world of great opportunities. I decided to adopt this mindset:

“If I try hard in this present moment in everything I do, work hard on every task that they give me, and try my absolute best to learn new things and develop my skills here, I could have a better future and a better life — one that will reward the sacrifices that I am willing to make now.”
And so even when I didn’t want to, I tried to talk to other people. When I was being introduced to everyone, I tried my best to flash my friendliest smile and strike up a small conversation.

I tried my best to say thank you to everyone who helped me and remember their names.

I tried my best to make every interaction with another person the best that it could be.

I tried my best to enjoy every experience and learn from them. The awkward ones. The boring ones. The annoying ones. All of them were learning opportunities that presented themselves to me, telling me:

You are not yet the person that you are to become. You need to try harder, otherwise, this moment would have been much better for everyone involved.

I don’t think this is being hard on myself. I think this is me trying to take responsibility, or as Jocko Willink calls it, extreme ownership. He tells you to take responsibility for everything that happens in your life. Don’t just take credit for the good outcomes. Fully take responsibility for the bad ones too.

How could you have done better in that scenario, even if you had only 1% participation in it? How could you have made even that 1% better? How much better is it for everyone if you just looked at your own shortcomings instead of pointing fingers at others?

- from William Cho's draft