TAKE CARE 🩺

I find it interesting that two things can be viewed so differently. Both our bodies and our souls are ours forever. Yet, one you must look at as if you will live forever and the other as if you will die tomorrow. What does this mean? Well, looking after our body we must act as if we will live forever. Why? The longer we look ahead, the better we will take care of our bodies in the future. 90% of disease is caused by diet and lifestyle. Think of that. 90% of everything that goes wrong with our health is mostly our fault. We didn’t eat the best. Maybe we did not take care of our physical fitness. In the moment, skipping the gym seemed like a good idea for our body. Years down the road, however, it came back to haunt us.

What about this soul business? Acting as if we will die tomorrow? If you read the last post about the value of time, I think you might get a glimpse as to why this is important. When I was told in 2 months I would have open-heart surgery, I thought about the legacy I would leave behind. Not the adventures I didn’t go on or the possessions I did not own. When I realized I could die in 60 days, I looked over at the woman I love and worried that she would never understand the depth of my feelings for her. I looked at this website and worried about the people I had yet to reach, encourage and inspire. When faced with the real prospect of death, it was things in my soul that I worried about.

Here is the funny thing. You do not need to be facing a surgery. There are many crazy ways in which our time here could come to a sudden and dramatic end. There was even a show called 1000 Ways to Die. It highlighted, if that is the right term, all the crazy ways people have checked out. That means we should tell those we love them how we feel now. We should try to reach and inspire as many souls as we can. Even that is only our friends and family. Does that mean we should just go crazy and live it up? Not exactly. We could end up living to be 100 years old or older. If we spent decades abusing our bodies, wouldn’t that suck? Stuck for years in a body that is constantly breaking down. Follow the advice from Augustine above. “Take care of your body as if you were going to live forever; and take care of your soul as if you were going to die tomorrow.”

THE BEST INVESTMENT YOU CAN MAKE 🤑

Today everyone is looking where to invest. Is it real estate? How about the stock market? Crypto currency? I have an investment that is not only more valuable, but will pay far greater dividends. If you would like to know what this investment is, and how you can take advantage of it, read the rest of this post.

First, let us look at the value of this investment. Diamonds, for example, are rare and expensive to mine. Therefore, they hold great value for the consumer. The value of stocks is relative. They can be worth $70 in March and be worth a little as $15 by September. This investment is not only more valuable than Diamonds, it is literally priceless. Speaking of price, the value of this investment never decreases. To the contrary. As time goes on,this investment becomes more valuable.

The investment I am speaking of is time. Before you roll your eyes, or stop reading right here, let me explain. There are many things you can get back. Lose a lot of money? Many people have lost money only to regain their fortune. Even if you lose a diamond, another can be purchased. What if you lost time? You wasted it with mindless scrolling online, or you were forced to sit in an airport because your flight was delayed. Can you get that time back? No. It is gone forever. I don’t care how wealthy or well–connected you are, you can’t get more time.

The way to take advantage of this investment? Make good use of your time. Have plans. I heard a quote that says, “For every minute of anger, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.” Meaning that time spent in anger is gone. You will never have that 60 seconds back.

This sense of urgency in regards to time was brought home to me when I knew I was having open-heart surgery. There was a 2 month time frame. I realized I could be staring down my last 60 days on earth and thought about all I wanted to accomplish. Here is the thing, you don’t have to be facing a dangerous surgery. Any of us, or our loved ones could check out at any time. The thing about time, it is always running out. The time to invest in our time is now, before it is too late!

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR YOU TO BE! 🤪

In a world where everyone is trying to be the next big _____. Something gets lost in the quest. That is the most important person we can be. Who is that? Is it the next Kim Kardashian? The next Mother Teresa? How about the next Nelson Mandela? While all of these people have traits that could be good to replicate, they are not the person you should strive to be. No, the person you should try to be is….YOU! The more authentically you can remain true to yourself, the more you give others permission to do the same.

One of the first things that is said when I mention this is that you have faults. Here is a news flash – everyone does. If you ask any of the people above, they all have things about themselves that they would like to improve. Here is another thing that is important to note. Your faults, and the way that you handle them, can be some of the most inspiring things about you. Everyone can relate to having things about themselves they would like to improve. If you come across as being perfect, nobody will be able to relate to you. If they cannot relate, you will not be able to inspire them!

Today, just focus on being the best version of yourself that you can be. After all, if you are not you, who will be?

GIVE YOUR SUPPORT 💪

I have a friend who will soon be launching his own business. I stopped by to see him the other morning and he explained all of the work he has put into getting this business off the ground with the best possibility of success. It sure seems like he has done a lot. He has invested a good amount of money, and an even greater amount of time, making sure everything will be ready to go on day one. As he spoke, I could see the excitement and passion for the project he had.

Then he began to tell me the reaction of some of his friends and family. His tone sank. They reminded him of how hard it was for a business to succeed. They even pointed out areas in which he hasn’t had personal success. This, although disappointing, did not deter my friend. Yet, I could not help but wonder why someone would be so eager to rain on his parade. Were they just concerned he might not succeed? After all, 96% of new businesses do fail. Maybe they were reflecting their inability to start their own business? Maybe they didn’t want to see somebody accomplish more than they could.

Regardless of the reason why, there was no reason not to wish the best for a friend. Words of encouragement laced with words of caution are one thing. However, these folks seemed determined to put down his ambitions and ideas. Has this ever happened to you? If so, do not take it personal. People can do so for the reasons outlined above, or for a million other reasons that have nothing to do with us. It is also important to remember to cheer for others. Whenever someone starts something new, business or otherwise, they have enough self-doubt to overcome without us adding to it. When I am writing a book, I know I appreciate all of the encouragement I can get.

In our own life, make sure we support all of our friends and family. Do not add to the doubt they have to overcome, but help them get over it. As for my friend and his business, I will keep you posted as they launch.

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SET YOUR OWN THERMOSTAT 🌡

One invention that has always amazed me is the thermostat. A device that takes the temperature of your house, compares that to a desired temperature and makes adjustments as needed. This could mean turning on the heat if it is too cold, or if you have central air, turning that on to make it cooler. How amazing is that? When you think in the 19th century that would involve hearing aunt Margaret complain she is cold and throwing another log on the fire. Now, you can even make adjustments to your thermostat via your cell phone! Even if you are nowhere near your home. This is crazy cool when you stop to think about it.

Here is a question. Would you allow your neighbor to control your thermostat? Unless you are close to your neighbor and have the same hot and cold tolerance, your answer is probably a resounding ‘no’. It seems insane to let someone else determine how hot or cold your house would be. How much energy you would need to expend and pay for.

As foolish as it would be to let our neighbor determine the temperature in our house, we do this very thing with our personal thermostat. What on earth is a personal thermostat? It is the level of joy and peace in our lives. Far too many of us let outside circumstances determine this. If good things happen to us, we have a good day. If things do not go so well, we are grumpy or depressed. As the wise Mr. Aurelius points out, we should not let outside circumstances to distress us. We must realize our power to revoke whatever reaction that has us feeling negative.

Take control of your own personal thermostat. Set it for “An enjoyable day filled with peace”. This is not to say you may not have to make adjustments, just like the thermostat in your house. Hear some bad news? You may have to ‘turn on the furnace of happiness’. This could mean listening to some music that makes you smile. It could be spending time with someone you love. The boss treat you harshly or unfairly? You might need to ‘turn on the air conditioning’ and cool yourself down. This could be hitting the gym or going for a walk in nature.

It is time to control your own internal thermostat. Just as it would be foolish to let your neighbor control the temperature inside your house, it would be equally foolish to the outside circumstances to control your inner well-being. Take back your power and take back your own thermostat.

CELEBRATE YOUR LABOR 💪

In the United States, we celebrate Labor Day today. It is a celebration of all the sacrifices made and rights won by workers. Certainly worth taking a moment to reflect and appreciate all of the ways in which working conditions have improved. No more working in mines 14 hours a day in hazardous conditions.

Here is something you should celebrate as well. The labor you put towards bettering yourself. It can take a lot of hard work to improve both ourselves and in turn, our lot in life. That labor is worth its weight in gold. When you work to improve yourself, that is something that cannot be taken away. When you improve your life circumstances, it benefits you and everyone you car about in life. Labor well spent.

Today, as we take a moment to reflect on how much the conditions of ‘working for the man’ have improved, let us not forget about the work we put in for ourselves. This labor should be celebrated as well. It often does not come with an immediate monetary reward, but in the long-run, the payout is much greater.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE? 🤔

Everyday we cross paths with so many different teachers. I’m not only talking about the ones employed in the field of education, but everyday folks who teach us so much! It could be the person behind the counter at the coffee shop. It could be a particular friend or coworker. Everyone could teach us something if only we paid attention.

In my life I have had so many great teachers. My grandparents taught me a lot of interesting lessons. My mother teaches me a lot of great things by her example. My lovely lady teaches me how to maintain a young spirit. We can learn from anyone if that is the approach we take.

Who are some of your favorite teachers and what have they taught you?

LEARN FROM THE MOON 🌙

Here is a picture of the moon I took at work this morning. Yes, I start before the sun comes up. As you can see, only a small portion of it can be seen. It is slowly getting bigger, that is more can be seen, every day.

The moon goes through two distinct phases. The waxing phase. This is the phase it is in now going from a dark new moon, getting brighter until it becomes a full moon. Then there is the wanning phase. Where the moon goes from a bright full moon, getting smaller until it returns to a dark full moon.

What do these lunar phases have to do with us? Personally, I use them as reminders. When the moon is getting bigger, I focus on things I want to put in my life. This could be a new healthy habit, or a something I want to get better at. When the moon is getting smaller, I focus on things I want to eliminate from my life. These can range from unhealthy things I eat, to toxic people I give too much time to.

Just an example of using nature as a gentle reminder to improve ourselves.

HOW TO STAY IN GRATITUDE 🙏

All of us here know the importance of gratitude. It can keep you in the vibration of having enough and feeling… well.. grateful. It also can help you attract what you desire quickly and efficiently.

Staying in gratitude can be a bit tricky. Especially when life does not go according to plan. There have been multiple times I’ve went to Starbucks and they haven’t had coffee. Can you imagine? The biggest coffee chain in the world, and no coffee. I’ve been on my way to work and had my exhaust ripped off by a pile of ice. You wake up to discover your allergies didn’t feel like staying at home today.

What are all these situations? First world problems. What do I mean? I can afford to go to a coffee shop and get a cup of coffee. Hell, I have access to clean water to make coffee. Even the the exhaust fix was expensive, I have a car and the job I was going to. I live where there is allergy medicine. Often the world gives us these challenges to remind us how good we have it most of the time. If you think your situation is bad, look around, someone always has it worse.

START WORKING TODAY!

Too many of us are concerned with being perfect. This could be in any field. Perfect parent, perfect car sales person or perfect best-selling author. What we would be better off focusing on is continually improving.

How about you? In what area are you striving for perfection? Are there ways in which you could simply improve and get better?