If you would like to know one of the biggest pitfalls of life and how to avoid it remember one axiom, Substance over Illusion.

You see it all around you, the flashy sports cars, the designer clothes, and the latest greatest gadgets. Being trendy is in. It always has been.

One of the biggest problems in our world is the need to feel in. People spend a fortune trying to look like they have more than they do. Everyone is creating this big illusion to say, Hey look at me!

Your life belongs to you and should only be measured by your own standards of success. I have watched far too many people fail to achieve their goals by becoming caught up in trying to maintain the illusion that they had already achieved them. Learn to live by the thought that you are where you are in your growth. Do not try to have it all at once. Allow your life to unfold its bloom slowly. Do the work first. Reap the rewards later.

Maintaining illusions is hard work but that energy could be far better utilized in creating the reality of what you want to achieve.

I will let you in on a little secret. The Jones family that everyone is trying to keep up with are miserable. They are constantly trying to stay ahead by getting themselves into a mountain of debt, acting like their relationship is fantastic and dressing the part. The truth is what the Jones family has does not matter. Keep up with your own goals rather than trying to keep up with everyone else.