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By Casey Grey
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When you lose a sense, your other senses become heightened.
Why is this? Could it be because you put more energy and focus into the other senses because you have to depend on them more? If this is the case, can we tap into these heightened senses whenever we want? Close your eyes and do a test. Actually, close your eyes, sit still and focus on your breath for 10 minutes. Or, if you think this is too hard... Turn your phone off for a day. Is there something you have become too dependant upon? Remember, you have other senses (and other ways of communicating). The world is full of labels.
Passive House, Energy Star, R-2000, LEED Certified, FSC Certified, CSA Approved and HVI Certified are ones that come up often for me in the construction world. Vegan, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Paleo, Raw and Flexitarian are all labels for different types of diets (and I know there's more). Mental disorders are a whole other game. There's a 3" thick book called the DSM-5 that explains all the shit that's "wrong" with us. I'm not a fan of labels but I understand and appreciate the importance they play in our society. As somebody who primarily eats a vegan and gluten-free diet, I appreciate seeing those labels. As somebody who builds healthy and sustainable homes, I see the value in having a third party certify a home and prove that it was built to a certain standard. When labeled with a mental disorder, it can be beneficial in the sense that the person may gain access to additional resources and realize that they are not alone. The issue is that most of us have no idea what the labels mean. If I were to show the general population the Passive House label, chances are they would not know what it meant. If I were to show people at a Green Building Show that same label, most people would likely recognise it but I guarantee you a lot of them would have no idea what was required to get that label. People who do not put a lot of attention into the food they put into their bodies won't necessarily know what vegan is or where gluten comes from or what foods contain what. Personally, I'm still not sure what a paleo diet is... Since I have no education in the mental disorder world, when I hear somebody is labeled with something specific I have to do research if I want to understand what that means (a.k.a. I ask my wife because she does have formal education here). The other important factor to understand is that labels often only account for one aspect. A Passive House does not mean it was built with healthy products (it puts the attention on performance). A LEED Certified house does not mean it is energy efficient (it puts a lot of attention on materials). A Vegan diet does not mean it's healthy (refined sugar and vegetable oil is vegan). A diagnosis of ADHD does not mean the person is not smart or can not focus (most entrepreneurs I know would fall under this category). Don't get caught up in the labels. Although they tell us important information, it's not the whole story. When things get tough (and they will get tough) there is one thing above all that is required.
A team. That team could be your family, friends or co-workers. Teams work together towards a common goal. The best teams work hard, challenge each other and support each other. They sweat together, laugh together, play together and cry together. They win together, loose together and learn together. They stick together. When you are on a team, you are never alone. As long as you are a team player. The picture below shows what I see every morning I turn on my computer. It's a reminder that life is too short to waste. Take in every moment and live your fullest life. Surround yourself with people you love and who love you. Go after your dreams. Flow with the events that life puts in front of you. Smile, laugh, cry and hug more. Take time for yourself. Find somebody to share with. And remember... "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." I have a bad habit of interrupting people.
Why do I interrupt? Sometimes it may be required to break somebody's pattern but for the most part it's quite rude. In thinking about my own experience, it's usually because I'm thinking about what I need to say instead of listening to what the other person is saying. I get to a point where I feel like I understand what the other person and I'm ready to fire my comments or questions back at them. But what if I waited? Would I learn more? Would I have a new perspective? Would the other person be more open to hearing what I have to say? Would I become more connected with the other person? I believe so... Time to create a new habit! Why do we put so much time into worrying?
We worry about if we're working on the right thing today, who our children will grow up to become, if we made the right investments or if our spouse is happy. We worry about eating the right food and where the next client will come from or, if you are not an entrepreneur, whether or not we will have a job next week. We worry about if we said the right thing at the event yesterday or if we're going to say the right thing tomorrow. We worry about the clothes we wear, the weather and where we're going to be next year or in 10 years or in 25 years. I'm worrying about whether or not this is the right post to write today... What if instead of worrying we decided to trust. Replace the word "worry" with "trust" and watch the beauty of the universe unfold in front of you. Do everything in your power and trust that you are doing the best you can with what you know right now. Because you are. Trust that you are exactly where you are suppose to be, doing exactly what you are suppose to be doing, with the people you are suppose to be with. Trust that life is happening FOR you. I trust it's the right thing to do. Throughout my 10 years of being in business, I have been lucky enough to have Chris Castillo in my life most of those years.
Chris has been a mentor of mine and has since become a very good friend. He has done nothing but give, share and invest in our relationship. He has been especially generous with his most valuable asset of all, his time. Throughout all our hours together, I have picked up numerous nuggets of wisdom. His story is inspirational and at the young age of 50 (which I was blessed to celebrate with him yesterday) he continues to grow and share. Being in his home yesterday, there was no shortage of love. Everybody who was there had a deep love and appreciation for this man. I could tell that he had touched all of their lives somehow and they were proud to have him in his life. One thing I have learned about Chris is that he loves to laugh. Nobody appreciates a good joke like he does. He always has a smile on his face. That being said, the jokes always have a life lesson linked to them. This is evident in his new book, Bucket Of Wisdom. He has found a way to combine his passion for business and his love of a good laugh. If you are an entrepreneur, or thinking of venturing into the entrepreneur world, I highly recommend connecting with Chris and checking out his new book. Chris, thank you for all your support and love over the past years. I'm looking forward to the next 50 :) Why do you buy what you buy?
Why do you shop where you shop? We all like to believe that we spend our money in logical ways but the truth is that it's always for emotional reasons. If I want to go somewhere for a coffee, I could go to Tim Hortons or I could walk into 692 Coffee & Bar where the owner says "Hey Casey!" Could I get coffee cheaper at Tim Horton's? Yes, but... It's not about the coffee, it's about the feeling. I feel good when I walk into 692 Coffee & Bar. They know me and they're a new business that I want to support. I feel like I'm part of the community. When people come into Younion, it's not about meditation. It's about the feeling they want. We see them at Younion. Natasha makes sure of this. They are part of something bigger than themselves. We're all in this together. Most importantly, these local businesses are a place where a face to face connection happens. Sure you can connect with people all over the world thanks to technology but there's nothing more powerful than being with somebody in real life. Who are you going to connect with today? Too much of a good thing (even if you love it) will eventually turn to a bad thing.
A good thing will only stay a good thing if consumed in the proper doses and at the right time. Eating food feels good when you are hungry but if you eat all the time you will get sick. Spending time with the person you love can be the greatest thing in the world but if you spend every waking moment with that person eventually you will not want to be with each other anymore. Exercising is a necessity to stay healthy but over exercising will cause issues in all sorts of ways. Whatever it is that you love, give it the space it needs. It's the only way to keep the love strong. That question triggers me for some reason (at least when my wife asks me).
When I hear that question my brain automatically goes to all the "problems" I had to deal with that day. Then it starts stacking all of them and by the end of my verbal diarrhea I feel like crap (no pun intended). Deep down I know that problems are actually opportunities. Life is unfolding as it needs to and I will never understand the whole plan. I just need to stay focused on what's in front of me in any given moment. The most important thing right now is what's in front of me. And when my wife asks me that question what she is really saying is "I would like to talk right now." The only reason I feel like crap is because I'm allowing my mind to let me feel that way. I need to train my mind to focus on the great. There are hundreds of things to be grateful everyday. There is always a silver lining. That's where silence comes into play. When I get silent, I find the real answers. When I separate myself from my thoughts, I never get triggered. I only react negatively when I'm stuck in my head. |
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