"I did this against my will" – Tim Donahue

A new subscriber recently signed up for Think Daily named Tim Donahue. He’s a student at Delhi University in New York. Someone there must have referred a bunch of students because many signed up one day. (more please!) We ask “who referred you?” and he wrote, “I did this against my will.” I loved it!  

Sometimes we need others to help us get out of our normal routine, expose us to new things, and challenge our beliefs. That’s what education is all about.  

The more we “lock in” our beliefs, our self-image, our habits and patterns of thinking and doing, the less we can learn and move forward. We just go around finding people who think and act like us, and thinking or arguing with everyone else about how they are wrong.

Thank you, Tim, for being willing to try something new. Think Daily is about being the best version of you. It’s about personal performance and development, no matter what you are trying to be. You’ll be exposed to ideas that ring mostly true to most people on most days, and stimulates your thinking about your favorite subject and the one you can control – you!

A big shout out to Delhi University. Here’s a challenge – let’s see how many students we can get to subscribe to Think Daily THIS WEEK! I’m going out on a limb here in that I don’t know a soul there personally, but I trust kindred spirits will make it happen! We’ll give a report of the results!

(It’s free, I never share email addresses, and you can unsubscribe anytime!) Let’s do it!

Don't die wondering.

Find out.

How about now?

Feeling "trapped"

If you feel trapped, you haven’t controlled your own life. You are suffering the chains of conformity.

Ask “where am I allowing others to control me that is not true to who I really am or what I really want?”

Why are you allowing this? Is what you gain worth the price?

Would a minute of defiance break the chains and yield your freedom?

Are you brave enough (yet)?

"Goal Digger"

The self-actualized man or woman knows what they want on the grand scale, and organizes their smaller time increments (weeks, days, hours) to create forward motion towards their vision.

What they want has little to do with what comes up. They make it happen.

How about you?

Tolerant of the Intolerant

Every once in a while I may try to tackle a contentious subject. I’m not a political animal, but I am an idea and principle one. Here we go – ready?

I recently read a book called “Skin in the Game” where the author poses many ideas and points out many obvious and fascinating issues at work in our world. One of the ideas that grabbed me was about tolerance.

America is a tolerant place. We are supposed to tolerate different religions, ideas, etc. Where the problem comes in that allows a “radical minority” to change America, is tolerating the intolerant. Let me pick a few examples at the risk of you thinking this post is about those examples. 

If most of us want the American flag (or prayer) in the classroom, and a small vocal minority comes along and says they don’t, and they are intolerant (and offended) and we cater to them by removing the flag and prayer, then the intolerant have won in changing the tolerant majority. But if tolerance is what we expect in America, shouldn’t the minority be tolerant of the majority?

I saw transgender bathrooms in the SanDiego airport. Isn’t that how that happened? We were tolerant of the intolerant.

There are major religions in the world where if a member of that religion marries a member of a different religion, the new mate MUST convert to their religion and the children must be that religion as well. Over the decades you can see tolerant religions being overrun by the intolerant.

Tolerance is an important part of a free society. But it has to go both ways. If we are tolerant of the intolerant, then the intolerant take over and we have lost tolerance – right?

Warrior of the Light

“Every warrior of the light has been afraid to go into battle.  Every warrior of the light has, at some time in the past, lied or betrayed someone.  Every warrior of the light has trodden a path that was not his.  Every warrior of the light has suffered for the most trivial of reasons.  Every warrior of the light has thought in the past, that he was not a warrior of the light.  Every warrior of the light has failed in his spiritual duties.  Every warrior of the light has said yes when he wanted to say no.  Every warrior of the light has hurt someone he loved.  That is why he is a warrior of the light – because he has been through all this and he has never lost hope of being better than he is.” – Paulo Coelho, Warrior of the Light

Should, could, don't.

Should learn, could learn, don’t learn.

Should walk around the block, could walk around the block, don’t walk around the block.

Should eat right, could eat right, don’t eat right.

Should call, could call, don’t call.

Don’t wait until you can’t.

Reflections of a 54 year old

I turned 54 a few days ago. It’s not a “big birthday,” but I took time to reflect on my life, what I have learned, and how I feel.

1) Relationships are most important. In the end, that’s all we’ve got, and that’s all we really need. Love in all its dimensions is central.

2) Be kind. Make people feel good about themselves. If people feel good because of your presence, they will want to be around you. If not, they won’t.

3) I feel good about my health and physical fitness. You can be active and fit as you get older, but it takes work. If you embrace this work and learn to love it, it makes it easier. Get around other people who love it too – a community at the gym or good friends who are active. My mind and muscles are cooperating, but my knees and some tendons are protesting.

4) Pay attention to your body. When you notice something odd, get checked out early. I had a little skin cancer on my face four years ago. You have to find these things early. Don’t be a pessimist, but don’t ignore stuff either. Many times it’s nothing, but one time it’s something.

5) When you are young, you have health and energy, but not much experience, less money, and you may think you know much. Keep learning. Stay open. Hold your beliefs loosely so new ideas may get in. As you mature, you realize some of the things you professed to were not exactly true for everyone or for all times.

6) At my age, I feel I have much to give and much to do. The confluence of knowledge, experience, people I know and resources creates an abundant world for those who are inclined to be and give their best.  

7) Stay true to who you really are. More than ever, I know why I am here. It can take a long time and experiments to really figure it out. Going down the wrong path and feeling uncomfortable is part of understanding this.

8) I hope to be here a very long time and will do what I can to make it so. But if that is not in the cards, I know that I did my best and made the most of what I was given, and that’s ok too.

Life or ____________ .

“Life is the practice of keeping death at a respectable distance.” – Jim Rohn

When another day goes by, is death another day closer for you? That depends on what you did that day – right?

What are you doing today to take care of your mind and body?

How to be healthier, more creative, productive and fit.

Sleep.  It’s highly underrated. 

Get enough.  Get more.