How many times in our life have we come across those that seem to only make themselves feel better by making other people feel worse? Rather than put in the work and dedication to make their lives all that it can be, they elevate themselves by tearing down those around them. We see this over and over in the business world and unfortunately at times in our personal world as well.

On the outside, there are those that seem like everything in life is easy for them. They have everything, things simply come to them and they live a life that many only dream of. It isn’t because these people happen to just be lucky. It is because they have discovered the secret of living a happy and abundant life and that becomes their mantra as they move along life’s path. Alternatively, there are those that seem to live in mire no matter what they do. Yet, the one thing that they seem to be missing is the focus and work on their own lives, rather than what everyone else has. The only way they can elevate themselves internally is to blow out everyone else’s candle.

Our life path decisions are totally up to us. The beautiful thing about that path is that as we work to make our lives better and promote and support people in the process, the more our lives are enhanced. We are all connected in spirit and enhancing the spirit of one our fellow humans sets off a chain of events that enhances our own lives as well. Supporting each other in our endeavors, charities, adventures and life work further strengthens our own foundation which in turn gives us even greater strength to uplift others.

So many times in the corporate world I have seen people use others as stepping stones to get themselves to where they want to be. For a period of time they may seem successful and get to those elevated levels, but inevitably their demise eventually comes and usually by their own actions. Those who choose to climb the ladder and take others along with them on the journey, seem to be the ones that thrive the most and go on to be great leaders and do great things.

As you go through life, remember that it is important to celebrate ourselves, but equally important to celebrate others as well. While we may each have our own candle, they all culminate into one big universal candle that needs to shine just as bright as our individual ones.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles.

Mornings with Ron is available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple or Google podcast, Spotify or most podcast sites.