“Before you can do something, you must first be something.”
Goethe
Tick, Tock. Time is our only really limited resource, no matter how much money we make. There is no buying back time, right? And since you get one life and one go around, it seems logical to make it the best journey ever. The question is, do we? If you could be doing anything you wanted right now, would it be what you are doing right now? Are you doing what you love?
At the beginning of the year, I committed to making this my BEST YEAR EVER. Live every day as if it’s a lifetime. The good, the tough, the ugly. Bring it on. As we dive into summer, how’s your year going?
I love summer; it always reminds me of freedom. Letting it all go, early mornings, long days, swimming, hiking, biking — just having fun. Right! What are your summer plans — staying home or heading out on an adventure?
Just the other day, one of my friends called and said, “Now, listen, it’s not right that you are having so much fun. Life seems too easy. Don’t you have problems? Are you living in the same world we are? It’s time to get real. You look too happy, too relaxed.”
What is the “real world?” Is our reality so skewed that it has to be tough, all work, stressed out, filled with long days, and little sleep?
Trust me — I have done enough of that in my life. I’m sure I could go back to that routine tomorrow. But right now, I’m planning on living the life I designed on January 1, 2025. When I get to the end of this year, I want to say I did more than I thought, had more fun, pushed myself harder when necessary, achieved my greatest health possible, and helped people be better than they thought they could be.
What’s my secret? A wise adage states, “All this struggle to learn when all we have to do is remember.” All the wisdom we require is already within us. You know the answers. To help you find them, I’ll give you a few tips that I use:
1. Be quick and nimble with change. If I don’t like something I’m not afraid to make a change fast. Replace what’s not working with something that is. Ready, fire, aim. You can perfect as you go.
2. Work out. Exercise. A few years back, I had no energy from working too many hours, living on Red Bull and coffee. Now I train with a trainer every day.
3. Eat good foods. Live healthier. I live on superfoods and health shakes. I have great energy and have not been sick in three years. I learned from people like Anthony Robbins, who wrote in his book, Unlimited Power, that successful individuals must be fueled by health diet.
4. Relax your mind. I meditate every morning before my day starts and ask myself questions that help to set my intention for the day.
5. Be grateful. I ask myself every day what I’m grateful for and begin by answering that I woke up this morning! Try it for a few weeks and let me know how it goes.
6. Set an intention. Prepare to be successful for the day. Tell yourself exactly how great your day is going to go and list that as part of your goals. My goal setting is extensive.
7. Give yourself a mantra. A mantra is like a catch phrase, sentence, or something that motivates you when something distracts you. It can be as simple as “Everything that happens is for my good.” Then, when the little voices whisper their negative thoughts, you have something to counter them. All of the distractions won’t stand a chance. Calm will take over.
Try all or some of these tips for a week and let me know how it goes. If you pick only one, I’d go with number five — Gratitude. We have so much to be thankful for in our lives here in the U.S. and particularly, in Orange County. When I visited Bali several years ago, my neighbor on the other side of the wall of Vision Villas lived in a shack with his three cows. He began every morning at 5 am with a prayer of thanksgiving for his life and his cows. It was a beautiful thing to listen to. Even though I didn’t understand what he was saying, I could feel his intention. He always had a smile and looked happy. With so much more to be thankful for in our lives, can we say the same words?
To all of our readers, I hope you have an adventure this summer — one to remember forever.
Ralph
