Two kinds of freedoms

Freedom from, and freedom to.

Having “freedom from” is great.  Freedom from violence, oppression, disease, and injustice.

“Freedom to” is next level.  Freedom to do whatever you want when you want.  Now that is freedom.

Of course, it comes only with discipline, learning, and creating value for others.

Whatever you do, don't retire

I have said that in my observation, retirement is a leading cause of death.

People need a purpose and to feel useful.

Another Ikigai idea from the long-lived Japanese is that they never really retire. 

One commentator literally said – “Whatever you do, don’t retire.”

In Japanese, there isn’t really a word for retirement like we have.

I understand.  

My work gives me a purpose.  When I don’t work for a while, I feel different like I am becoming somebody else – somebody who is drifting without an aim.  I wouldn’t feel as good about myself if I was in this state for long.

The long-lived people of Okinawa stayed active.  Not a 9-5, but working on or for something every day even into very old age.  They also have friends and exercise moderately each day.

Not only is their life span very long, but so is their average health span.

Don't fill your stomach

Recently I went out to dinner and ate too much.  Drinks (bread?), appetizer, dinner, dessert.  I have a bit of poverty consciousness in me – I clean my plate (That’s not good, but I don’t like to waste…)

Well, when I do that, I don’t feel good after, and I do not sleep well.  I know this, – but food-as-entertainment is pretty common in society.

Well, let me get to the point.  I was listening to a book called Ikigai.  It’s a Japanese term that refers to something that gives a person a sense of purpose – a reason for living.  They were talking to people who were over 100 years old and looking at their habits and why they lived so long.  One thing they came up with was to only fill your stomach to 70% of capacity.  

Basically, don’t eat until you are full.  Stop before you are full.  A simple trick is to drink a full glass of water once you are done eating.  After 20 minutes you feel full.

When I eat too much my body spends a lot of energy on digesting all of it, and I feel like I need a nap.

70%.  It sounds like good advice to me.

Replace your junk food with food.

The other day I was in my barn and saw a bag of chips in the cabinet.  They were the “healthy kind of chips” with a nice healthy name and photo on the bag.  I opened them up.  They were old – and the smell!  Like chemicals.

Ughhh!

I thought about how those chemicals were there even if they were fresh.

I know how to eat well.

I can do better.  I have to make healthy food convenient and easy to get to.

And if I don’t buy junk, I won’t eat it.  I have to exercise discipline at the store.

Eat food with one ingredient.

Replace junk food with real food.

What came first – the belief or the fact?

Did you become _______________ and then believe it?

Or did you believe you would be ______________ years before you were?

It is because you believe what you say you are, that you become precisely that.

From the inner, the outer.

So, you can construct a new you in your mind, and when you come to believe in it, you will think, act, and do as the new you would, and become that person.

That’s how it works.

Darkness or light?

The angel and the devil compete for you.

The devil says, “You will weaken; you will not know exactly when.  You are afraid.”

The angel says, “You will weaken; you will not know exactly when.  You are afraid.”

You are surprised.  The angel and the devil have said the same thing.

The devil continues, “Let me help you”.

The angel says “I will help you”.

At that moment you understand the difference.

The words are the same, but completely different.

Your choice.  Who’s hand to choose?

Fall seven, rise eight.

You do not drown by falling in the water.  You only drown by staying beneath the surface.

It happened.  Ok. 

What story do you tell yourself about it?  That’s more important, and that is your choice.

Get back up.

Let’s go.

Your Future Drives Your Present

Where do you see yourself going?

What future do you believe in?

What do you think you are capable of?

That is why you are doing what you are doing today.

Should you develop, see, and believe in a better future for yourself?

There are no mistakes/failures…

There are no mistakes, only lessons.

When you try something in a given way, the world gives you feedback – this works, or this doesn’t work.

Nothing personal.

Lessons are repeated until they are learned.

What new lessons do you want to learn so you can get better and move forward?

Good things come to those who…

Ideas and intentions are great.  But nothing happens unless you do something.

Fortune favors the actioneer.

Good things come to those who wait DO.