This Great Adventure Called Life

Your Life Can Be An Adventure

"One way to get the most out of life is to look at it as an adventure."...William Feather

So I go into my sons room to roust him out of bed this morning. My two sons share a room together and one is in Jr. High and one is in high school.  Since that is the case, I do my youngest son the favor of letting him have uninterrupted sleep and I wake up Nicky as quietly as possible instead of having Kevin waken up by a blaring alarm clock a half hour before he needs to be.

Well as it turns out Nick was up probably a little later than he should have been, watching the NBA playoffs since our city Cleveland is in the Eastern Conference Finals and his favorite player of course in the incredible LeBron James.  So I wasn't upset. But after several attempts to get him up quietly...to which he wasn't responding well to...I had to raise my "Dad" voice a wee bit to motivate him.

As he was eating breakfast he asked me why he couldn't sleep in 10 or 15 minutes more.  I seized on an opportunity to discuss the importance of habits.  I explained that there are good habits and bad habits, and habits are what shape the results of our lives.  Getting out of bed as quick as possible is a good habit.  Anybody can lay in bed for another 10-15 minutes and think about how tired they are...but is it REALLY going to help?  Some would say "Hell Yes!", but to be honest it's never worked for me. It usually sets a negative tone for the day. I prefer to think of a few things I'm grateful for and a few things that might help get me excited about the day that I'm about to embark upon.

I told him that as he starts the day he should be excited!  This great adventure called life could surprise him on any given day.  Today could be the day that he meets his future wife!  By the way, he looked at me like I was crazy when I said that.  It could be the day that he meets a future business partner or that he gets an idea that could send him in the direction of his greatest dream.  Anything can happen on any day.  

The point is that we don't need to view each day as routine.  We should be excited to see what is waiting for us as the day unfolds. As paraphrase the great Jim Rohn, its about what we can get FROM each day...not just getting THROUGH each day! If you observe young children you'll notice that within a very short time they are up and enthusiastically attacking their day! Yes.  I know going to the job doesn't have the same appeal that watching cartoons does.  But certainly there's some sort of challenge that you can create or objective that you can meet in your workday that can get you a little fired up.  Perhaps it's just the group of people you're working with. When I was in my late 20's I worked a construction job with a few fellows who I had a ball with.  The work was hard but I tell you we had a lot of laughs while I worked there and I came away with some very funny stories and memories.

Your life can be an adventure if you view it as such.  It's all in your attitude.  And if you're so miserable that you can barely drag yourself through the day...if you're in a situation where you absolutely can't stand who you work with or what you do...I would suggest taking action.  Strong action. That type of existence and those types of feeling will absolutely kill you.  I believe both literally and figuratively.  Begin looking for a change.  Perhaps a better employment situation.  Perhaps taking the risk to becoming your own boss.  Perhaps returning to school to acquire a new skill set.  There are plenty of options available. Don't settle for a miserable existence. While every single day isn't going to be a pleasure cruise, certainly it doesn't have to be the type of life whereby you begin to resemble an extra on the Walking Dead show! As Robin Sharma said: "Don't live the same year 75 times and call it a life."  IF you're not happy with it I would add! 

 Remember...you live for the experience!  It's not the years in your life...it's the life in your years!

Until the next time...

#YouMatterTremendously

#GoldenRuleLifeStrategy
#LiveYourLifeWithPurpose

Your Habits Make You Or Break You

We Are What We Repeatedly Do

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.  We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence. then is not an act but a habit."...Aristotle

There are two things that determine who we are and what type of life we live in life.  These two things are...drum roll please...the thoughts that we think and the habits that we have.  

Since we are cerebral life forms, there should be no doubt that the quality of our thinking, and what we are thinking about, are the Alpha and Omega of it all.  But once the thoughts are in place in our brain the next crucial step to these thoughts manifesting into anything real and tangible is action.  And ultimately our actions are rooted in the habits that we have.  The difference between good and bad habits make all the difference in the world in what we achieve and who we become because what the great Greek philosopher Aristotle said is 100% true..."We are what we repeatedly do." 

My two sons are wrestlers.  My oldest started much earlier than my youngest, and so going into high school he had a huge advantage in terms of what he learned since he began and the habits that he already established.  He won an Ohio Youth State Championship in sixth grade, a Jr. High State Championship in eight grade, and as of this writing, is a three time State Runner Up in three of the toughest weight classes in high school!  As you can imagine his Mom and I are extremely proud of him.  Google "Nick Kiussis wrestling" and check him out if you're a wrestling fan.  

My youngest son Kevin started later than Nick, and it took awhile for him to grow a true liking for the sport.  He started and stopped but is working hard in middle school and trying to develop the habits that are necessary in becoming a top performer.  We are very proud of him also.  It's one of the toughest sports in the world.

The point I'm trying to make, using them as an example, is that a lot of disciplined, hard work goes into becoming successful at anything in life.  They are in the habit of going to practises.  They are in the habit of strength training regularly.  They are in the habit of eating right...at least a fair amount of the time.  They are in the habit of going to bed to be properly rested.  You get the picture. These things are not easy for young boys and men in today's society.  These are good habits that they, and all their top fellow wrestlers, either have developed or are in the process of developing.

Dear old dad here fell out of the good habits of eating healthy and regularly working out.  I started being too casual about my food choices and going to the gym.  Eating too much and not going to the gym are bad habits!  And as a result I've got my work cut out for me to get back in shape.  No worries dear readers of this blog I'm on it! Reestablishing habits.  My point is that your habits make or break you in ALL areas of your life.  

One of the best things you can do on a regular basis is take a good hard look at the results you've been getting in your life.  Think carefully and deliberately about your habits and whether or not the habits that you currently practice are in line with your goals and the vision of who you want to ultimately become.  Perhaps you will identify a bad habit or two that, if replaced by a healthy more productive habit, could give you the push you need to take yourself to the next level.  This is an ongoing project...like life itself.  No need to beat yourself up about anything, but when it's time to regroup it's time to regroup!  

This is the essence of personal development.  Constantly learning how to become the best version of yourself.  Keeping a positive, growth oriented mindset and establishing habits that produce the actions to be congruent with that mindset.  On paper it might sound easy...but if it were then I wouldn't be here blogging about it.  All I know is that you're worth it and whatever it is you desire can be achieved.

Until the next time...

#YouMatterTremendously

#GoldenRuleLifeStrategy
#LiveYourLifeWithPurpose