An interesting thing happened just now. I wanted to go to bed. No, not because I was tired (though that is true)–but because I wanted to get up tomorrow and get going on the stuff I’m working on!
Talk about a breakthrough!
Today was a nice day of rest, and I enjoyed it. And now, I’m looking forward to my 5x5s. I’m looking forward to plowing through my tax stuff (😶). I’m looking forward to networking and interfacing with people. I’m not really excited for a gazillions of cars on the schedule, but… weather happened, I pushed stuff off, and I get the opportunity to exhibit grace under pressure.
Sweet! 😊
Gratitude. Though I haven’t pondered upon this extensively (which increases the potential for errors in thinking, of course) it seems to me that one pretty much full-proof method of finding lasting happiness is to be grateful for everything–everything. That means the easy things, the hard things, the comfortable things, the uncomfortable things, the joys, the sorrows, the pains, the pleasures, the obstacles, the open roads…everything.
How much do I truly want to be happy every day of my life? Do I want it badly enough to choose to be grateful for everything? To choose to see everything as a gift, a blessing, an opportunity? Or would I prefer to be unhappy with my circumstances because… well, because it’s so fun to be unhappy. I mean, “gosh, look at me. I’ve been dealt a bad hand. It’s so unfair. It’s completely reasonable to be unhappy with what I’ve had to deal with. Can’t you see? Don’t you feel sorry for me? Yes, yes you do. Thank you. I feel vindicated. See, my life is hard. It’s way harder than it should be. See, it isn’t fair. See…” (on and on and on).
Boy, doesn’t that sound nice?
So nice.
🤦♂️
Wonderful. I get to be right (I’m guessing this might be part of the underlying motivation? Otherwise, what reward is there for choosing unhappiness and dissatisfaction?) I get to have sympathy.
Lovely.
Or… I could let go of that, choose gratitude, and actually be happy!
How badly do I want it? What’s the price?
Gratitude–for everything.
Bring it on. 😎
…
So it’s been a great last week. I’ve worked my absolute tail off, and it’s paid great dividends so far (in so many areas of my life). I’m getting back to being me. I’m more patient. I’m more outgoing. I’m. so. much. happier! 😊
My productivity has skyrocketed in the most-important aspects of my life: I’m taking time to meditate. I’m taking time to ponder. I’m feeding my soul with uplifting messages from wonderful people.
I’m also building back my good habits: I’ve gone to bed at a much better average hour than I had been. I’m getting up, when it’s hard. When I’m exhausted. When I don’t want to. I’m doing my 5x5s, and things are so much better all around just by doing those! I see the little bits of progress that happen every. single. day. And that progress feeds the soul!
I’m exercising (granted it’s been a struggle and slow going, but it’s happening, and it’s progress). I’m working on my nonprofit every day. I’m busting through my taxes with solid daily progress instead of binging and purging. I’m gaining better perspective on my life and what I want to do (I think 🙃). I’m letting go of my fears (I believe I said at the outset of this year that 2021 was going to be the year that I banish fear. Well, I still have time. Bring it on). I’ve kept TV, movies, mindless internet surfing, news, porn, and all the crap out of my life–all week.
That is my report.
As far as other happenings are concerned, I had an AutoZone employee tell me that I was the inspiration behind his choosing to start a business recently which appears like it might be successful for him and which appears he will soon be working on full time. That was nice to hear. I communicated my gratitude to the young lady who shared that motivating message with me, that I’d better not be working on cars anymore the next time she calls me wanting help with her car. She said she’d like to be part of my organization, and unbeknownst to me, I guess has been thinking about names for the organization. I communicated my thanks to the gentleman who gave me the book “The Obstacle is the Way,” and today I invited him to join me for lunch on Wednesday (an offer he accepted enthusiastically 😊). I’m slightly nervous, but I’m excited as well.
It’s time. I hope. It’s time to go out and make the biggest difference I can for as many people as I am capable of lifting.
One of the biggest obstacles that I’m facing right now is the absolutely massive temptation to wallow in self pity for being nearly 40 years old and feeling like I should have been on this path so many many years ago. That is a huge temptation, to look back at my life and feel like it’s been wasted, and to wallow in that feeling; to feel like I could have done so much more; that I could be so much further along and accomplished so much more.
Those thoughts come in again and again. But… I’ve spent the last 10 years hungering to feel free to go out and change the world, and I’ve felt held back. I felt it wasn’t right. I felt like there was a time for that, but it wasn’t yet.
Well… I don’t know if the flipped switch inside my brain is because the time is now, or I’m just going ahead full steam anyway.
One comfort I have with my life, is that I have given my sincere effort. If my holding myself back because of what I felt was in error, it was at least me trying to be true to what I felt. And though I haven’t made the impact I would have liked to have made by this point in my life, I’ve done good things. I’ve made an impact in little ways. I can use the many years of pent-up passion as motivation for staying the course when the obstacles get even tougher.
My thanks to all of you for all your support. What a wild ride. May it continue. May it stay wild!
In the spirit of my comments above:
- I’m grateful today to have had this switch flipped inside of me that just burst out. Something has been building inside of me, but I have been surprised at the massive, seemingly all-encompassing shift inside me. I am so grateful to be in this space. I feel the tentacles of negativity grabbing me nearly constantly, but I’m battling all day. And I will win.
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” (Marcus Aurelius)
“The Obstacle is the Way” (Ryan Holiday) - I’m grateful to have been able to slow down today. I didn’t work on taxes. I got up, did some morning stuff, and then went back down for a good, long nap. I helped Liz with the dishes, helped Jim with one of his cars, and worked on getting the barbed wire fence down for Liz as well. Good day.
- I’m grateful to have a clean room. I mean, it’s relative. There’s a ton left to do, but my bed is made, there aren’t things strewn all over the floor like there have been, stacks of papers everywhere. No, there’s walking space. It feels really nice every time I go in my room.
- I’m grateful for Steve, the gentleman I’ll be having lunch with.
- I’m grateful for Niki, the woman whose words have helped propel me to where I am today.
- I’m grateful to be excited to wake up tomorrow.
- I’m grateful to have so many opportunities and people to learn and be inspired from.
- I’m grateful to be able to let go of fears and to be so focused on wanting to lift the world that my financial concerns, the desires for security have been melting away. Certainly, I need to be careful and intelligent with my choices, but no, nothing is going to get in the way of me spending the rest of my life utilizing my best gifts and abilities to lift the world in as broad-reaching a manner as is possible. I dream big. Huge. I’m a galaxy person, not just the moon or the stars… give me the galaxy, give me the universe. I might just be naive and ignorant enough to accomplish it.
Dream big.
I like the story of the young boy whose friend fell through the ice in a lake. The young boy ran to the bank, grabbed a stick, ran back, drew a circle on the ice, and started beating the ice away as hard as he could–relentless, indomitable. He smashed and smashed and smashed, and he broke through the ice, and he saved his little friend. When the paramedics (or whoever it was) finally got there, went out to the ice, and the saw the stick the child used, and saw how thick the ice was, they were awestruck. “How could this kid have done what he did to that thick of ice with that little stick.” The answer came from a man who was standing nearby: “Because there was no one there to tell him he couldn’t.”
I love that story (I might have some details incorrect, but that’s the gist). - I’m grateful to have a warm bed on this cold night.
- I’m grateful for all the conveniences that allow me to spend more time working out how I can be more effective in my individual effort to lift the world. I’m grateful for grocery delivery, so I don’t have to wander the aisles at the grocery store. I’m grateful for fast shipping of the things I need and want. I’m grateful for so many options for transportation.
Folks, thanks, again, for all your support and encouragement. What a beautiful time.
My love to you all.
Lift the World.
~ stephen
p.s. Hope you had a wonderful Halloween. 😊
Lift the World 
So happy for you, Stephen! Sending love and hugs!!!