Every now and then we need a few minutes or hours to recharge our mind, body and soul. Be sure to plan them in and take them. Doing absolutely nothing can be quite therapeutic.
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Lazy River Fun
Yesterday we took the opportunity to float down a lazy river with mild, intermittent rapids. It was calm, gorgeous, fun, cooling (in 36C heat) and hugely enjoyable.
Sometimes taking an hour or two to float through life is a wonderful thing.
We met a man standing waist deep in water just before a set of light rapids. He had a beverage in his hand and a friendly demeanour but tough looks.
As I was being pulled straight toward him by the flow of the river I said I didn’t know which side of him I’d end up on. He said not to worry and that the river would decide. Very zen.
Don’t fight the current. Go with the flow.
Lazy river fun and philosophy.
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Play Like A Child
Laugh, smile, wonder, delight and play like a child. Be innocent and fully present. Enjoy the moment to the extreme. Let your soul soar. Give yourself permission and make it happen.
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The Fans In The Stands
They don’t determine the outcomes. They might influence it though, if you let them. But they can’t physically change the outcome of your actions.
Just like friends and family, and even your harshest critics, they can say what they want but don’t let them get in your head.
Now if they have positive or sensible points to bring to your attention, you may want to consider them and even adopt them. And sensible does not mean that you like the points made either. They may be painfully accurate and annoyingly prescient and so possibly more valuable than a high five. So reflect on those and use them when possible.
Just don’t let the fans, or critics, in the stands affect your game plan. You have to live a long time with the results, not them.
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Build vs Destroy
Building something takes time. Whether it is a house, a reputation or brand, garden or a relationship, the act of building takes much more time and energy than the destruction of the same things.
Building a house might take a year from initial idea and vision, to architect drawings, budgeting, building, fitting out and decorating. Yet, a simple match can destroy it in a few hours.
A bad tenant can wreck a house in a few days, weeks or months. And neglect can also be very detrimental over a year or several years.
Destruction can be intentional but does not need to be. Neglect can be corrosive enough.
Building requires intent and a positive desire.
Be mindful and intentional and continue to build areas of your life in a positive way. Otherwise, the weeds will grow, the dust will pile up and the rest of your life will take cues from your environment.
Continue to move with the times and build and grow each day. Use it or lose it as the saying goes.
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Travel Days
These can be short or long, dull or exciting. However, they should always bring some new element of adventure to your life.
Learn to enjoy them all and live through the exhausting ones. They often leave you with the best stories.
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Learning From Anyone
If you value learning, do you appreciate learning from anyone? Or must they have certain qualifications or thoughts before you rate them as acceptable to learn from?
I believe people can learn from all types of other people, including those that are older, younger, well schooled, dropouts, mothers, doctors, plumbers and politicians.
Every experience can be an opportunity to reflect and reconsider your thoughts. If you want it to be. If you prefer to stick with your people and their thoughts, you’re likely to have a very narrow life.
Whether you learned from Yoda or Jung, “do or do not, there is no try” is a very powerful statement – if you understand it and and embrace it.
Learn from others, whoever they are. Listen and reflect and it will add to your store of knowledge.
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Don’t Drive Tired
Accidents can happen. You can avoid many of them. Notice when you’re fading, head dipping, missing mili-moments or are straining to stay awake. Find a safe place to pull over and catch 20 winks. Then you can be safely on your way again.
Arriving late is far superior to arriving doa.
Don’t drive tired. Take a rest stop asap.
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Do Something You Love
Hiking, spa, massage and spending time with my wife. I did all of those combined today and it was brilliant.
Find things you love and go do them!
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Delight Versus Settling
Are you 100% delighted with every part of your life? Or have you simply settled with where you are at? This is a tricky mental game.
If you say you are fine – you have probably settled. Fine is just that – fine. It is not amazing, delighted or “filled with joy”. And yet you can move much closer to those if you would just admit you wanted more or better in different parts of your life.
But that is where the tricky is. You might be afraid to admit you want more. This can be, in part, because if you admit you want better, you would feel silly not aiming for better. The reasons for this could be many but I would suggest it is mainly because it would involve some change in your life. Changing would be uncomfortable. And what if you failed?
Wanting something better is an admission things aren’t as you wish they were. And it would involve doing things differently. So you squash down your dreams, desires and goals. You say things are fine and hope no one presses you on it. How many years do you want to live like that? One? Five? 26?
Stop settling from today. Start aiming for brilliant, amazing, delighted, or even “so pleased”. It could be your weight or fitness, your income, savings and investments or relationship with your spouse, parent, sibling or children.
You can have level 10 across all areas of your life. First, be honest with yourself. Then set some new targets with some sensible timelines and get working on the life you would love to live rather than settling for one that is simply fine.
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