How do you live your life, and do you know the road you’re on?
This past week my computer went wonky and had to go away for a short journey to get repaired. I admit that I felt discombobulated. It was like my core was yanked out, and without it, I was merely limbs and fragmented pieces. I could still operate but not very efficiently or coherently. Man, what a metaphor for the journey!
In taking the journey analogy further, I can see how this computer thing temporarily slowed my pace. Instead of a fast trot, I had to walk for a change. I mean walking like when you stop to smell the roses along the way – that kind of walking!
At first, I didn't see it this way. I was simply discombobulated and feeling wonky like my computer. Then I realized that it wasn't just my computer that needed fixing and rebooting. I did too. Being without my computer caused me to take stock of my situation. It forced me to look around a little and see the road I'm on in more detail. I've decided that I really like the road I'm on, but I have to admit that I've been running in place a bit too much. Slowing down let me see up the road beyond this treadmill part. And, hey, just a few more steps ahead is an incredibly beautiful and verdant landscape. It looks like it'll be a lot of fun to move on down the road!
I've just finished reading an awesome book, which I strongly recommend, and want to share an excerpt that reflects what I'm experiencing. I'm finished wasting time. Maybe this passage will help inspire you to stop wasting time too…
How do you want to live your life? How do you want to play the game? Do you want to play in the big leagues, in the majors or the minors? Are you going to play big or play small? It’s your choice.
Most people choose to play small. Why? First, because of fear. They’re scared to death of failure and they’re even more frightened of success. Second, people play small because they feel small. They feel unworthy. They don’t feel they’re good enough or important enough to make a real difference in people’s lives.
But hear this: Your life is not just about you. It’s also about contributing to others. It’s about living true to your mission and reason for being here on this earth at this time. It’s about adding your piece of the puzzle to the world. Most people are so stuck in their egos that everything revolves around me, me, and more me. But if you want to be rich in the truest sense of the word, it can’t only be about you. It has to include adding value to other people’s lives. One of the greatest inventors and philosophers of our time, Buckminster Fuller, said, “The purpose of our lives is to add value to the people of this generation and those that follow.”
We each came to this earth with natural talents, things we’re just naturally good at. These gifts were given to you for a reason: to use and share with others. Research shows that the happiest people are those who use their natural talents to the utmost. Part of your mission in life then must be to share your gifts and value with as many people as possible. That means being willing to play big.
—T. Harv Eker, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind
Let me leave you with one more thing, which I think complements Eker's message nicely. I've not met this fellow, Eugene Hoang, personally, but I've met him through email. We both subscribe to a yahoogroup, and he just sent out a celebratory email about his public speaking journey and how he was recently chosen to become an instructor for Dale Carnegie Training. He's on youtube.com (click here) giving a motivational speech. What a great story he tells about his father, who served in the South Vietnamese military during the Vietnam War. He provides a wonderful perspective about getting focused and getting on with our mission.
Nothing like a computer malfunction and a complete disruption of work schedules to make you ask yourself: How do you live your life, and do you know the road you're on?
