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Home  |  Human Flourishing  | Human Growth | Masters of Living

Masters of Living

Succeeding at Life

BY: T. Franklin Murphy  | February 2014 (edited January 18, 2022)
A red arrow pointing in three directions with a white question mark.  A Flourishing Life Society article on Living well.
Adobe Stock Image
Living right, working through the complexities and succeeding at life.
The fork in the road; we encounter several. Should we go left or go right? Should we leave, or should we stay? Or do we miss the choice altogether.

​Trajectory often trumps mindful thought. Instead of recognizing a significant choice, we simply hamper our futures by continuing in the same tiresome direction; relationships missed, intimacy rejected, and careers stagnated. The mind can logically evaluate, gathering knowledge and examining options; but the mind also can justify.


The masters of living excitedly detect important forks in the road, carefully examine the opportunity and make thoughtful decisions. A master acknowledges divergent paths, considers where the paths lead, and then chooses a direction most in line with their values, hopes and dreams. The chaotic drones of living just react, pushed by underlying emotions and past learnings, they leap and dangerous opportunities or ignorantly bypass promising but obscure possibilities.
"The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool."
~Epicurus

We miss avenues to change our unhealthy trajectories through inattention to life. We must carefully watch for distorting thought mechanisms—rationalizations, confabulations, and ego protecting projections.

​Unrecognized opportunities dissolve seamlessly into the past. Powerful illusions blind us from seeing chances to change. Discouraged by life, we feel like a victim of misfortune. We are not. Our misfortunes are not punishments from a cruel universe but a consequence of blindness.
We don’t escape the womb endow with skills to compete in a competitive world; our parents may model effective living or chaotic submission. Some gather effective skills during the formidable years without knowing the value of the learning. Other squander with the trajectories from their fathers and mothers—often set in motion by their fathers and mothers.
"Success is the sum of small efforts - repeated day in and day out."
​~Robert Collier

If life is failing to bring the promised blessings, intentional practice and wise guidance is needed to produce the life-giving skills—perishable skills need constant attention, or they slip and dissolve.
 
A carefully chosen path, partaking in the abundance of opportunity, blesses our lives. The mindfully directed life creates desirable futures. This path improves relationships, creates opportunities and diminishes hurts. The results of living right don’t magically materialize but grow in small—almost imperceptible—steps. The small movements accumulate, we become skilled, and our lives become a masterful creation.
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T. Franklin Murphy
T. Franklin Murphy
Wellness. Writer. Researcher.
​T. Franklin Murphy has a degree in psychology. He tirelessly researches scientific findings that contribute to wellness. In 2010, he began publishing his findings.

Index:

Flourishing in Life
  • Personal Development
  • Mindfulness
  • Addiction Recovery
  • Wellness 
Psychology of Wellness
  • Emotions​
  • Personality
  • Defense Mechanisms
Flourishing Relationships
  • Intimate
  • Parent/Child
  • Society
Health and Fitness
Research
About Flourishing Life
Internal Link: Flagship article. Ten Beacons of Light. Improving our lives isn't from following items on a simple list. Science, however, has provided some helpful clues to our pursuit of wellness. These ten beacons of light provide direction, lights that illuminate a path to growth.
Psychology Definitions Data Base Link
External Links:
External Link: 3 Hours of Creative ‘Flow’ Every Day Is All You Need to Change Your Life
External Link: How to Break Bad Habits: A Behavioral Psychologist Explains
External Link: What Is the Most Important Activity for Self-Transformation?
External Link: The Effect of Positive Emotions on Our Health
External Link: Our Obsession With Productivity Is Suffocating Us
Link Banner: Accepting what we cannot change
External Link. Flow can help you achieve your goals
External Link:  How to Recognize Painful Emotional Triggers and Stop Reacting in Anger

​Other Flourishing Life Society articles of interest on this topic:

Uncertainty Avoidance. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Staying Sane. Rejuvenating energy. A Flourishing Life Society article link
A Flourishing Life Society article link. Balancing Life's Opposing Demands
Limitations of Grit. Determination Mediated by Wisdom. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Being Productive. Flourishing with Productivity. A Flourishing Life Society article link
We are either growing or decaying. We don't remain idle.
We are engaged in a constant work of becoming, satisfying needs, entertaining wants, and creating meaning. We can do this purposely or haphazardly.
Flourishing Life Society article link. Nine Pillars of well-being
Inner Strength. Psychological and Emotional Capital. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Flourishing Life Society Link. Article. Joy in Wholeness
The Law of Consistency. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Life, Pain, Sorrow, and Joy. A Flourishing Life Society article image link
It Shouldn't Be this Way. Accepting Life the Way It Is. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Living a Rich Meaningful Life. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Healthy Behavior. Developing Character and Boosting Wellness. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Faulty Symbols of Success. A Flourishing Life Society article link

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Psychology Theories article archive link
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Masters of Living. Successful Living. A Flourishing Life Society article link
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