Living Large
If you don’t want to watch the video, here is what I said, basically!
Are you living large? What do I mean by that. Well, I suppose my definition of living large might be different from some.
By living large, I don’t mean being some fat cat with and overhang belly, diamonds on your fingers and driving one of those ginormous Cadillacs from the fifties with the fins.
What I do mean is living in such a way that you want to get out of bed. Living in such a way that you are happy with your life. Is that you? Are you living large?
Really, I don’t think most of us are. Most of us have days when we live large, when we are feeling the whole, “I got life by the tail,” thing. Most days, we just feel like life is happening to us and we are spinning out of control. That’s why I am so into life by design.
My idea of life by design is such that you spend just about every day living large. You have a design for the way you want to live and the person you want to be. It takes thought and it takes work, but it can be done.
For some it might happen quickly. For others, like myself, it happens one day at a time and slowly. However it happens for you, try living large each and every day! Design the life you want, one that is fun and full of the sort of adventure you crave.
What have you got to lose?
The alternative is living small. You know what that feels like! You hate to get out of bed. The shower feels like a death camp gas chamber as you contemplate the day ahead. You walk out the door and head to that nothing job and it feels like you are climbing the steps to the gallows.
Is that how you want to spend whatever time you have on this earth? No? Then start living large. Like I said, what have you got to lose. Those are pretty much the two alternatives you have in this life. Pick the one you want.
For me, I want to be living large.
Stupid People, Not Technology
If you don’t want to watch the video, read the post.
I know I shouldn’t be this way, but sometimes it just gets to me, you know what I mean? I read an article the other day in the NY Times about people who are getting themselves and the national forest service in trouble using technology. The article seemed to say that without these digital type devices, people would not be in the situations they get themselves into. I think it is just stupid people, not technology!
If you didn’t link over to the article, let me give you a quick rundown. People are using their digital cameras to take pictures of themselves in dangerous places, places like next to a live buffalo, or at the very edge of the Grand Canyon. Then the buffalo charges or they fall off the edge. It wasn’t the camera, folks!
The other thing they seem to do is use their cell phones to call in all sorts of idiotic requests. One camper was lost and cold and called the forest service to bring him a hot chocolate. Another group called and had a helicopter fly in because their water tasted salty! After the third stupid call from this same group, they were forced to fly out of the area.
It reminds me of the story of two girls in Australia who somehow got themselves lost in the sewer and then used their cell phones to update their Facebook page to say they were lost instead of just calling for help. Granted, the girls were 10 and 12, but I wouldn’t put it past a lot of adults. It’s stupid people, not technology.
I don’t think it is the technology that is making people stupid as much as it is just the people themselves.
I live in the state of New York in the US and out state government is so locked up that they can’t pass anything through the state congress. The state was without a budget for 125 days. The legislators are the most incapable bunch I have ever seen. Everyone complains about them, but they keep voting them back into office. Like they got smarter or better since their last term. It isn’t the legislators, it’s the voters that are stupid!
We like to blame everyone and everything else on the situations and circumstances we find ourselves in. Why not look at our own behavior and see if there isn’t something we could have done better, smarter.
P.S. Leave a comment! Let me know what you think, or give us your own stupid people story!
Take Your Own Advice
How many times have you said to someone else, “Don’t worry, things will work out,” or “You need to get up and do something!” That sort of advice is handed out by all of us to children friends and family. We are eager to dish it out, but when it comes our turn to be down or confused, we don’t know what to do. Well, perhaps you should learn to take your own advice!
I wrote a short report about productivity. In it I teach some ideas that will help someone become more productive. The lessons are not hard and they work.
Today, I have sat for several hours trying to think of something to write. I have been lost in a see of unproductiveness. Suddenly that report came to mind and I started using the principles in the report and in no time I was here writing away and getting done what should have been done much earlier. I needed to take my own advice!
I am often asked by people what they can do about certain problems in their life. The thing is, I know that they know the answer. I might have even heard them talk about the same problem with someone else. They know the answer. You do too. Take your own advice!
I would be willing to bet that whatever your problem is, if you step back from all the negative thinking and the darkness, you know and can see the answer. Whatever your frustration, You know that you need to get busy and give some action to the problem, or you need to stop worrying and look for the solution. You have told your kids or someone else this same thing when they had a similar problem. Now take your own advice.
We all are smarter than we give ourselves credit for. We have lived life and have had experiences that have supplied the answer. Usually, it is the same few answers for nearly every problem. They are:
- Get off your a** and do something.
- Stop worrying and look for the solution. Worry does nothing.
- Ask for help.
- Believe in yourself.
- Believe there is an answer.
I am sure there are a few more answers, but these, in some combination, hold the key to every problem you could ever have. Personally, the first two can do much to solve every problem.
Don’t wait for someone to give you some “magical” answer. You already know what it is. You already know what to do, just do it. Take your own advice.
Tired, Depressed, and Hating Life
Is This You?
I know a young woman who can’t figure out why she is so tired, occasionally depressed, and hating life. Now here is the thing. She recently returned from a vacation that was tiring and physically stressful. While on vacation, she had all the energy she needed. She was up late at night, up early in the morning and walked for miles each day. She wasn’t tired at all. She was ready for each new day.
When she came home and returned to work, she came home that evening, complaining that she could hardly keep her eyes open and felt depressed. She was unhappy in life. She couldn’t figure out why.
I’m sure you can see it. She was happy while doing the things she wanted and was unhappy when she went to a job that was not what she wanted to do. She has been back to work for a couple of days now and she can hardly get out of bed. She feels exhausted. She goes to bed crying at night.
Now the question is, is it the job, or her life in general? In her case, she can go all day and be happy as a bird on weekends and when she is off work and home. She seems happy to live her life outside of work. The answer is clearly her job!
Now, if any of this sounds like you, being tired, depressed and hating life, then you have some thinking to do. You have some research about yourself ahead.
The first thing I would suggest is to go to the Doctor and get checked out. There may be a physical reason for all this. I am assuming that this is not the case.
Think about your average day. Where and when are you happiest? Is it at home away from work? Is it at work, away from home? Could it be that you are unhappy and hating life no matter where you are? These feelings of unhappiness are clues in your life.
If you are unhappy at work, but happy everywhere else, then that says something about your job or work. If the opposite is true, you are happy at work, but not at home, then that says something about your home life. If you are unhappy about everything, then there is something else to consider.
Now the question becomes, what can you do about it. Most of us can’t just up and quit, but we can plan to do so. Leaving a spouse, partner, or family is a tragic thing, but not as tragic as a wasted life. You just have to make sure that you are doing the right thing and for the right reasons. You have to make sure that you do all you can and not harm those who will be involved in your decision.
Life is short. It is supposed to be fun and creative. Life should not be something you hate. You should not always feel tired or depressed. You should not hate life. You are in control of your life, at least to some degree. There is nothing in this life, other than die, that you absolutely have to do. You may think you so, but you can decide not to. Taxes? You don’t have to pay them, but you have to be ready to pay the penalty!
Change what needs to change.
Start today!
Do not let another day go by that drains your energy and makes you feel like you would rather die, that one thing you have to do, rather than live another one. Why be tired, depressed and hating life when you could be energetic, happy and loving life?
P.S. Here is a blog post from Danielle Laporte that will help give you permission
Why Routines Can Be Good
What are your routines? You may think that routines are stick in the mud type stuff, but routines can be good! Do you know what your routines are?
Once you find out what your routines are, you can decide which ones are good and should be set goals for each day or however often you do them!
Adventure? Si Como No?
Life is an adventure. I can’t say that enough. There are those who would say that we can control our lives. I don’t know how that works out for them, but I have never been able to really control it. Sure, I can plan and that helps to keep some of the chaos down, but control, no. The thing is, if you look at life as an adventure, things are much easier to take.
I am currently in the Si Como No Inn in Flagler beach. It is an out of the way little motel type place that has lots of natural charm. If you are looking for a fancy place that has carpeted rooms and hot and cold running maids then this ain’t it! On the other hand, if you are looking for rustic laid back Florida charm, then this is the place to be. These are good regular people that are friendly and welcoming!
My daughter and her husband have paid for 90% of this vacation and they have spent a fortune. Disney is not cheap and eating in restaurants can get pretty pricey. It feels like they are trying to really show us a great time and we have had it, but not everything has worked out according to plan. My daughter, Amanda, keeps apologizing!
Life is an adventure. We can whine and feel terrible every time something doesn’t go as planned, or we can see it as an adventure and learn to adjust! Life is an adventure, or it can be a terrible mistake, a horrible time when nothing goes right.
Here’s how you can do it. Wake up each morning and count your blessings. Hey, you woke up, right? Now, whatever level of health you have, be thankful for that and vow to do all you can to make it better that day. Next, decide right away that whatever happens you will see it as an adventure and not some mean spirited joke played on you by the Universe.
Life is and adventure, if you allow it. I try to think this way all the time. It doesn’t always work of course, but when it does, things are so much better. Well, time to have some more adventure. I’m taking the grand kids body surfing!
P.S. Carl at Si Como No recommended Flagler Fish Company as a good place to eat and it was! Man, I think I’ll drive down here once a week just to eat their fish sandwich!
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