Tag: self-discovery

WHO IS THIS PERSON?⁉️

There is one activity that I believe we could all benefit by doing. This one activity alone could not only change our life, but the way we approach the world in general. Enough people did this, we would change the world. It does not matter if you live in Uganda, Fiji, The Bahamas or right here in Wisconsin where I do. This activity will work no matter what your gender, race, religion or political belief. It is not an expensive or complicated activity. You can spend as long as you like on it. Although, the secret is, the more time you spend on it, and the more often you do it, the more effective it will become. This activity can help you make better choices and help bring clarity to the choices you have to make. It can help you pick a career that suits you as well as a romantic partner that will best meet your needs.

This activity is introspection. As unexciting as that may sound, it is a skill not many people, if any, master today. Do not believe me? Look at anyone waiting in any kind of line. What are they doing? You know the answer to this one. They are on their phone. Sitting alone at a coffee shop? On the computer or phone. There is very little getting out in nature and spending time thinking about who we really are. We chose jobs based on money or advice from others. We chose romantic partners based on looks or charm. How many of us sit and write down a list of our most important values and what our goals are? How many of us really have a clear picture of who we are?

When you know what is important to you, your time is well spent. When you know what your goals are, you know what direction to move in. When you know this, you know what decisions to make. If you don’t know the first thing about the person in the mirror, these decisions can seem very complicated and confusing. Life will be more stressful. How much easier would your life be if you know exactly who you were, what was important to you and what goals you were chasing?

This week, spend some time really getting to know the person in the mirror. It will allow you to perform well above the average person. In addition, it will remove a lot of stress from your decisions and your life. Gaining clarity and your values and your self-identity is like spending time digging in a vein of pure gold. You may be surprised at what you discover when you investigate the most interesting person in the world – the one in the mirror.

GIVE YOUR LIFE A SAMPLE DAY😋

Many of you who follow this blog, and most of you who know me personally, know that I am spending this week on vacation at the Wisconsin State Fair. It is something I do every year. It is a place that brings me a great deal of joy and I love sharing that with people in my life. Margie, my mother and I have had a blast so far this year! We have seen many friends and folks we only seem to run into this time of year.

Yesterday, was Crazy Grazin day, as they call it. What it amounts to, is that you can try smaller portions, or portions of different food items at reduced prices. This is good if you are on a budget, or if you are like me, you like to try new things. As with many things in my life, this got me thinking on how we can apply this principle to living an amazing life. Then, an idea so obvious just popped into my head. Take a sample day in your life! What on earth does this mean?

It certainly can be fun to try small amounts of new culinary dishes to discover new things you like. This can be done by going out with friends and splitting different dishes. This is about more than just food, however. I recall one of the things I enjoy doing the most, riding my bicycle. I did this a lot as a kid. Then, I got my driver’s license and stopped doing it for a while. I recall how I started back into it. I was at Target, Walmart or some other large chain store and thought to myself, “I should get back into bicycling. It is cheap and healthy.” I spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 on a bike, a little more on things to go with it. Then I started bicycling again. The joy I felt as a kid came back and some weight I found as an adult went away! Then I discovered how much the world of bicycling had changed. At one point I owned a bicycle that was worth more than my car. It was ok, because at the time I was even biking to work a few days a week. The point is, I started out with a cheap bike and discovered how much I still enjoyed it before I went all in.

In your life, can you take a yoga class at the gym before investing in your own yoga mat, brick and whatever else one could spend money on in that arena? You can try to go for a run for a few weeks before purchasing expensive running shoes. You could do a paint and sip before buying a canvas and easel. Dip your toe in as many areas of life you can. There are always economical ways to discover your next great passion. I will be starting a podcast soon and have purchased some basic equipment. Once I learn what I am doing and discover if I like it, I may look to get more advanced stuff.

Do you have a story like my bicycle story where you have discovered a passion and went on to invest in it? Perhaps you are more in the podcasting phase and are investing in a new adventure right now? I would love to hear your story in the comments below!