First off, Happy 4th of July! In between BBQ and the sunshine, I’ve been reading Essentialism by Greg Mckeown and wanted to jot down some thoughts on the concept.

“Time alone is really essential, to get away and contemplate, think, and wonder.” – Jim Rohn

I find myself getting more drawn to this idea of solitude to focus on what is truly essential in my day to day workflow. In part, I feel it’s because I am naturally introverted and almost prefer to have long periods of time to myself to work, but I wonder if there is something more to this as well. I once heard a friend tell me “Sometimes the best advice is to stop getting advice!” We live in a world of constant input whether it’s from various social media platforms, news, articles, co-workers, friends, family… the list goes on.

I’ve been asking myself this question more and more lately, what would be the benefit of NOT unplugging and continue to go about my day with all this input? It’s a bit counterintuitive to think of it this way, but really it paints a clear picture that by not pulling back from all the input might be detrimental to your growth and development (both professionally and personally).

The more I plan in blank space into my schedule with no interruptions, the more I find I connect to what is really essential. I come out of those blocked off times refreshed, energized, and have a different perspective on problems and their solutions.

Give it a try and see how it goes or check out the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown to get some ideas on how to incorporate more essentialism into your own lives.

Something to contemplate…

“Your potential, the absolute best you’re capable of—that’s the metric to measure yourself against. Your standards are. Winning is not enough. People can get lucky and win. People can be assholes and win. Anyone can win. But not everyone is the best possible version of themselves.”
~Ryan Holiday

Oh, The Places You’ll Go

By Dr. Seuss

Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race, down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace.

And grind on for miles across weirdish wild space; headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite, or waiting for wind to fly a kite, or waiting around for Friday night, or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break, or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants, or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying.

You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky…

And will you succeed? Yes!

You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!

Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting.

Get on your way!

One of the many of Seneca’s great quotes says “Inwardly, we ought to be different in every respect, but our outward dress should blend in with the crowd.”

Chances are there will be people you meet and immediately you can tell they have their shit together. The conversation has depth and breadth, their thoughts are inspiring, and the way they carry themselves is contagious. If you were to take a step back and think about what makes them this way it’s probably not the car they drive, the clothes they wear or how many zeros are in their bank account.

I would argue that it has more to do with the level of their own curiosity of the world, the relationships they have with others, the empathy and their ability to put themselves in other’s shoes, that creates this gravitational ora about them. In essence, it is their internal drive and spirit that projects itself outwards. Next time you are around these people, look past the clothing or external objects and ask about their mindset, routines, structure, that allows them to be who they are.

I write in my Best Self Journal every morning. It helps me organize my thinking and map out my day so I am more effective and efficient with my time, but on a deeper level, it allows me to express gratitude and reflect on my day and acknowledge the good and bad. I believe this is a fundamental tool in the learning process as well as the path to Mastery.

 
I’ve noticed lately that under my goals for the day, I have been writing the same three mindset goals: be present, be curious, own the day. I’ve really focused in on being curious throughout my day and it’s let me to some great conversations and really pushed me in my own personal and professional development. I think so much of the world has become disconnected from its surroundings that their curiosity has diminished or they may feel that they don’t have the time to really dive deeper into a topic. This could be true, but what if you were to dedicate just 15 minutes a day to read a new book, or listen to a podcast, or have an interesting conversation? Could those 15 minutes each day add up to one day leading you down a different path? Or, look at this from this angle… what’s the benefit of NOT being curious and seeking other sources of knowledge?

The flip side of this would be that those who are constantly reading articles, combing through social media sites, and watching all kinds of mind-numbing TV shows. This, I wouldn’t consider curiosity, but rather a coping mechanism for them to unplug from the reality of their day to day. My challenge for you, regain your curiosity, make 15 minutes during your day to read, listen, watch something that truly brings you joy and enhances your life. And what’s the worse that can happen? You may end up sparking a new inspiration and finding your true Personal Legend and leading to on a path to Mastery which you would have never dreamed of.

My challenge for you, regain your curiosity, make 15 minutes during your day to read, listen, watch something that truly brings you joy and enhances your life. And what’s the worse that can happen? You may end up sparking a new inspiration and finding your true Personal Legend and leading to on a path to Mastery which you would have never dreamed of.

As Seneca says, “Apply yourself to thinking through difficulties—hard times can be softened, tight squeezes widened, and heavy loads made lighter for those who can apply the right pressure.”

 
I love this quote. I see this as a message to think differently, continue to be persistent through whatever circumstances you may be in and find a unique perspective to create a solution. What some may experience is being engulfed by a wave panic and become paralyzed by what is and what may become. It’s in these moments where you need to believe in yourself and draw on your creativity to push through and find a new angle of attack. In moments of stress – slow down, breath, gain insight, and a solution might be right in front of you.

I’ve recently started to re-read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I first read the book back in 2007 when I was living abroad in Thailand. A friend of mine I met through my training camp passed along the book to me, as it had been passed along to him by another traveler. I remember how weathered the copy was… some pages were a bit torn, the front and back cover weathered from nature and also from the many hands it had passed through. When I first read it, it came at a pivotal time in my life.

 
At the time, I had sold everything I had to move overseas to train and fight in Muay Thai kickboxing and for the most part, didn’t have any intentions of moving back anytime soon. I remember sitting in a raggedy fold out chair on my small balcony of my room that overlooked the training camp, opening the book and diving into the text. Instantly, I connected with the book and couldn’t set it down. The connection between finding your Personal Legend and how once you’ve set your mind to something, the universe conspires to see it through made too much sense. I would argue that we all have experienced this in some way, shape, or form. We set our mind to something and map out a plan either in writing or in our minds and we take action… taking small steps each day towards that vision. Along the way, there are trials and tribulations which force us to twist and turn along the path, but each obstacle sheds light on new aspects of ourselves and adds to the journey. Ultimately, we end up exactly where we need to be. Reading The Alchemist was a way for me to ground myself in my beliefs that I could achieve whatever it is I wanted. The book had a huge impact on my life and I re-read it about once a year, each time I find new gems of knowledge in the text.

Before I left Thailand, I passed along the book to another travel I had met, with the instructions to find someone else to pass it down to once he was done reading it. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. I wonder whose hands it’s in now, and what great things they will accomplish in their lives as they actively seek out their own Personal Legend. If you or anyone you know is going through a transition, or could use some inspiration to believe in themselves, give it a read, and see how it can transform you.