Are We There Yet?

“Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.” — Nikita Koloff

The quote above is not original, nor is it particularly profound. It does, however, contain a truth that can free you from one of the world’s most effective killers. Stress. According to the AIS, “Contemporary stress tends to be more pervasive, persistent and insidious because it stems primarily from psychological rather than physical threats.”

I believe that one of the major contributors to contemporary stress in life is the myth that life is about destination. Listen to any ad put out by modern media (even on the web) and what do you see? You see appeals to possess and encouragement to accumulate. You see comparisons to standards very few of us can or will ever meet. All promoting the belief that life is about the end result. “He who dies with the most toys wins.“

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Have You Ever Just Wanted to Start Over?

Ever wonder what your life would be like if you could go back to say your high school days yet retain the knowledge you’ve accumulated to date? How would your life be different? What mistakes would you try to correct? What relationships would you keep, and what ones would you drop? This is a game I’m sure we’ve all played at sometime in our lives, which is why movies like “Mr. Destiny” and “17 Again” are popular.

Sometimes such thinking can be a fun diversion such as in the case of watching these movies. We chuckle at the fantasy and remind ourselves that even if we could start over again with the advantage of accumulated wisdom, we would probably just make a whole new set of mistakes.

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That’s Life. Deal with It.

Tim Ferriss, author of “The 4-Hour Work Week” has a phenomenal post on his blog entitled “Stoicism 101 A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs.”

It’s a guest post written by Ryan Holiday who Ferriss says:

…is 21 years old and works directly with Dov Charney as his online strategist for American Apparel. He gets more heat, makes more high-stakes decisions, and take more risks in a given week than most people experience in any given quarter.

Holiday starts his article with the following:

For those of us who live our lives in the real world, there is one branch of philosophy created just for us: Stoicism.

It doesn’t concern itself with complicated theories about the world, but with helping us overcome destructive emotions and act on what can be acted upon. Just like an entrepreneur, it’s built for action, not endless debate.

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How Important is Reading Books to You?

Yesterday (Sunday 04/12/09) I ran across a post on on the Performancing blog, that raised the question about the importance of reading books. It was a very brief post by Jeff Chandler that pointed out that because of wikis, blogs, forums, and social networking, information is available in abundance, and books just might no longer be necessary.

Though he concludes that reading books is still important he raises an interesting dilemma. Here’s how he put it:

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Have You Answered the World’s Most Irritating Question?

My mother and I used to play a game when I was little. She’d say something and I’d ask “Why?” She’d then answer with, “Because.” To which I’d reply, “Because, why?” She’d come back with “Because, because.” I’d then ask, “Because, because, why?” and she’d answer with “Because, because, because.” On and on it would go until we’d both start giggling or drive my father nuts, whichever came first.

“Why?” can be the most irritating question in the world, because it requires us to stop and think. With the speed and demands of living in the modern world, it is far too easy to slip into operating on auto-pilot. The question “Why?” is disruptive and problematic. It forces us out of auto-pilot mode and makes us examine what we are doing.

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What’s Your Approach to Life?

One of my favorite humorous quotes goes like this: “There are three kinds of people in this world. Those who can count and those who can’t.” I wish I could remember where I originally heard this, but every time I think of it I chuckle.

I guess I’m one of those who can count. I believe there are three fundamental approaches to life and I’ve identified all three in this post. Which approach you adopt determines the quality of life you live.

Overreaching Optimism — The Glass Half Full

This approach to life is a fanatically up-beat point of view. It is not so much positive as it is radically anti-negative. So much so that the overreaching optimist often becomes superstitious about any kind of negative expression. The cloud must always have a silver lining. Always. There can be no exceptions.

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What’s Getting in Your Way?

Are you struggling with attaining the life you want? Does satisfaction always seem to lie just outside of your grasp? So many conversations I’ve had with friends and colleagues recently have centered around how dissatisfied with life they are. These feelings seem to be exacerbated during a down economy.

Often it can feel like life conspires to keep us from our goals. We see nothing but roadblock after roadblock. During these times it can be a huge temptation to simply give up and quit struggling for outcomes that seem impossible to achieve.

The reality, however, is often different than our perceptions. Regardless of the current economic situation, or our own personal circumstances, you and I are responsible for the outcomes in our lives. Truth is the real roadblocks in our lives are far more mental than actual. Here are 5 roadblocks that can keep you from achieving your dreams and a suggestion or two about what to do to break through each one.

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What Gets You Up In The Morning?

No, I’m not asking about what kind of alarm clock you use. I’m asking what is it that causes you to wake up and put your feet on the floor and get ready to take on the day?

There are typically one of three elements that force us from our beds. They are:

1. Tradition

This is basically getting up because it’s not possible to sleep all day, every day. So you get up in the morning and go through the motions. Have some breakfast. Take the kids to school. Go to work or return home and do your daily chores. Simply operating on autopilot and not really being driven by anything other than “It’s what I do.”

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Self-fulfilling Prophecy?

The other day when I was cleaning up some junk off a lunch room table I came across a copy of Investors Business Daily. The headline was touting the serious decline in the market and warning of still further economic struggle. I was really bothered by that. Not because of the headline’s prediction, but because of its promotion.

The biggest problem with the news media is it’s emphasis on bad news. It sells. But it also has a very negative side effect. It siphons off motivation. It drives by fear.

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