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Category: Being Action Oriented

A Toast…

Published on December 24, 2021

Inspired by a quote shared with me by a friend, I propose a toast.

The holidays aren’t an easy time for many, so as we undergo the next few days let us…

Mend a quarrel. Life is too short.

Seek out a forgotten friend. There’s no greater feeling than that of feeling seen and heard.

Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Somebody has to give first. Let it be you.

Write a letter or send a text to someone to let them know you’re thinking about them.

Give conversation some grace and reply with fun, light-hearted, compassionate answers.

Encourage youth and be a true model of the holiday spirit.

Follow through with what you say you’re going to do. Keep a promise. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.

Forgo a grudge. There’s no better time than today to call a truce. And maybe not even for them, but for you.

Forgive an enemy. Fill your heart with love.

Apologize.

Seek first to understand. Listen fully before you reply.

Think first of someone else.

Be kind.

Be gentle.

Laugh a little more. Judge a little less.

Express your gratitude. Thinking gratitude only robs it if it’s true power.

Welcome a stranger. Include an outsider. Invite a loner.

Gladden the heart of a child. With things other than things.

Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. We’ll never get to experience it again the way we will today.

Speak your love and then speak it again.

Much love to each of you and may the true spirit of the holidays live fruitfully through you.

Cheers!

Complain Less. Paint More.

Published on December 17, 2021

Life is a piece of art that we slowly create over time.

We don’t get to choose the paint, but we get to choose what to paint.

Choosing not to paint, to complain about your paint, to curse your paint, to hate your paint, to compare and mope about your paint vs. other people’s paint—to expend energy doing anything that involves not painting your masterpiece—is a waste. Period.

Complain less about what colors you’ve been granted and focus more on how you’ll create a masterpiece with those very colors instead.

There aren’t any colors or color combinations that can’t be turned into masterpieces.

Never forget it.

Go Already.

Published on November 4, 2021

Starting a stopped body is hard.

Keeping a body in motion is easier.

Even if that motion is heading in the wrong direction.

Redirecting is easier than starting.

Which is why you should start even without knowing which direction is the perfect direction to head. You can always turn the steering wheel as you go. It’s really no big deal.

Just do what’s hard, start your damn engine, and get going already.

The Color Of Actions

Published on November 2, 2021

Life isn’t only a byproduct of what you do—it’s a byproduct of how you do what you do.

Take writing as an example. A book isn’t only a byproduct of the words that are used.

It’s a byproduct of how those words are arranged; how they are grammatically formatted; and how well they work together to communicate ideas.

If you took all of the words within War And Peace, for example, and rearranged them, changed the grammar, and disregarded the context—one of the all-time greats will be completely lost.

Same exact words. Completely different byproduct.

And so it is with life, too. What you do matters—yes. Just like what words you pick when writing a book matters. But, you can’t ignore the how.

How are you doing what you’re doing? Are you present or elsewhere? Do you care or are you only pretending to care? Are you pacing yourself or sprinting? Are you being true to who you are or are you putting up a front? Are your priorities really straight or are they actually backwards? Are you acting selfishly or selflessly?

The bottom line? Actions matter. But, don’t forget that intent colors actions with signals that are easily perceived by those whom the actions affect.

Doing What’s Immediately Comfortable

Published on October 23, 2021

When you lie down for bed and realize you have to go to the bathroom, you have 2 choices:

1. Do what’s immediately uncomfortable and get up to go.

2. Do what’s immediately comfortable and hold it in hope it won’t wake you up later.

Option 2 almost always is a bad idea.

And so it is for most other choices in life that are immediately comfortable.

Free Energy Checks

Published on October 9, 2021

Capturing inspiration when it strikes is like getting free energy checks from National Grid.

Why pay full price when you can cop some for free?

If you don’t have a means to deposit those checks though, it’ll all be for nothing.

How do you capture inspiration when it strikes?

The notes app is where I deposit all of mine.

That way, when it’s convenient (and in line with the schedule of my day) I can unleash the free energy I saved and capitalize on it in full.

Remember: feeling inspired and not depositing it is the same as never getting a check at all.