No risk, no story to tell.

To accomplish anything worthwhile, to live a full, exciting life, and move towards what you are really capable of doing, you need to take some risks.

Sometimes it’s a physical risk.  But most times it’s in your head – risk of embarrassment, loss of time, loss of opportunity, or just “loss”.  But the risk of not trying and arriving at death safely with no losses under your belt will be far worse and irrevocable when you get there. 

Are you taking appropriate risks?

Everyone thinks this is cool…

Too often we chase things that other people think we should do, have, or be.  Many people become addicted with and self-identified with things that come from consensus.  Social media is a great tool to live this way.

But if you live like this, one day you will start to feel like your ladder was up against the wrong wall; that you’ve been living to make others think you were cool or successful, and ignoring what YOU think.

Happiness and fulfillment are great achievements. 

Not a hedonistic pleasure kind of happiness – but a knowing that you are being a good person, using a fair measure of your potential, acting with good character towards others, and being true to yourself while you do it.

What do you really think of you?

Being calm

“It’s difficult to be calm until you’ve lost a lot and won a lot.”

As a child we get upset about small things, and we feel a thrill winning small games.

As we grow we play different “games” and the stakes are higher.

I have lost a lot.  When a loss comes my way I can know that I have had far bigger losses than this, and I will be ok.  

When I win, while it’s fun, I know it will not really change my life, and it’s not what is most important.  When I win, I am free of it.

Because of all this, my emotions are more level than when I had experienced less.

Of course, there are many paradoxes in life, and there is certainly something to say against this. 

But what I have learned is that wins and losses are only in your mind.  And when they happen, you can more easily see it was a mental mountain, and release it.

A you one of the few?

Only a few Americans have clearly defined written goals.

Less than 1% can identify their primary objective in life.

Are you one of them?

Which wolf wins?

https://youtu.be/AkMQIM4DGHQ?si=rv-2MfUwyQYGBi-9

A Think Daily subscriber named Doc Holladay commented on a post a few days ago and put a link to this song he wrote a couple of years ago.  I thought the song could be a huge hit!

Check it out and you tell me.

OR – tell him in the Think Daily comments and the YouTube comments!

Living with your decisions – or not

Sometimes there is something that is troubling you each day that you have to deal with.  Often it is from a poor decision you made in the past.  

Sometimes to solve the problem you need to undo that decision to make your life better or solve that problem.

New information, new decisions.

What decision have you made, that now after seeing where it lead, you can see it was not a good decision for you?

You got yourself into this, and you can get yourself out.

Living Longer – part 2

Studies have revealed that people with positive views of old age do better than people with negative views.

People with the brightest beliefs live 7 1/2 years longer than people with the gloomiest beliefs!

I turn 60 next month and I am looking forward to the decade!  I’m gonna rock it!

What are your views about old age?

Living Longer

In industrialized countries about 1 in 6000 people make it to age 100.  

One in 5 million make it to be 110 years old.  The oldest human was 122 years, 164 days old.

Personally, my goal is to live to be 100.  But of course, some people are in such pain or state of incapacitation when they get old, that dying may not be such a tragedy to them, but a relief.  Why live longer if you are suffering?

The time to think about this is now.

Here are five habits that are thought to extend life – 

1) Regular exercise.

2) Good diet.

3) Healthy weight.

4) no smoking

5) don’t drink too much.

One expert says this – “Don’t eat too much, stick to plants.”

How long do you think you will live?

Which version of you wins?

In different situations, we can be kind, helpful, productive, happy, and centered, etc, OR rude, callous, bitter, violent and jealous, etc.

We all have the potential for each version in us, and we have all brought each side out at times – at our best and worst moments.

In this struggle, the great challenge is to be our best as we walk through our time here each day.

Your lower self, or your higher self – which version of you wins?

Withhold Judgement as Long as Possible

Sometimes you have to make a quick judgment.  But most times you don’t.

If you make snap judgments, you are wrong too often.

When you are wrong because you jumped the gun, it’s embarrassing and you lose your credibility.

Stay open.

Don’t jump to conclusions or the first answer.

Withhold your judgments as long as possible while observing and collecting more information.