Strive or Strife?

By Nicholas Dixon

That is the question I have been asking myself since the first day of this year dawned. Prosperity and adversity is experienced each day by everyone but how can we keep the former in our lives?

The successful among us know and use certain traits in order for them to achieve their goals. Now some persons believe that these people were born this way when in fact they had to develop their winning traits.

Strivers have an eye for opportunity as they are quick to grasp the situation as it presents itself. In other words they more easily see the solution to a common need. Strifers fail to see these opportunities as they are busy complaining about life. They are the ones who are usually left behind.

Strivers know how to discipline themselves in order for them to reach their goals. While the strifer is out enjoying himself at the bar or in front of the television, the striver is busy putting his latest move in motion. Yet, he stills know the importance of downtime.

Strivers have a need to achieve. They are always looking forward to the next move or conquest. Strifers are satisfied with the mundane activities of day to day life.

Strivers have an appetite for work. They willingly put in long hard hours even if the returns are not immediate. Strifers are the ones who give up more easily in the quest to find success. They rarely use the power of persistence to their advantage.

Strivers know how to make stress work for them in a positive way. They often focus on the end result and not the process of reaching there. All the strifer can see is the obstacles and roadblocks to which he makes a hasty retreat.

Strivers know how to think for themselves. They may seek out the advice of others but after analyzing all the information they make their own decisions. The strifer is easily swayed by the opinions and thoughts of others.

Strivers normally like to be independent. They cherish being their own boss and the freedom it brings whether financially or personally. Many strifers are content with receiving a paycheck every fortnight of month. Which would you prefer wages or profits?

Strivers like to maintain a healthy cash flow. They know that profits are the measure of their business success. Since strifers fail to use their winning traits they have more of a cash trickle than a flow.

Do you have what it takes to be a striver? It takes time and work. The good thing is that if you are a strifer you can evolve into a striver. All it takes is the passion to develop the traits which will make you strive. •

Copyright © Nicholas Dixon

About the Author
Nicholas Dixon is a writer and webmaster from Jamaica. 02/07/05