One of my favorite books of all time is James Altucher’s Choose Yourself.
Hate your job? Create your own!
Want a house? Build your own.
Hate your boyfriend? Break up with him and make your own.
Ok, maybe not that last one so much.
inspiration
Terms and Conditions
When you buy a new cell phone with service or sign up with WordPress, you have to sign a contract called “Terms and Conditions” regarding use. Basically, you agree to a set of rules and guidelines in order to use the app/website/service. What they don’t say is that they want to make clear the limits of your use. If you go over certain minutes, a fee is charged. If you call across state lines, another fee. If you don’t pay on time…you get the picture.
As you live your life, you have your own set of Terms and Conditions. There are things you won’t do (most of us won’t risk prison in order to steal groceries). And there are things you will do (work a steady 9 to 5 for a paycheck instead of pursuing your dream of entrepreneurship). You have set limits in how you live your life. Some are important, but others may require re-thinking.
Your life, as it is now, is what you’ve chosen.
It’s an amalgam of your life circumstances and your choices, certainly. But your decisions have been the forks of your life which led you here.
You might argue. You may deny.
But it’s true. And the first step in making things better is to take responsibility for your actions. Learn from your mistakes and move on.
Secondly, be grateful. You are fortunate. If you’re reading this, you have access to the Internet. When you live in a state of gratitude, you’re more likely to attract positivity.
Thirdly, be aware that YOU set the Terms and Conditions of your life.
Don’t like your job? Leave. But, I have to pay the bills….I didn’t get a college degree.
Excuses.
Your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse is abusive? Leave. But I’m afraid…I don’t want to be alone.
Get over it. (And really, you’d rather be with someone who calls you names than be alone?)
What are the Terms and Conditions of your life? Are any of them limiting you?
Something to Say
I was watching an old (actually, timeless) interview with Quentin Tarantino. He was talking about his life before becoming a film maker. Did you know he worked in a video store? He was a clerk! His old life was very comfortable and he admitted he was pretty happy.
And then he realized he had “something to say.”
He was better than his friends, which was not hard to do, since they were drug addicts with no ambition. He got real. He realized that he could continue to live his life watching free movies behind a counter and be superior to all those around him OR…work towards his dreams of being a filmmaker.
And the rest is history.
Do you have something to say? What one step could you take – NOW – towards your dream?
Do it!
Birds’ Eye View
The world is a vast, vast place
Our lives are short, relatively speaking
Keep a wide perspective,
Don’t focus on the small
Do you want to be remembered for your immaculate car and house?
Are you really going to get upset about traffic and a rude co-worker or boss?
Or…do you want to leave a legacy of love and passion?
What you focus on grows.
Falling…
I fall 1,000 times, I get up 1,001.
There’s a saying I like, although I might change two of the words:
“Winners do what losers won’t.”
I prefer: “Successful people do what the Unrealized won’t.” It’s more wordy … a bit clunky, but I don’t believe anyone is a “winner” or a “loser.” Some people have embraced courage and run with it. Some people are still working on their courage.
Go on. Get up. Help make the world a better place. We need you.
Prosperity
Its not about the money, its about adding value and bringing something to the table.
Peter Sage
There are a lot of mixed signals in our culture about money. One fallacy is that you have to be dishonest or mean to be rich. Another is that your self-worth is linked to your income. Together, this creates a heartless, soulless society. Scary, to say the least.
Mr. Sage once said, “Chasing money is like chasing your tail, it’s never going to happen, because you have to pursue adding value, not money in and of itself.”
I believe that if you pursue something that helps others, the money will follow. We all have tools to self-empower and prosper.
We just need to add value to society with those tools.
Brick by Brick
Let’s say your life is a small house made of brick. Each day is one brick. Is any day really more important than another? How would you feel if you realized, at the end of construction, that most of those bricks were spent worry, hurrying, or wishing for the one Vacation Day brick…or the Promotion Day brick? Pretty silly, eh?
Conversely, what kind of house – life – would you have if each day (brick) was spent in full presence? What if you placed each brick carefully, lovingly and enjoyed the process?
Each brick is important, but the most important one is the one you’re laying down right now.
Just Try
You can do it if you believe you can.
Do you believe you can? Yes. Great!
Go for it!
What could possibly happen?
Remedy for the Blues
I made the mistake of reading some news today. BIG mistake. What a downer. How dispiriting! But tonight, my family attended my daughter’s high school dance performance. Over 20 different acts, ranging from beginning to highly advanced performed in quick succession. And instantly, my spirits lifted. Kids of all ages, of all body types, and of all skills danced their hearts out. The audience was comprised of friends and families who hooted and hollered their encouragement, calling kids by name.
Dance. Art. Music. Literature. These are activities that require self-discipline, practice and focus. When you observe or participate in the arts, you are party to a deep, spiritual practice of love and harmony.
If you’re feeling “blah” or down, I highly recommend that you attend a local live show – preferably put on by children – immediately. Your spirit will soar.
A Letter to the Anxious
Dear Fellow Fretter,
I’ve always been a bit high-strung. I’ve always been a worrier.
I used to spend more time worrying than taking action to stop the worry.
As I begin the last half of my life, I want to be a warrior.
I’m reading Tolle, Singer, the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu.
I’ve read all kinds of books and learned a lot. But I heard Elizabeth Gilbert the other day on a podcast and she said something that clicked (!)
She was talking about her writing process and she said she writes in seasons….you know, as in nature. She said something like this (totally paraphrasing): There’s the quiet (winter) phase, where’s she’s in between projects and thinking, getting inspired. Then she begins research (spring), and she writes (summer) and then does the whole marketing tour bit (fall). And the cycle begins again.
The part that struck me as shockingly KIND to herself was that she gave herself time to just think, rejuvenate, get inspired. She sees it all as an integral part of her creative process.
Wow.
You mean, you don’t have to keep working and sweating?
It made sense to me. Of COURSE, even nature takes breaks. Parts of it die in order to enable other things to grow. This applies to every career, every job, every role in life.
So yes, make your To Do lists and set goals. That is important. But be sure to take the time to relax, re-energize, and follow the cycle. Calmly get each step done. No need for stress.
Kismet 