Many of us hide our true goals and ambitions from the world for fear of what they might think. It is time to ask yourself, it what ways have you been playing small? Why have you been doing so? In what ways might your world benefit from being who you truly are and chasing what it is that you really want?
Just a quick reminder to speak only truth and to do so diligently. Ask yourself, is what I am now saying truly reflect on who I am and what I wish people to think my character is?
It seems in our modern world people feel compelled to say something. Focus more on quality over quantity. This holds true for everything in life, but especially in our speech. Nobody enjoys being around someone who talks just to hear the sound of their own voice.
A quick parting thought. If you wish never to be thought a fool, speak life, empowerment, and encouragement to all that you encounter. There is always room for words that uplift.
Today is my mother’s birthday. Normally, this would be a post celebrating that fact. It still is, but this year is a little different. A little over a week ago, my cousin who is two years my junior passed away. None of the family even knew she was sick as she wanted to keep that to herself. Today is her funeral. It is a reminder of two very important things. The first is that life is cyclical. We are at once celebrating a birth and mourning a passing. It is the end of life that gives life its precious value.
This Latin phrase translates to “Death is certain, the hour uncertain.” It happens to be one of my lady’s favorite quotes. It is with some irony that her man experienced it first hand. Life can be likened to an hourglass. The sand in the hourglass that is forever running out is the time we have left here. In life, it is as if someone put a cloth on the top part of that hourglass preventing us from knowing how much time we have left. All we know is that the sand is less every second. It could be several years of sand left, or it could run out tomorrow. We are having a funeral for a woman two years younger than me, and celebrating the birth of a woman 17 years older than me. Proof that we never know when our time may be.
What we do with this knowledge is up to us. How much of life will we spend in fear and anger? How much will we spend in love and compassion? What legacy will we leave behind? When are we going to begin to work on it? We only have so many tomorrows left. What we do with today is entirely up to us.
We are all like this bar of iron. We have so much potential inside of us. What we do with that potential goes a long way to determine our worth. This is why it is so important to do what feeds your soul. You may not be lucky enough to do it for a living, but you can even pursue it on the side as a hobby. What you create and bring to the world will be amazing. When people live with passion, everyone in the world benefits.
Perhaps, like myself, you are in a job that does not make the best use of your talents. What you should do is find a way to put those talents on display. It may cost you some recreation time, and maybe even a little sleep. Let me assure you that the sleep you will get will be far better knowing that you allowed the gift inside you to see the light. It will not only bring you more inner peace, but may also lead to a new, more fulfilling career.
Another thing to be careful of is letting others determine your worth. Some may look at you and believe that you are that bar of iron. Not worth much. Try to limit your exposure to these people. Some can see the horse shoes or even the watch springs inside of you. Meaning, they can see how amazing you are even if you are not there yet. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and see the best in you. That belief may help you push yourself to be the best version of you that you can be.
Monday morning will be time to start our weekly grind. For those of us in business for ourselves, the work never stops. Whether we are talking financially, spiritually or even relationships, the picture above holds true. I am not sure why we assume that success, in any endeavor, will be linear. There are peaks and valleys. How we view each will go a long way in determining the quality of our life. Understanding this will happen is the first key to success. Having the unrealistic expectation that life will be a continuous series of ups will only set us up for disappointment.
Most of us understand this point intellectually. Yet, when it happens to us we feel like we are failures or may never succeed. This is why sites like this, and motivation in general is so important. There are moments even the most enlightened and driven of us find ourselves in a world of doubt. That is why it is so important to continue to prepare for challenges before they happen. On my appearance on the television show, Positively Milwaukee, I used the analogy that it is better to learn to swim on the shore then when the boat is sinking. In other words, know there will be challenges, on all levels and do your best to prepare for them.
This quote from Zig Ziglar rings true. We never know when challenges will arise. If it happens today, chances are that thing you read, or video you watched last week, will not help you. We need to feed our spirit daily. When we talk about feeding our spirit, it is the same as feeding our body. What we feed it is just as important as how often we feed it. There is a saying in the computer programing field, “Garbage in, garbage out.” The same holds true for what we allow in our spirit. Is it filled with people who complain, and talk shows that tell us the sky is falling? Do we spend a few minutes a day in quite meditation, or at least contemplation? Do we read/watch/listen to something inspiring every day?
In life let us take the lessons from the both the peaks and valleys. Let us also understand they are both part of our journey and we are going to experience both on the way to success.
I cannot count the amount of time people tell me, “I’m giving up social media because it is too negative.” When I ask them who chooses what they see in their page, they just stare at me blankly. The truth is that we pick what pages and people, we subscribe to. If yours doesn’t inspire you, then you have the power to change it.
You can even subscribe to our Secret2anamazinglife.com Facebook page! That way you will have at least one inspiring post a day to look forward to. With the advent of AI, even what we talk about shows up on our phones and social media. How scary is it that you are discussing brands of sugar with your cake baking lady and suddenly you are seeing ads for sugar!
We can use all of this to our advantage. Subscribe to pages that inspire you and make you happy. Worried about your phone, and advertisers listening in on you? Then speak only of love and abundance. Not only do those things generally confuse our friends on Madison Avenue, you will also be flooded with more positive things!
Today’s post will feature a deep dive into an answer to a question I posed to several friends and associates. The question was, “What, in your opinion, makes for a truly fulfilling life?” We will take a deeper dive into the answer featured in today’s post. This includes looking at how we can implement their ideas for fulfillment into our own life. This will allow all of us to wake up with a greater sense of inner peace and joy. If these answers inspire you, and you would like to share your own feeling on what makes life fulfilling, feel free to do so in the comments below. You could be featured in a future post or in my next book! Now let us take a look at today’s answer!
Today’s answer comes from my good friend Kurt. I’m not going to post his entire answer for the sake of brevity. His answer, like many Kurt will give, involves a great deal of thought. He is a man of many talents. Kurt is a DJ, an author and an entrepreneur. If you get a chance, I highly recommend his book, Nothing is Everything, which you can purchase on Amazon. I promise it will be both entertaining as well as enlightening. Just like a conversation with Kurt is.
Now for Kurt’s answer. He put fourth that in order to live a truly fulfilling life, one must remain true to yourself. Although, often with the best of intentions, others will advise you as to what makes a fulfilling life, you still must decide for yourself. While it is true that things such as gratitude, contributions, and appreciation for your friends and family are all good places to start, they are not what works for everyone.
When I asked the question “What makes for a fulfilling life?” I received many different answers. In fact, none of them were the same. They may have shared certain aspects with each other, but they were as unique as the people giving them. Trying to feel fulfillment by using another person’s definition of the word is like trying to put a round peg in a square hole.
Yes, self-care is important. What that means to you can be as different as night and day to your neighbor, your friends, or even your spouse. A personal example is Margie and me. When I need self-care I head to the gym or out in nature for a vigorous hike. These things she views as a stressful chore. Her, on the other hand, likes to go shopping, often at stores filled with people. This is something I find stressful.
Telling Margie to go to the gym to relax just because that works for me makes no more sense than me going to a crowded store to go shopping. That is just fine. It is important to realize that staying true to ourselves, our priorities, and our inner nature are vital to living a fulfilling life.
How about you? Have you ever found yourself trying to be fulfilled in something that someone else, or society, has told you that you should find fulfillment in? Have you discovered that didn’t work for you? Did it make you feel like something might have been wrong with you? It is time to throw that thinking and those feelings of guilt in the trash. Find fulfillment in your own unique way. Your source of fulfillment is as special and individual as you are!
Today’s post will feature a deep dive into an answer to a question I posed to several friends and associates. The question was, “What, in your opinion, makes for a truly fulfilling life?” We will take a deeper dive into the answer featured in today’s post. This includes looking at how we can implement their ideas for fulfillment into our own life. This will allow all of us to wake up with a greater sense of inner peace and joy. If these answers inspire you, and you would like to share your own feeling on what makes life fulfilling, feel free to do so in the comments below. You could be featured in a future post or in my next book! Now let us take a look at today’s answer!
Today’s answer comes courtesy of Mac. He is a gentleman I connected with because we both share a health challenge. After much conversation, it appears we share much more. Our general attitude towards life and our place in it is also rather similar. I look forward to getting to know this man better and continue to learn from him. Even our thoughts about a fulfilling life resonate with each other. His answer also reflects who he is as a man. Without further build up, let us look at what Mac thinks makes a fulfilling life.
“To wake up beside my wife each day and to work together throughout the day to accomplish our goals as a team”
Both Mac and I certainly find fulfillment in waking up next to the beautiful lady we love. What this highlights is the importance and benefit of, not only loving and seeing the beauty in your spouse, but finding fulfillment in that. All too often familiarity can breed contempt or at the very least, taking your partner for granted. Mac understands both parties benefit when the appreciation for each other never stops.
There is one more thing you might have missed in Mac’s answer. Although his answer highlights his deep love for the woman in his life, it reflects something even bigger. Throughout my conversations with Mac about my upcoming book, as well as our health, he focus has always been on one thing – gratitude.
Mac has expressed gratitude for many things in his life. This has ranged from a simple cup of great coffee, to walking in nature and feeding squirrels. Two more things we have in common. Mac reminds us that the more we are grateful for things that we do have in our lives, the more fulfillment we experience.
How about you? Are you grateful for waking up next to your spouse, or have you started to take them for granted? Even if you don’t have a spouse, are you grateful for the great many simple pleasures in your life? What are they? Feel free to let us know in the comments below.
Today’s post will feature a deep dive into an answer to a question I posed to several friends and associates. The question was, “What, in your opinion, makes for a truly fulfilling life?” We will take a deeper dive into the answer featured in today’s post. This includes looking at how we can implement their ideas for fulfillment into our own life. This will allow all of us to wake up with a greater sense of inner peace and joy. If these answers inspire you, and you would like to share your own feeling on what makes life fulfilling, feel free to do so in the comments below. You could be featured in a future post or in my next book! Now let us take a look at today’s answer!
Today’s answer, or should I say answers, comes from my friend Terry. I have know him since we were 5 years old. Give or take a few years. That speaks to what an amazing man, and friend Terry is. He is retired military and works tirelessly to help those both in the military and those who have left the military. He also works to help his friends, community and the people and causes he cares about. As you can tell, Terry is one amazing gentleman. He posted 2 answers to the question about what makes life fulfilling. They were both so good I want to touch on them both.
“To make anything and everything we do better.”
“Giving back to the people that have given to us. Being retired military it’s about the veterans that gave their lives to have what we have here today.”
The Japanese philosophy of ‘Kaizen’ or never-ending improvement. When thinking of never-ending improvement, many people have expressed to me a sense of futility. If we can never achieve perfection, and our work is never done, what is the point? This is looking about it all wrong. Instead of leading to a feeling of a defeated life, it can actually give us a sense of fulfillment. Terry understands this, let us take a look into it. The fact that no matter how good anything is, it can always be better should excite us. Work really hard to create a marriage that is loving and kind? There is a whole level of intimacy that is waiting for you. Work hard in your career to get where you are? Great! There is still even more to be accomplished and celebrated. The point of this is that every time we improve on our best, we can feel fulfilled. Even the progressive realization of a worthy ideal, which was the definition of success as given by Earl Nightingale, is fulfillment. When we know we are working to be better, that should give us a sense of fulfillment.
As for giving back to those who gave to us, I am sure how you can see where that would give you a sense of fulfillment. As I am typing this, my mother comes to mind. Margie often says she volunteers to help everyone. That is just this side of being accurate. My mother has a lot of beliefs and causes she is passionate about. Instead of just talking or writing a check, she volunteers and takes action. When I get a chance to take her out for dinner or coffee, or even just do something nice for her, I feel a sense of fulfillment. She helps so many others, it is a joy to help her.
Terry gives another great example, that of the military. These are men and women who serve their country. They put their lives on the line to protect people they do not know, and may very well never know. The stress and impact this has on their lives can often be devastating. Knowing this in advance, they still sign up to serve. If you can ever do anything to help veterans, you should. While war is something none of us want to see, those men and women who are sent to battle deserve our utmost respect and compassion.
From first responders, doctors, nurses and volunteers, there are so many amazing souls that we could help. Helping those who serve others is not only fulfilling, it makes the world a much brighter place. It is often those who give the most that ask for the least. How many people do you know that give their all to others only to be suffering in silence. When you have such a giving nature, it can be difficult to admit you might need help, much less ask for it. Be like Terry and find your fulfillment in giving back to those who give to others.
What group of people can you think of that would give you a sense of fulfillment to help? There are so many worthwhile individuals. Please mention yours in the comments below as it will help others find people and groups deserving our attention and assistance. Also, ask yourself how you view a life of never-ending improvement. Can you see how this would lead to a life of fulfillment? Can you see the excitement knowing that no matter how amazing your life is, there is always a way to make it better? Please share in the comments below.
Today’s post will feature a deep dive into an answer to a question I posed to several friends and associates. The question was, “What, in your opinion, makes for a truly fulfilling life?” We will take a deeper dive into the answer featured in today’s post. This includes looking at how we can implement their ideas for fulfillment into our own life. This will allow all of us to wake up with a greater sense of inner peace and joy. If these answers inspire you, and you would like to share your own feeling on what makes life fulfilling, feel free to do so in the comments below. You could be featured in a future post or in my next book! Now let us take a look at today’s answer!
Today’s answer comes from a follower of this very blog. Eduardo in the great country of Italy. Eduardo does me the great honor of providing feedback on several of my blogs. In addition, he has a passion for hiking and exploring. He shares videos, and amazing photos, of his adventures at different locations. He is married to a Filipina, the love of his life. He shares what makes their marriage, and love, so successful. He also shares some amazing culinary creations. Viewing Eduardo’s social media is like experiencing a cultural adventure! All this being said, let us take a look at what he thinks makes life fulfilling. I will tell you it is as simple as it is profound.
it’s contributing: there is no way around it.
We touched on this last post with Jason’s answer. Eduardo broadens the category for us a little more. It is about adding to the world. What are we contributing? It reminds me of people who say they just want to win the lottery and sit on the beach. I must confess, on certain days I am one of those people. The truth is, we could only be happy doing this for so long. If we were of no use to anyone, or anything, how long would we be happy? We must feel that our life has a purpose. To have a purpose, we must find ways to contribute. As Eduardo so correctly reminds us, “There is no way around it.”
This is not to say that you should live your life solely for others. Take time for yourself when you need to recharge. What we must understand, and what Eduardo’s answer so succinctly states, is that in order to live a life that is fulfilling, it must also contribute to the greater good. This can be done in so many ways. My beautiful lady and her daughter contribute to the joy of others with the delicious baked goods they create. Last post we looked at how Jason contributes with his music, raising his daughter and loving his wife. Above we looked at the multitude of ways that Eduardo himself follows his own philosophy of contribution. It is through these actions that all of them get a feeling of contribution.
How about you? How do you contribute to the world? Have you thought about how this contribution brings a sense of fulfillment? Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a great friend or an amazing spouse, the world is full of ways in which you can contribute. I would love to hear some of yours and how they make you feel like you are living a fulfilling life in the comments below.
SECRET 2 AN AMAZING LIFE 