I just finished up a great book titled The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent. One of the major themes in the book is that your intent is equivalent to your results. Makes sense right?
As I was reading the book my mind kept drifting to a video I had watched in 2009 and re-watched a few months ago. The video featured comedian Louis C.K. on The Conan O’Brien show. He was discussing how everything is amazing and yet nobody’s happy.
Louis gives us an example of flying and the experience one might have at an airport. He apparently hates to ask people their flight was it typically leads to a horror story taking you from one complaint to another.
- Louis: How was your flight?
- Some dude: It was the worst day of my life?
- Louis: I’m sure it was….
- Some dude: First of all we didn’t board for 20 minutes, then, then, when we finally board they make us sit there… for forty minutes! Forty minutes!
- Louis: Then what? Did you fly through the air incredibly like a bird! It’s amazing! You’re flying.
Watch the entire story here (start at 2:35)
After watching the clip I couldn’t help but reflect a little. Am I taking anything for granted?
Life is garbage. Life is great
We live in some pretty amazing times right now. Information, opportunity, and resources at your finger tips. We’ve actually got it so good that when things do hit a small rough patch it can feel like the end of the world (no pun intended Mayans). Many of us are so used to the feelings of safety and comfortability.
When things get rough focus on the positive and limit those negative thoughts. One way to do this is by creating a “Life is garbage, Life is Great list.” It’s really easy for most of us to answer the question of what is wrong in our lives. It can often be much tougher to answer the question of what is right.
“It’s a wonderful thing to have a non-headache or a non-toothache, but so often we do not think of the joy of not having these problems until we experience them and then wish them away.”
Try the following exercise. It can really help to clarify what is going well and what is not.
- Get two blank sheets of paper.
- On one piece of paper, list all of the things that are “wrong” in your life – don’t be afraid to be negative – get it all out! On the other, write a list of all the positive things in your life right now, including everything that’s “not wrong.”
- When you have finished, place the two pieces of paper side by side and ask yourself … What is of the greatest use to me and what serves me most – to focus on what’s “Wrong” or what “Not Wrong’?”
- When you have decided which list is best for you to dwell on, discard the list you do not wish to focus on – throw it away, maybe even bury or burn it, if you wish to make this a memorable event.
Read the list you decide to keep every morning. Hell, pull it out when ever you need a reminder.
If you want to me happier. Intend to be.
Believe it
If you want something. I mean, really, really want something than you have to believe it. You have to truly believe you are capable and worthy of it. When you want something and don’t actually believe you can have or achieve it this is when anxiety, stress, discomfort, and unhappiness will occur.
When you believe you can achieve it and are worthy of it you will start to feel confident, joy, motivation, and maybe even invincible 🙂 One way to start the process is to simply ask yourself.
- Am I capable of this?
- Is it worth it?
Ask yourself these two questions every time you set yourself up with a challenge. When I decided to quit my job a few months ago to dedicate my life to this website and helping others those were the first two questions I asked myself before moving forward.
After that is all settled. Take action and plan. What is one thing you can do right now that will get you one step closer to conquering what it is you want to achieve? Want to start eating healthier? Download the Free Guides.
Have a plan and be crystal clear with what it is you want to achieve and the steps that you need to take to get there. I’ll repeat that because it is super important. What specific steps do you need to take that will lead to your success.
Don’t get pushed around
Life, people, circumstances, your environment… hell, you might even get in your own head and test yourself. They’re all going to throw some sh*t at you to see how committed you are. They will test your belief in yourself and dedication to the task at hand.
Take it upon yourself to be a creator. Anything you want to achieve falls upon you. You are the author of your own story. What do you want it to say? If you want to create your own business you’re the one who will have to do it. Want lose some weight, again it is up to you to create. Want to travel the world? Yup, up to you to tell that story too.
Don’t let yourself get pushed around. Create the life you want for yourself.
What you do matters
Everything you are, think, do, and say matters. It not only has an impact on yourself but also others and the world around you. Every so often make sure you check-in with yourself.
- Health
- Finances
- Relationships
- Career
- Spirituality
- Self
Do they a line up with one another? I’m as ambitious as the next guy. I am extremely confident that I can do, be, and achieve anything I desire. However, sometimes it gets me in trouble. I may want to start by own business and spend time I should be sleeping to working on a project. Is this detrimental to my health and my goals of living a healthy lifestyle?
Make sure that the key areas in your life compliment each other. It’s not about trying to create balance. Trying to achieve complete balance is very difficult. It’s more about taking an inventory of your life every few months to see where currently are and then to assess where you want to go.
A great tool is the wheel of life.
It’s a fantastic way to check in with yourself every 3 months or so. Just look at each area on the wheel and assign a value to it 1-10. Where you currently feel you are struggling are the areas to spend your focus on. If you need some help with this don’t be bashful…give me a shout and I can clarify.
I currently have a huge whiteboard in my room with a drawing of the wheel on it. Every three months or so I review it, where I am currently, and the areas I need to work on in order to get where I want to be.
Right now, where you at?
Where ever you are right now in life is the way in which you will experience it. Remember that always. Learn from your past, plan for the future, and live in the present.
Where are you currently at and what do you intend to do about it?
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Live limitless,
Justin