27 Apr Knowing Why
Hey! Welcome back! I hope you had a terrific Friday night. I want to take some time today to fill you in on what drives me to achieve success everyday. We all have reasons why we do the things we do, and then we have reasons or excuses for not doing the things we say we’re going to do. For a very long time, I chose not to connect action with my thoughts and feelings. It was easy for me to talk about all the things I wanted in life because I thought I had legitimate dreams and desires. However, like so many other people, it was just talk. It all sounded good, but ultimately I was just repeating a default cycle of thinking big, then allowing my typical thoughts of doubt and fear to prevent me from taking any real life changing action. I knew what I wanted, but I didn’t know “WHY” I wanted it. I hadn’t evaluated the purpose of doing something life changing. In reality, my dreams were just a regurgitation of my external influences. A compilation of someone else’s thoughts and ideas that aligned with my basic morals and values.
Not so long ago, I was feeling sorry for myself and I wasn’t happy with the direction my life was headed. I was happy in my marriage and proud as a father, but I wasn’t proud of how I carried it. Many people talk about hitting “rock bottom” which can mean many things and varies from person to person. Most commonly, people associate their lowest of lows with financial troubles or substance abuse. Surely, these are troublesome stages for anyone who experiences such hardships, but I also believe there are people out there like you and me that might hit “rock bottom” in other ways. Mentally, I arrived at my low point when I woke up with a severe headache from staying up late with friends and having a bit too much fun. All very normal and legal behavior. However, on this particular morning I wasn’t happy with the way I felt. I was pissed off and upset with myself for feeling like crap. No one else to blame but me, and I finally accepted it!
I can’t explain why it was that exact morning that brought me to my ultimatum, but I am extremely grateful that I listened to my heart and acknowledged the universal sign that it was now time create meaningful change in my life. All the days of dreaming someone else’s dreams, thinking someone else’s thoughts, and disregarding some of the most important aspects of my life converged on me that morning. The sudden influx of emotions filled me with the courage to get out of my own way so I could be the man I always intended to be. Don’t get me wrong, at that moment, I had and currently have a great career that pays all my bills and allows my family to live comfortably. I had no financial or legal hardships and on the surface I was the model of the “American Dream”. But I was struggling mentally with my self worth and lacking fulfillment in my career and professional endeavors. I knew I needed to become more so I could better serve my family and my community.
I’d like to share with you one of the reasons why I chose to drastically change my life. As a child, my grandparents played a major role in my life. They always loved me unconditionally and placed me at the top of their priorities. Now at 31 years old, my time left with my two surviving grandparents is vanishing quickly. Fortunately, both are relatively healthy and still live in their own homes. My grandfather, Toby, is the most consistent man I have ever met and I respect him so deeply for remaining so true to my grandmother all the way to her passing. Hardened by his background as a United States Marine, he has been stedfast as a cornerstone in my family and he continues to inspire me today. To all the past and present military members reading this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for serving such a noble cause! I am who I am today largely because of the influence of men who believed in things greater than themselves and passed those values down to me. May God bless you and keep you always!
I am also incredibly fortunate to have my grandmother, Doris. The sweetest and most caring woman alive. From my birth to this day, I believe that I am still the most important person in her life. When I tell you that she has loved me unconditionally, I mean it a way that can never be explained. Love, dedication, and compassion are so deeply embedded in her at a cellular level that no force whether internal or external could undo. Widowed early in my childhood, her dedication to family and to God has been unwavering and she continues to bless me and my family with love everyday! Unfortunately, she suffers from dementia and it’s obvious that she feels scared and alone. I believe she deserves so much more, and I am desperately trying to free myself from the time constraints that prevent me from being with her now in her time of need. She has selflessly served me my entire life, and now I must take action to share in our most limited resource. Time.
Time is my most valuable resource, and the most limited. Throughout this journey, my primary goal is achieve the freedom of time and be present in the life of my family. As a working class man, this will be no easy task. To achieve time freedom means I must trade time now, for time later. Hesitation, fear, and doubt will only exponentially reduce my time and prevent me from ever having true freedom. If you’ve decided to follow me on this journey, I will show you how I overcome this challenge and reveal the methods and strategies for sustaining wealth of time, money, and spirit. If you haven’t done so already, subscribe to my email list and regularly visit my blog for life changing information!
For the life changing words of wisdom that helped guide me here to you, I highly recommend the book Take The Stairs, by Rory Vaden. It’s a small investment that could pay huge dividends. Rory’s message enticed me to begin this journey and I am forever grateful for his passion to positively influence the lives of others!
Check out my resources page for other books I’ve read and highly recommend!
Have a great weekend!
Cheers to your success!
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