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By Casey Grey
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As humans, our memories are notoriously bad. We think we remember the details but our memory often plays tricks on us. For example, we may remember it the way we want to remember it, not the way it was.
How many times have you thought back on an event with somebody and you have different memories as to what happened? If you disagree with me, then I'll speak for myself. What did I do this past Monday? I couldn't tell you... Although if I look at my calendar I could figure it out for the most part. What important conversations did I have? I couldn't tell you... But if I look at my notes I'll know that I wrote down the important parts. This is the same for reading. I'll read an article or a book and think "that's great! I'll definitely remember that." But if I don't make a note of it, it's lost. Is it in my subconscious? Perhaps. I've definitely had moments where I surprise myself. Like this quote for example: "Memory is a matter of attention, not retention." I couldn't tell you the name of the person I heard that from but I remember the quote. I was paying attention. I was focused. But, for all I know, I already wrote about this... I just don't remember... Remember, you won't remember everything... It's important to maintain your vehicle. You need to change the oil, the rad fluid, the brake fluid and differential fluid. You need to check the brakes, top up the washer fluid, change the wipers, change your tires and so on.
For some of these things there are reminders that come up and tell you when they're due. For others, you may just realize that they're not working as well as they used to. This is regular maintenance and it's important to keep up to date with it if you want to keep your vehicle running smoothly. (Yes, if you have an electric car, there's less maintenance...) The same is true for your house. You need the change the filters in your heating/cooling system, change the filters in your fresh air system, repaint, redo caulking, change your roof, change your windows, turn off your outdoor taps in the winter, cut the grass, shovel the driveway, maintain the gardens, change light bulbs and so forth. But what about your body? Is your body running optimally? If you go to the gym regularly, you may look good on the outside. But what about the inside? How often have you cleaned out your pipes? Have you given your digestion system a break? Even as somebody who takes care of myself, I can feel the effects of the juice cleanse I'm on. But it's a minor set back for a major set up. If you listen, you'll know what your body needs. Just like your car, your body will give you reminders. If you ignore them, be prepared to run and look like a car that does not get maintained. "I want to be famous."
That's something that came up in a conversation with a friend last night. He's confused as to what he "should" be doing right now so he's jumping all over the place. As I dug into what he wanted, he eventually blurted out "I want to be famous!" I thanked him for being honest and continued to ask questions. "What does it mean to be famous?" He replied with "To be known by the world. To go places and be recognized by people who I don't know." As we were talking, I quickly looked up some numbers. Because I needed some sort of metric, I went to Instagram. I asked him if Tony Robbins is famous in his mind. He said yes. Tony Robbins has 4.5 million followers on Instagram. This is less than 0.06% of the world population. He's definitely not known by the world. "What about Oprah?" he said. Oprah has just over 0.2% of the population following her. Then he brought up Beethoven to which I quickly replied that he had no followers on Instagram :) The reason he brought up Beethoven is because he's remembered long after his passing. The question becomes, how do you measure famous? How would you know you were famous? Did Beethoven set out to be famous or did he just do what he was pulled towards? Another person I did not bring up yesterday was Picasso. It is estimated that he produced 50,000 pieces of art over his lifetime. That's more than 1 per day and he lived into his 90s! I have a feeling he was not focusing on being famous. All of these people are changing industries. Pushing the boundaries. They're focused and they won't let anything get in their way. We only see the glamour but it's far from that. Now I have to go back. Before we got on the topic of famous, he shared some other things that he wanted:
These are not things that only he wants. These are universal. Heck, I want all of those things too! And being famous may not be bad either. But at what cost? Do you really want to be famous or do you just like the idea of being famous? In life, it's easy to see the big shiny objects and forget about what's truly important. Anybody can be significant, independent, recognized, connected and give unconditionally. You don't need to be famous to have these things. In fact, when you're famous, who are you significant to? Are you significant to the people who matter most to you? When you're famous, are you more independent or do you have multiple people telling you what needs to be done and where to be? Are you able to enjoy a nice evening out with your partner without being harassed? You're most definitely recognized by more people when you're famous but do you stand out to those who you care about the most? You can give more money when you're famous but you won't be able to give as much of the most precious commodity you have. Your time. You will be more connected to more people when you're famous. You will have millions of followers. But how connected will you be to your loved ones? Is it possible to have all of the above? I like to think so. But like everything in life worth having, it does not happen over night and it does not come easy. Be careful what you wish for. What you think you want may not be what you really want. I've come to realize that I'm an artist at my core. Not an artist in the sense of painting but an artist in the sense that I like to create and design things.
Artists are creating things that we all get to enjoy as part of our lives. It could be a painting, a sculpture, a show, a home, a park or anything else that requires creativity. In my case I'm a carpenter by trade. I enjoy the process of building homes. Although I do less of the manual work now, it's still an interest to me. Where my focus goes now is towards designing and creating the business. I receive great joy from this process. But there's one thing that we all get to be the artist of. One thing that we all get to design. One thing that we all get to create... Our lives. Who's the artist of your life? Who's designing it? Who's creating it? If your life is not turning out the way you want it, who's fault is that? I'm not saying that we have control over everything that happens to us. We do, however, have control over what we do with each situation we're in. Every "problem" is an opportunity. Become the artist of your life or somebody else will. Yesterday was our summer party for The Conscious Builder and we decided to do it in our backyard. Slack lining, axe throwing and the pulled pork were the highlights of the afternoon. The slack line takes about 5 minutes to set up and I can use it over and over again. I bought it on amazon. The axe throwing target took me a couple hours to build yesterday and is also a ton of fun. We did not beat it up too much so we'll be able to use it more this summer if we want. (Stay tuned for the "How To Build An Axe Throwing Target" video if you're interested.) The pulled pork took the most time and is now gone. I started preparing the pork at 6:30am. I created the dry rub, soaked the wood chips and prepared the Big Green Egg. By 8:30am I had the pork on the Egg and was spraying it with Apple Cider Vinegar and adding wood chips every hour. I had more fun doing this than anything else. And here's the thing... I don't eat meat. I enjoy the process of creating. Especially if what I'm creating is going to be enjoyed by people I care about. When that thing I created is gone, I get to start the process over. It's never ending and it's perfect. P.S. When I did eat meat, the greatest turkey, pizzas and pulled pork I have ever had have come off the Big Green Egg. I still do the pizzas but they've changed :) I've been having this feeling in my gut recently.
It typically happens in the evening when I'm starting to wind down and I'm not focused on "doing". It feels like anxiety... But there's something different about it. I've been working through it. Being with it. Listening to the signs. Getting out of my head. At first I was thinking it was a "bad" thing. This feeling in my stomach is telling me something. It can't be good. Or can it? If I think about my life right now, I'm at an interesting point. I'm transitioning. I'm growing. I'm moving up to the next level. New opportunities are coming. My confidence is building. New challenges are presenting themselves. I'm moving into uncharted waters. Perhaps it's not anxiety. Perhaps it's excitement! The difference between the two? A simple change in mindset. A change in meaning. A different word. Now, I welcome the feeling. You know it's important.
Your dentist reminds you to do it all the time. Are you doing it? If not, why not? What else are you not doing that you know is important? Something as simple as flossing is a great predictor of the other areas of your life. I shared some of my recent frustrations with a mentor of mine, Rock Thomas, yesterday. I was explaining my confusion which I wrote about in yesterday's blog post.
As usual, he shared some great wisdom and then he finished with exactly what I needed to hear: "I usually find doing what I am doing full out helps another door open. Question less and lean into it." Thank you. I won't stop questioning but I need to take some time to get stuff done now. Checking stuff off the list will boost my energy again! I've been teetering to one side too much lately. Time to teeter back the other way. There's a time for questioning and a time for working. Right now I'm going to take Rock's advice and lean into it and watch the magic happen. Animals rely on their instincts. They are often more connected than we are. They understand the laws of nature and they keep it simple.
Us humans, on the other hand, have learned to think. Our brains have evolved. Yes, we still have instincts but we have other factors at play now. Perhaps that's why we're often confused. Like I am right now. I'm at a transition point in my career. It's time to evolve. It's time to grow. It's time to bring the business and myself to the next level. But my brain is getting in the way. What if things don't work out? What if the team does not like the final decision? What if cashflow gets affected? What if I can't deliver on my promises? What if it affects my time with my family? Why does the brain always go to the negative? Perhaps it's time to flip some of these questions around... What if things work out better than anticipated? What if the team is excited about the decision and future projects? What if cashflow gets better? What if I overdeliver? What if I have more time with my family? Most importantly, what if I can have a greater impact and help more people? But then I get stuck in the how... How do I get from here to there? The brain is slowing me down again. Or is it helping? Strategy is important. Action is more important. How do I come up with the right strategy and take action right away? Who do I need help from? Who needs to do what? Who can step up on the team? Who are we missing from the team? One thing I know for sure is that what got me here won't get me there. My thinking needs to change... But I also need to trust my instincts... Did I mention I was confused? There's a breakthrough coming! I believe that everything happens for a reason. Everything is connected in a way beyond our minds can comprehend.
There is an energy out there that we can't see. It's the same energy that keeps our hearts beating without us having to think about it. This thought has been a guiding star for me throughout my life. When I was younger, I did not believe in fate. I did not like the idea that I did not have control over my future. What I have come to learn is that fate is real, but you have to go and get it. Fate is that deep rooted desire inside of each one of us. That thing we know we must do in order to feel fully satisfied with our lives. That little voice inside of us telling us the truth. Fate cannot be achieved without action and action is not easy. It's not easy to go after our dreams. It's not easy to put ourselves our there. It's not easy to make the decision to burn the boats and take over the island. It's not easy to go against what other people think. It's not easy to trust in a higher power. It it were easy, life would be boring. Easy is convenient, not satisfying. So, Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to be exactly where I am today. I am looking forward to tomorrow but I accept and appreciate today. Today will not go to waste. |
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