I've had major writers block lately (not that I'm much of a writer, that's for sure). Throughout the day, I think about things I want to write about, but when I sit down to write, it all disappears. The problem is, I don't think you can set a specific time of day to sit down and write. You're either feeling it or your not, and when you are, you best sit down and start plugging away.
Just recently I came across this really cool mission statement. This statement has become so popular that now they are selling posters of it. (and yep, I've ordered not one, but two)
I don't think it can be put any better.
Do you ever wonder what your purpose in life is? I'm not going to go of on some tangent, but really, what is our sole purpose? I'm sure if you ask a 1000 people this question, you're going to get 1000 different answers.
Are we meant to put our own lives aside to make the lives of those around us better? Is it even necessary to put your life aside to positively affect those around you? You can look at the life of say someone like Mother Theresa, her life was dedicated to others. Then on the flip side, you can look at the life of someone like Lance Armstrong. The guy has probably done half of the things on his bucket list and he's not going to stop until that list is completed. This of course (at least in my opinion) is at the cost of spending time with those closest to him.
I'm sure there's a happy medium to this question. I think as a dad, I want to pursue a life that makes my kids proud. I have major issues with what I will call the "selfish factor". To a point I think this is a good thing, because almost always, I will put others before myself. On the flip side though it can be a bad thing. Bad in the fact that I fail to do many things for myself because of it. One example,,,, I used to do this week long bike ride in Colorado every summer. You spend a week camping out with hundreds of others and everyday you tour through the mountains of Colorado, each day landing in another town. For the last few years though, I have chose not to go. One reason being, I miss my kids too much. There's a certain amount of guilt (not that there should be) for leaving your family behind while your "vacationing" somewhere for a week.
In many ways, I think absence can bring people closer and I suppose that's a good thing. This is something I've just realized that I need to work on. In fact, this little two day trip to Tucson is sort of a start. Normally I would never take an extra day off to just go do something by myself (granted, Ryan my 12yo is going). I'm going to make it a point to really enjoy the next two days without worrying about anything.
But back to the original question; what is our purpose? Is it to live a full life trying to obtain as much money and toys as possible? Or is it to live a life serving others? I honestly don't have an answer.
I'm not a good example of living life to the fullest, though I sure hope to improve. I just went back and read the Holsteen statement and this stuck out, "Don't over analyze". This is so me!! I need to put a little more weight on the Nike statement of "Just Do It", and just start living. After all, don't most of us make life harder than it really needs to be?
A friend of mine, Rick Hall is a true example in my opinion of living life to the fullest. I met Rick outside of my Gross Anatomy class and we've been friends ever since. Rick worked his tail off through college, sometimes working as many as 3 jobs at a time. I remember him putting gas in his car .65 cents at a time. Now he's a professor at ASU, owns 5 Subway restaurants, has a beautiful family, travels the country doing various types of speaking engagements, lives a good Christian life, and really is a good example of getting the most out of everyday. I always enjoy the time we spend together as I'm usually pretty pumped and focused after just being around the guy.
Life is truly a challenge. Isn't it up to us to make the most of that challenge? There's a book called Holy Sweat that a friend gave me in college. I think I've probably given 10 copies of this book away. The entire title is "Holy Sweat, The Remarkable Things Ordinary People Can Do When They Let God Use Them." Fear is the biggest factor holding most of us back. Fear of failure, fear of what others may think, fear of the unknown, whatever the fear may be, it's up to each of us to beat that fear and take that next step. Whether it's your faith in God, or some other higher power, have the faith to live a more deeper thought provoking life. Lets all step it up and put a bigger footprint on this path through life. Find the confidence to believe in yourself. I think it's this confidence that allows people like Rick to conquer whatever challenge is in front of them.
So however you live your life, whether its to gain as much crap as you can or to live a life making a difference in the life of others, live it with confidence and grace, with integrity and character, regretting nothing as you move forward. Life is short, make the most of every second.
Note: I've got two heart rate monitors give away. I'll send these to the first 2 people that email with their thoughts of how their living their lives. What's important? Are you living life to the fullest? Do you wish you were doing more? Email me.
If you have never exercised with a heart rate monitor, it makes all the difference in the world. When you can maintain 60-70% of your max heart rate over thirty minutes of exercise, you are burning fat. So if you don't win one here, I suggest ordering one (or Big 5 sells them). Super helpful.
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