The (not so) Secret to Life

I believe there are 3 things that will create an extraordinary life no matter where you are and where you came from. They are simple but not easy.

Presence. Gratitude. Faith.

When you are present, nothing else matters. The only thing that ever does matter is right now. We can't change the past and the future will never be here. When the future does get here, it changes to now... All that matters is how we show up right now. I'm talking real presence, not just physical presence. Presence that the other person can feel when you're in front of them.

That being said, planning and envisioning the future has its place and I believe it's extremely important. We just don't want to live there. This is something I've been working on because I have missed a lot not being in the moment. Meditation has helped tremendously.

Gratitude is self explanatory. The two words that can never be said enough are "Thank you." The hard part about gratitude is to be grateful for the painful moments. It's easy to be grateful for the good things that happen in life but being grateful when somebody breaks your heart or takes your money is easier said than done.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. The good and the bad. What is good and bad anyways? Good and bad is really just a point of view but I'll save this for another blog post... If you can see the silver lining in everything that happens in your life, that alone will 10X your life.

Lastly, Faith (or trust). Just like gratitude, it's easy to have faith when things are going well and you're in the flow. Then life happens... Shit hits the fan and goes everywhere. "Why me?" is something I have asked many times but I have learned that that is the worst question ever and does nothing but turn me into a victim. Now, what gets me through the "tough" times is a simple thought:

"God has put me in this situation because he knows I can handle it."

That believe gets me through everything. That belief tells me that there are bigger and better plans on the horizon. Everything is happening for a reason. I'm being prepared and shaped into the person I need to become in order to accomplish what I'm here to do.

I am exactly where I need to be right now.