“Rest and be kind, you don’t have to prove anything.”
—Jack Kerouac
Those words – rest & be kind, are some of the most important words in the human language.
Rest & be kind.
I’ll leave it there.
Lifestyle
Adversity is a Gift
“Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.”
—William Shakespeare
You lost the election.
You bet on the wrong stock.
You missed the game winning field goal.
You fell down face first into a pile of mud.
And it hurt.
It still does sometimes.
But you weren’t meant to remain in pain.
The pain – the adversity, is an opportunity to grow, to learn, to prosper, but in the moments it happens it’s almost impossible to appreciate.
Adversity doesn’t feel good, but it carries within it a gift.
The gift of experience.
“Experience is the teacher of all things.”
—Julius Caesar
The gift may be hidden, but it’s there, waiting for you to find it, open it, & move forward – stronger, wiser, and ready for the next opportunity.
Turn Inaction into Action
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer the negative elements in your life, don’t sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy!”
— Dale Carnegie
Overthinking is one of the root causes of inaction.
The best way to overcome this is to just take action.
If your thoughts & feelings are holding you back from taking right action, it’s time to break on through to the other side.
You do this, like Nike says, by just doing it.
Everyone feels fear.
Everyone worries.
But in this moment, it’s time for right action.
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
“Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.”
– Isaac Newton
Nature appears to be meditating all the time. It is still. It doesn’t worry about anything yet it accomplishes its task.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
– Lao Tzu
We’ve been educated to worry, but what if we didn’t?
What if for at least one day we didn’t worry about anything – like Bob Marley sings.
My challenge for you is for one day this week, think about what it would be like to not worry about anything at all.
Simply live.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
– Leonardo da Vinci
Express Yourself
“My role in society, or any artist’s or poet’s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.”
– John Lennon
But first, express how you feel.
This is difficult to do in societies that don’t encourage self-expression, but it is essential toward creating a better tomorrow, for us all.
There is something within you that this world needs now more than ever.
Discover it & share it.
The world will thank you.
Assemble Your Life
“You have to assemble your life yourself—action by action.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Your life is in your control, & it’s the only one you have complete control of.
So what are you doing today to assemble a life you love?
Imagine what an ideal life would be like for you.
Pray about it.
Dream about it.
& then with your actions, action by action, assemble it.
Do Your Work & Then Live
“Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.”
– Lao Tzu
There’s no need to expand on this simple yet profound message from Lao Tzu.
Do your work, then step back.
Enjoy the view.
Ask Impossible Questions
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
-Alice in Wonderland
You’ve heard the phrase “think outside the box”, but what does it really mean to think outside the box?
Part of what this phrase means is to ask impossible questions.
& just as history shows, sometimes, often accidentally, that impossibilities are possible.
The 4 minute mile.
The Earth isn’t the center of the Universe.
A black president.
And the list goes on…
The ceiling is waiting to be broken, & it’s waiting to be broken by you.
Imagination Exercise
Imagine you are walking through knee-deep snow in the woods.
It’s Winter & the snow is still falling.
You are dressed in warm winter clothes; protected from the cold.
To grandmothers house you go. Alone.
You brought your favorite camera with you to take pictures of the gorgeous scenery surrounding you.
The sun is shining. It’s midday.
No one else is around.
Silence.
You breathe & enjoy this moment.
Compare Less. Do more
Sometimes I scroll through social media and find myself comparing myself to famous people who seem to have “made it.”
Yes they have made it to where they are, and that’s perfect, but that’s not where our focus should be.
My focus, your focus, our focus, should remain upon our own lives, our own goals, our own dreams.
When you stop comparing and start focusing and working on improving your own life, life improves.
It takes time, but it’s worth it.
“Stay in your lane. Comparison kills creativity and joy.”
-Brene Brown
With Ken Thompson 