GREAT Morning Everybody!
Here are your 3 golden nuggets for the week:
- “The pain of not doing something is oftentimes worse than the pain of actually doing it!” – Unknown
On Tuesday, per usual, my alarm clock went off at 4:40am. I was tempted to turn it off and go back to sleep. Though this would have given me short-term peace as I could have enjoyed another 2 hours of sleep, I knew that if I stayed in bed, shame and guilt would inevitably flood my entire being. When we procrastinate, we tend to experience short-term joy at the expense of long-term satisfaction and fulfillment. If you’ve been dragging your feet on cleaning your house, opening that new book, reviewing that audit file or trying that new workout, today is the day! Push through the resistance. Show up. And as Nike would say, Just Do It! Your future self will thank you for it.
- “Most of us have two lives. The life we live. And the unlived life within us. Between the two stands resistance.” – Steven Pressfield
I believe we are all born with greatness. As children, this is exemplified via our deepest passions. As we get older and start to conform to societal norms, we tend to lose this sense of internal eminence as we cultivate resistance towards our true self. For every dream or goal, there will be resistance. Resistance is universal. Everybody experiences it. It is like gravity, a force of nature. At the end of each day, rather than asking yourself how many billable hours you worked, how many e-mails you answered, or how many tasks you were able to cross of the to-do list: ask yourself “Did I overcome resistance today?” If the answer is yes, chalk the day up as a WIN!
- “A man [or woman] is about as big as the things that make him angry.” – Winston Churchill
Growing up, I had about as much patience as a cranky old DMV worker on her 10th cup of coffee. I would lose my **** in the most trivial of circumstances. I was constantly overwhelmed, anxious, compulsive and extremely stressed. I will share humorous example. About a year ago, a group of friends and I were featured on the CBS hit show, The Price is Right. My best friend got picked to compete. To make a long story short, he had the option of walking away with $10,000 or risking it all for the chance to win $100,000! I desperately and urgently pleaded with him to take the money and run! As the audience roared and Alex’s adrenaline skyrocketed, he opted to go for the $100k. He lost, and walked away with $0. Initially I was PISSED! Unable to cultivate feelings of empathy for him, I couldn’t comprehend why he didn’t just walk away! My inability to tap into compassion and empathy left me feeling angry, anxious, and highly stressed!
By intentionally strengthening my patience muscle through meditation, empathy and self-compassion: my anxiety levels decrease and I am better able and equipped to handle high stress situations. Anger is a waste of energy. It serves no purpose and can only lead to a darker road. Rather than reacting, sit with and investigate these sensations. If you or somebody you know has a short fuse, I encourage you to practice compassion and empathy. These two emotions soften anger and strengthen the connection you have with yourself and others. And if you are wondering, Alex went on to compete in the Showcase Showdown and emerged victorious, walking away with $30k+ in prizes and trips!
With Gratitude,
Rob
