People of authority focus on what really matters to them. They don’t waste time and energy on trivialities. They recognize the truth that power can be applied to meaningless pursuits, or it can be channeled toward significant achievements. Such people consciously choose the latter, sometimes for the simple reason that it’s the path that yields the most growth.
What’s important to you in life? What’s a relative waste of your time? While these are decisions you’re empowered to make freely, the truth aspect of authority reminds you that you can’t escape the consequences of your actions. In order to stay aligned with both truth and power, you must carefully consider those results. When you choose a course of action, you also choose the consequences.
Your ability to predict the impact of your actions certainly won’t be perfect, but you can still make reasonable determinations as to whether you’re wasting your time or putting it to good use. Which activities are largely pointless? Which ones will have a real impact? You can surely come up with halfway-decent answers without needing a fortune-teller.
Authority teaches you to make present-moment decisions that your predict will have positive long-term effects. There are no neutral actions. If you can’t honestly predict a positive long-term impact from your actions, admit that you’re wasting your time, and set some goals that really matter to you. There’s no substitute for investing your life in something that has the potential to make a real difference.
Who determines what’s significant and what isn’t? You’re the authority here, so that decision is yours to make. Tune in to your feelings. Do you sense that you’re contributing to an important purpose? Or do you feel empty inside, worrying that your potential is being wasted? What’s the truth of your situation? Can you feel the difference between the relevant and the irrelevant?
* Source: Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina