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!
Living your dream life won’t happen accidentally, just like becoming a black belt won’t happen accidentally.
It won’t happen just because you want it to.
It won’t happen even if you beg it to.
Living a life of your dreams—becoming a black belt—only happens on purpose.
And not just after being on purpose for one day, one month, or even one year.
Trying to balance the entire weight of your lifetime on such a small foundation of purposeful action isn’t realistic. Solid foundations take time.
And unless there’s a solid foundation, a quickly-realized-life-of-your-dreams will quickly collapse.
So, rather than trying to hack your way to a six-figure passive income—commit to the long-term game you’re playing and learn how to love playing the game.
Because what you’ll eventually realize is that loving the game is more closely related to living the life of your dreams than “winning” the game ever will be.
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.
What do all of the greats have in common?
They didn’t become great by accident—they became great on purpose.
From this point forward, don’t be accidental.
Be on purpose.
Step 1) Force the first 10-20 minutes—because starting almost never comes easily. This entails: silencing my phone, wearing noise-cancelling headphones, and resolving to sit and stare until I get bored (and frustrated) enough to start. No phone-checking, tab-opening, house wandering, etc. Just me, my thoughts, and the medium through which I need to do my work. It’s uncomfortable, my mind begs for distractions, and it’s definitely forced.
Step 2) Flow for the next 1-2 hours—because once I surrender to the work, the momentum tends to take care of itself. This happens for me when I read, write, teach, train, and even talk with people. Once I enter this state, time tends to fade away. It’s completely absorbed, unconscious, deliberate and pointed—work. And it’s where most good, deep work gets done. But, until you force that first 10-20 minutes, this flow state will essentially be unaccessible.