Your Life Is Passing Before Your Eyes

Life is way too short to care what everyone else thinks.
Be you. Do what you think is right. Live the life you want to live.
Forget about the haters, they will always hate.
Surround yourself with people who support you, but also challenge you to be better.
Continue to learn and grow.
Love fully, dream big, live happily, embrace change.

Fear

Fear holds you back from doing everything you want to do
Fear keeps you from trying new things
Fear stops you from doing your best
Fear conditions you into thinking you can't chase your dreams
Fear destroys creativity
Fear keeps you from shipping
Fear breeds perfectionism
Fear leads to inaction
Fear causes you to conform
Fear encourages you to follow the flock
Fear hates change
Fear is what keeps you watching TV every night
Fear is what keeps you in that job you hate
Fear is what keeps you in a toxic relationship
Fear is what makes you follow the "rules" of life
Fear closes your heart to new things

Fuck Fear.
Stop being afraid of life and actually start living life

It's Never Too Late

It's been nearly three months since I posted anything here and I am not sure how regular my posts will be, now that I have started again. I would love to say I will post three times a week or daily, but I just don't know. I started this blog a couple of years ago as a way to remind myself (and you) of the things that are important in life and how we should be doing them/living in a different way from what I am. I'm not sure if this blog was serving it's purpose or if the purpose has been transformed into something else. Only time will tell...

These last couple of months have been a little crazy. Lot's of things have changed and I have let some of the changes bother me more than I should. Have you ever had the type of change where you felt as if you went from being part of the team to being on the periphery? It's hard not to let this feeling bother you, but the best thing you can do is just let go. Change is always going to happen and it only has the control we give it. Emotion has a place in our lives, but it shouldn't run our lives. Anytime we are feeling frustrated or angry or sad over "little" things, we have to find a way to let go and move forward. These emotions aren't going to help us advance and will only cause us to dwell on things we don't need to dwell on.

I just returned from helping in Oklahoma City after the tornado. Helping with disaster response always reminds me of how quickly our lives can change. How many of us are living the life we actually want to live? How many of us are doing the things we want to do? How many of us are putting up with way too much shit because we are afraid to make changes? If you knew catastrophic change was going to happen in the next day or month or year, would you continue to live the life you currently lead?

Don't feel despair for what you haven't done, but make changes to live the life you want. If the people around you can't help you lead the life you want, then find new people and surround yourself with them. (I guarantee there are already some people around you who can help...you have been surrounding yourself with them without really knowing it). It's okay to change. It's okay to be different. It's okay to do what you need to do to live the life you want. No matter what you do, you aren't going to make everyone happy. Knowing this, doesn't it make sense to live your life in the ways that make you happy?

Change happens. We can't let change drag us down. Embrace the change and use it to live the life you want to live. Find the people who bring out the best in you and hold on to them tightly. Let everyone else go. Life is way too precious to be unhappy. Start doing what matters to you and stop worrying what everyone else thinks. Be the person you want to be and do the things you want to do. It's never too late to start.    

Think Differently

Happy people are happy because good things continue to happen to them. Or, do good things happen to happy people?

When you are happy, do you notice the good things more than when you are not? Maybe it's not about the things that happen at all, but being happy is based on how you perceive the things happening around you. What would happen if you looked at difficulties and challenges as stepping stones and building blocks towards making you a better person? What would happen if you viewed problems as opportunities to grow? 

What will happen when you change the way you look at the world around you? Maybe trying something new is exactly what you need to become the person you want to be...

Maybe it's time to think differently.

Life Is What You Make It

I have been thinking about the idea of life is what you make it. I know we often talk about being in control or taking control of your life or doing what you love or anything of the sort, but how often do we really do any of these things? How often do we actually take control of our life instead of reacting to the stimuli constantly occurring around us? How often do we head in the direction we want, instead of following the path the winds are blowing us towards?

Some things are out of our control and it is important to make the best out of what happens around us (and to us). You may lose a job or a relationship will end or a manuscript will be rejected or you will be passed over for a promotion or any number of bad things that can happen to you. Don't dwell on the bad things when they happen. We've all heard the sayings: "there's more than one fish in the sea" or "when a door closes a window opens" or "everything happens for a reason". While we all know these are true, we have to do whatever we can to really make the best out of things that happen.

There are times, though, when you just can't make the best out of what happens. Instead of falling into an abyss of depression, sometimes you just have to shake your fist (often with your middle finger extended) to the heavens and use the anger as the fuel to learn as much as you can, pick yourself up and move forward. Not everything is going to work out in the end. That's perfectly normal and okay, no matter how many people mention a cute, little quote like the ones above. Sometimes shit just happens and we have to continue to get up in the morning and live life. We don't have to make the best out of these situations, but we do have to keep moving forward doing the best we can.

It would be great if someone could just give us a shortcut on making life exactly what we want it to be. We look around and we see people who seemingly are living the life they want and we just want to know how to get there. The real answer and the one most people don't want to hear is they worked their ass off. Yes, they may have had some lucky breaks along the way, but they still worked their assess off. I know, it's not the answer I wanted either. I was hoping for an easy way too...but everything you really want is going to take a lot of hard work. There really aren't any shortcuts on this journey, unless you don't really care about the outcome.

As you are trying to make your life what you want, remember no one really has all the answers. If they act like they do (or actually think they do), they are going to do more harm than good. You can read tons of books or listen to people speak or subscribe to all the self-help blogs and podcasts out here, but you are never going to find all the answers externally. Part of life being what you make it is knowing what you want with your life. Other people have their own agendas and ideas that probably don't mesh with yours. The only way to get all the "answers" from other people is to give up your own ideas. No matter how you spin it, this sounds a little too cultish to me (and trust me from experience, no matter how smart or well-known a leader is, they aren't going to be right about everything).

This life is what you make it. The good, the bad, the happy, the sad, the anger, the joy...everything rolled into one. While we are never going to have control over everything that happens, we do have control over ourselves. We can react to the things that happen and we can work towards the things we want to happen. We can fight. We can get angry. We can work our asses off. We can get lucky from time to time. We can have things ripped from our grasp. We can try to make the best of the shitty things that happen. We can just dust ourselves off and push forward when the really shitty things happen. We can curse the gods. We can thank the heavens. We can learn and dream and hope and pray. We just can't stop trying.

Agendas

Everyone has their own agenda. Too often, we lose sight of this fact. Of course people are going to do things that don't match up with your agenda...they are more worried about theirs. This isn't right or wrong, but just the way it is. Logically, this makes sense, but emotionally, it doesn't always feel good.

We're emotional animals and this can make our interactions with others difficult. We want things the way we want them and when people don't agree, we can become angry and frustrated. For some, they handle this well. For others, we don't. When we don't handle it well, things can get ugly quickly. Other people can get involved. Lots of feelings can get hurt.

When emotions are involved, people often lose their minds. Things are said that shouldn't be said. We behave in ways we wouldn't normally behave. We do things we regret. Our emotional side is running the show...all because someone did something that didn't fit our agenda.

Why take things personally? If someone does something you wouldn't do or doesn't do something you would do, know they have their own reasons. They did it because of their agenda. What's the point of letting it bother you? Should other people have that much control over you and how you feel?

I'm not saying you have to ignore it, either. You can discuss with people what you would like or how you would have preferred they acted, but don't let emotions get the better of you. You, and you alone, should be in control of you. Don't give other people the power. Focus on the your agenda and let other people focus on theirs. If they don't mesh, then get out of the others way and move on. It's so much better and more productive than getting mad, frustrated or bitter.

Life is way too damn short to spend your time being mad, frustrated and bitter.

Top Five Regrets

What kind of life are you leading?

Will you be lying on your death bed, hopefully many years from now, expressing these same regrets?

What has to happen before we all wake up and realize we have a finite time and we better get started living the life we want to live?

Looking at these five regrets, we know how to get started. Live the life you want to live. Don't let other people tell you what you should be doing. Have fun with it...this is your life to live in any way you choose. Do crazy things. Take risks. Fail often. Have an adventure. Have many adventures. Do the things that scare you. Be true to yourself.

Tell the people you love that you love them. Tell them often. Don't ever stop telling them. Keep these people as close to you as you can. Don't let time or distance or petty difference keep you from remaining close to the people who add value to your life.

The last regret is the hardest. Happiness really is a choice we have to make. We can control how we view the world and how we react to everything happening around us. Give yourself permission to enjoy life, to be happy, to do the things you want to do, to make the life you want to make. You have the ability to do it. Now, you just have to give yourself permission to be happy.

Every second is another chance to change you life into the one you really want. You have the opportunity to leave this life without any of these regrets. What choice will you make? What kind of life are you going to lead?

Change Happens

Change happens.  It's all around us...things are constantly changing every day. From small, imperceptible changes to monumental changes you can't help but notice, everything around us is in a constant state of change. Yet, we are terrified of change.

Wouldn't it be better to embrace, invite and chase change instead of fighting like hell against it?

What would happen if we just acknowledged that some change is going to be difficult, but we are just going to roll with it the best we can?

How would we feel differently if we were actively facilitating many of the changes happening in our life? Would they be less scary if we were part of the cause?

Change happens and is going to continue to happen every day. How are you going to react?

Give Thanks All Year Long

On the day after Thanksgiving (at least here in the US), it's hard not to be grateful for everything you have in your life. Many of us had the opportunity to spend time with some of the people we love and this morning we wake up giving thanks for the many things we have in our life. What if we felt and acknowledged this amount of gratitude every single day, instead of just occasionally throughout year? How would this change the way we lived our lives?

Why not try it out for the next month? Every morning when you wake up, make it a point to think of one thing for which you give thanks. Every night, right before you fall asleep, think about one think for which you are grateful that happened in your day. Super easy, right? This should take very little extra time each day, maybe only 30 seconds to a minute. Start and finish each day being grateful and see if it makes a difference in your life. If it doesn't, then you have only lost, at most, 30 minutes of time in your month.

If it does make a positive impact in your life, isn't spending one minute a day a great trade-off?

Your Comfort Zone

Sure, you can continue to do what you know. You can take no risks and know the outcome of everything you try. You can eat the same foods and go to the same places and do the same things. You can play it safe. You can shy away from the things that scare you.

But, what's the point? How many amazing things have happened to you because you played it safe and didn't take any risks? How many new and interesting people have you met by hanging out in the same places? How many times have you felt really accomplished when your actions are directed by anxiety and fear?

The really good things in life tend to happen when we are out of our comfort zone. We learn and grow and evolve by challenging ourselves and pushing through the anxiety and fears into new places, ones where we aren't perfectly comfortable. In these places, we can have new ideas, meet new people and do any number of things that are interesting and exciting. Anything can happen when you don't know what to expect.

Start small, if you want. Try a new type of food you normally wouldn't try. Go to a gym you have never visited. Strike up a conversation with someone you've never met. Read a book you wouldn't normally read. Attend a networking event you would normally skip. The more and more you do this, the easier it will become.

Once you start doing the little things, you will find yourself pushing more and more. Once you stop letting anxiety and fear dictate your direction, you will find yourself doing more interesting and life-changing things. Would you prefer to live a life where you have a good idea of what is going to happen, with very few ups and downs or do you want to live a life where you aren't sure what is going to happen, but you know there is a chance for something amazing?

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone...isn't it about time you stepped beyond it?

Live Like It Matters

Your life is in your hands, to make of it what you choose. Many of us often think we should be doing something else or making more money or be happier or any number of other things, but we don't do anything to change. We have this one shot at life and instead of doing whatever it takes to make it the life we really want it to be, we spend our time complaining.

What do you really want to do in your life? What do you really want to do with your life? What is stopping you from doing it? Many of us are afraid of change. Complaining is also a lot easier than actually putting in the work to make this the life we want. There are a lot of us who are afraid of failing, too. What happens if we try and can't succeed in having the life we want? Instead of asking this question, why are we not asking what happens if we don't even try?

I think most of us are on the right path and are actually doing a lot of the things we want to do, but we aren't allowing ourselves to be satisfied. We constantly think there needs to be more and better and different. If we stepped back and actually took a look at our life, we would realize we are doing some really great things. This doesn't mean every aspect of life is great, but it does mean that we have more of it together than we thought. It's okay to be proud of what you have done. You can strive to do more and better while being happy with the life you are leading.

When all is said and done, this is your life to lead. You get to choose what path you take and how far you follow it. You get to make the decisions that matter. You get to control how you react to things that happen to and around you. You get to decide to be happy or depressed or motivated or bored or inspired or challenged. You get to decide to fix things or change things or complain about how unfair things are. You get to make your life the life you want. If you don't, you have no one to blame but yourself.

This is your life...start living like it matters.

Scary

Things we fear:

• moving forward
• change
• stepping out of our comfort zone 
• speaking up 
• being true to ourselves
• standing out 
• not giving up 
• creating art 
• doing the work 
• taking chances 
• constantly trying to improve 
• admitting mistakes
• chasing dreams
• listening to instinct
• sharing with the world
• criticism
• praise   
• blazing your own path
• new ideas
• difficult conversations
• failure
• success

Things we must embrace:

• moving forward
• change
• stepping out of our comfort zone 
• speaking up 
• being true to ourselves
• standing out 
• not giving up 
• creating art 
• doing the work 
• taking chances 
• constantly trying to improve 
• admitting mistakes
• chasing dreams
• listening to instinct
• sharing with the world
• criticism
• praise   
• blazing your own path
• new ideas
• difficult conversations
• failure
• success

Occupy the Moment

We need to be more mindful of the moments we are in. All too often, we spend our time thinking about the past or worrying about the future. Neither of these do any real good, but doing them causes us to lose track of the moment.

Our life is a series of moments strung together. Many people go through life without ever really experiencing any of these moments and because of this, spend most of their life unfulfilled and dissatisfied. It is impossible to be satisfied with what you are doing now if you are spending your time wishing you did something different yesterday or worrying that you won't be able to do what you want tomorrow. We can go through our entire lives thinking about yesterday and tomorrow, but never really living today. We shouldn't.

In the end, we will look back at the moments of our life that mean the most to us. I know I want to have as many moments as possible to spend my time remembering. I know I won't think about the times spent worrying, but I will focus on the times I enjoyed by being one with the moment. Instead of occasionally having these times, we need to make sure we are having them on a daily basis.

Get up and watch the sunrise. Enjoy the sunset. Laugh more. Have a leisurely lunch with friends. Go on a walk. Spend time with loved ones. Have coffee and conversation. Cook an amazing dinner. Go out to eat. Plan a trip. Do whatever it is that you love to do and just enjoy doing it. Stop thinking about everything else going on in your life and spend time just being in the moment, letting the feelings overwhelm your senses.

Stop placing value on your life based on the number of hours you work or the amount of money you make or all the shit you own. There is way more to life than traffic and money and cell phones and meetings and job titles and salaries. There are moments in time that will live with you forever. There are people you will never forget. There are meals you will want to eat again and again. There are amazingly beautiful sunsets. There are personal goals to accomplish. There are unbelievable concerts. There are long walks with friends discussing life.

These moments are the really important things in life. Don't spend your life missing them...

Actually, I can

This phrase needs to be a part of your daily life. Every time someone says you aren't able to do something you need to do, this should be your response. Every time you have doubts about your abilities, this should be your response. Every time you want to quit because you think you can't do something, this should be your response.

We have to get better at believing in ourselves. This life is going to be filled with pitfalls and challenges and difficulties, but we can do anything we put our minds to. We can accomplish any goal we really want to accomplish. We can follow any path we really want to follow. We can live the life we really want to live. We can do anything, but it starts with having the belief that we can.

Chase those dreams that scare the shit out of you. Work towards the goals you have been putting off. Start living the life you have always known you should live. Embrace the change to do what you really want to do. Do anything you can to live the life you want.

So start saying it. Say it all the time. Make it your mantra and repeat it every morning and every night. Convince yourself that you can. Start right now. What amazing things will be accomplished if you start believing you can do anything?

Life Is Grand (If You Make It That Way)

This is a hard thing to realize and believe. We would love to go though life thinking we have to be given something to make life great. We want the amazingness of life to be dependent on other people because if life is as grand as we make it, we only have ourself to blame if things aren't going the way we want. Blaming others or the gods or karma or fate isn't going to cut it anymore...we have the choice to make our life the life we want. If we don't, then it's our fault.

No matter what you think or thought, no one is going to give you the life you want. You have to go out there and take it. You have to work hard and choose to follow the path you need to follow. If you don't, you will end up where the majority of people are...unhappy and constantly doing things they don't want to do. Most of these people don't realize they are where they are because of themselves. Instead, they constantly focus on the outside influences and think these influences control everything. They do not. We are in control.

I know there are a lot of people who will say we don't actually have control over anything. Respectfully, I disagree. Thinking like this is an easy way out. It gives us the ability to blame others for our unhappiness and it allows us to throw up our hands and quit while thinking we can't do anything to change it. Bullshit. You have to grab hold of the things you want. You have to take charge of your life and make it the life you want it to be. It's not going to be easy and you aren't always going to succeed on your first try, but don't let anything stop you from making your life amazing for you.

We all run into challenges. There will be times when we want to throw up our hands and say fuck it. There are going to be hard times. Everyone has them; how we react to them is what makes the difference. When you get knocked down, get up and go again. We can't give up on ourselves. We have the ability to make our life the life we want. We can't be afraid to be different and we can't be afraid to chase our dreams and our goals. This isn't being selfish; this is making life into what will make us happy. You can settle for a life of mediocrity, but what's the point? We have to dream big. We have to make our life as grand as we want it to be. No excuses. No bullshit.

Stop blaming everyone else and take responsibility for your life. Take control, make this life what you want and never, ever stop believing that you can do anything you put your mind to. This is your one shot at living the life you want to live. Make it count.

The Choice is Yours

How many people do you know who truly love the work they do? How many of us jump out of bed each morning excited to get to work? When you think about it, what do you want to do, but are terrified to try?

The truth is, most people stumble through their lives doing work they can tolerate, but don't really enjoy. They can come up with tons of other things they would rather be doing, but convince themselves they can't actually do what they really want to do. They don't think it is possible or they don't see a way to partner their "passion" with work. It's not because it is impossible...sometimes they just have to be creative. They feel stuck, but are doing nothing to get unstuck. These folks have tons of excuses for why they aren't doing something else, but the real reason is they won't try.

Many other people are doing work they could be passionate about and love, but they won't let themselves. They convince themselves there is something better out there and don't put everything they can into the work they are doing. They fail to see the amazing things they do or could do. They have the "grass is always greener" view and don't realize what they have in front of them. I know these people are out there because I have been one through most of my life. I always think there is something else out there that would bring the happiness I so desire, but don't do everything in my power to make what I am doing into this.

It's all about how you look at things and how you classify the work you do. Don't dwell on the negative aspects of the work...there are negatives in every job. Think instead about the great things you do. Focus on how you help people or create new things or do things others don't. Focus on the good aspects of the job. If you can't find any good aspects, then do something else. You don't have to be stuck if you don't allow yourself to be.

The secret about happiness most people don't realize is that our level of happiness is decided by us. You choose how happy or unhappy you are. You can focus on the negative aspects of anything and this will lead to a more negative life. Instead, if you look for the positives, you will feel better. If you continue to trudge through life thinking about how things could be better if, you are never going to be happy with what you do. Instead, if you focus on the good in what you have, you are going to be happier and able to achieve more. It's all in how you look at the things you have.

It's up to you. That's the good and the bad with being enthusiastic, passionate and happy. You can make things better, but if you don't, the only person you have to blame is you. Would you rather focus on what you have or what you don't have? When you go to bed tomorrow, would you rather think about all you did to make the day great or think about all the things you hate about what you do? You are the only one who can control the way you think about your life. Which choice will you make?

What Will You Give Up?

Where will your path lead?

There are lots of people (myself included) who will stress the importance of chasing your dreams. We talk about why you should chase them and how it will help you lead the life you are supposed to lead. Most of these people leave out the part about having to give up other things in order to chase your dreams. For some, this may be an obvious fact, but to others, this may come as a surprise.

In some cases, you will know exactly what you will need to give up. If you want a dream career and you start chasing it, you will have to give up the job your currently have. If your dream involves getting in better shape to do something, then you will have to give up some of the food your currently eat. Obvious, right? But, to get in better shape, you will also have to exercise a lot more, which means you have to give up something to have the time to do this. Will it be watching TV or some sleep or reading or going out with friends? For everything we decide to do, we will be giving up things.

If you want to be a great writer, then you need to write every day. Most of us don't have tons of time we are looking to fill in our days, so something has to be given up. The same is true with any dream requiring practice (and the vast majority do). These decisions aren't always easy, either. When we have been doing anything for a period of time, it is difficult to give it up to start something else. What are you willing to give up to chase your dreams? Money? Sleep? Friends? Hobbies? TV?

You may look at the previous list and think you wouldn't have to give up your friends to chase your dreams. Once you start chasing them, you will realize there are people who just don't understand the new direction you are taking. There are other people who feel slighted because you aren't spending as much time with them because you are chasing your dreams. Some people will drift out of your life, but the true friends will still be there, even when you don't speak with them for extended periods. When you start chasing your dreams, you start moving down a path you haven't followed before. You will never see what is along this path until you start moving down it.

No one ever said chasing our dreams is going to be easy and many of us didn't realize we would have to give up so many things in order to chase them. They wouldn't be real dreams if they were easy, now would they? The greatest things in life are often the hardest to get. To chase your dreams, you will have to make some tough decisions. You will have to stop doing some things you enjoy doing. Some people will be unhappy. These are your dreams...what's stopping you from chasing them?

Play By Your Own Rules

When you look at your life, what do you see? Are you happy and satisfied with the things you have done, knowing you are doing exactly what you should be doing? Or, like most of us, are you constantly searching for something more? Group one is playing the game of life with their own rules, whereas group 2 is playing by someone else's rules. You are never going to be happy with your life until you start living it in the way you know is right.

Society shows us the people in charge are the ones who get to make the rules. Their rules will fit them well, but they may not work for you. You can see this played out every day in our Congress. In our own slice of life, we can see this in the companies we work for. In nearly every company, you will find an employee handbook telling you what you can and can't do. Many of these have become 50+ pages long and these are the rules you have to follow to play the game. Deviations from these rules can lead to your termination, no matter how trivial the rule (not to mention the question of whether it should be a rule to begin with).

I'm not saying that there should be anarchy and everyone should do whatever they want whenever they want. There have to be some rules in place to hold people accountable for heinous acts, even though the vast majority of us wouldn't commit them in the first place. But, and this is a big but, we have to write the rules for our own life. We don't have to follow the path society tells us we should follow. We don't have to crave the things society tells us we should crave. We don't have to behave in the ways society tells us we need to behave. If we want to stand out, then we should stand out. We have to figure out what matters to us (easier said than done) and then go after it. We have to follow the path we were meant to follow, no matter how difficult and different and stop following the path everyone thinks we should.

You are going to have people in your life who don't understand why you can't be happy working a 9-5 corporate job. You are going to have people in your life who don't understand why more responsibility doesn't make you happy. You are going to have people in your life who don't understand why you are not content with the life you are living. You are going to have people in your life who don't understand why you don't want the newest and prettiest toys like everyone else. You are going to have people in your life who don't understand why you would give up so much for what appears to them to be very little. You are going to have people in your life who just don't understand. That's okay, but you have to stop listening to them.

Your life is more important to you than anyone else. You know more about what makes you tick than anyone else. You know what your secret dreams are. You know what you want more than anything, even if you don't yet realize it. You know what scares the shit out of you. You may not know exactly what you should do next, but you know when something isn't for you. When you realize this, what do you do? Do you listen to the people who don't understand or do you figure out what you need to do to get you a little closer to your goals? Do you continue to play the game with someone else's rules or do you start playing your own game, by your own rules?

You are responsible for your actions and your happiness and your success. You get to define your happiness and success. You get to decide what sort of life you want to lead. You get to be who you want to be. No one else gets to make these decisions for you. You can try to fit your life into someone else's idea of what a good life should be, but deep down, you will know you aren't doing what you should be doing. You will constantly spin your wheels and yearn for something more.

Is playing by your own rules scary? You bet your ass it is. You are going to fail at something. You will work harder than you have ever worked in your life. You will take responsibility for you. You will learn to ignore the naysayers and become amazing at not letting people convince you that you are wrong. You will have to be comfortable with the people you hold in high regard not always supporting your decisions. You will need to stop worrying what other people think. You must become comfortable with forging your own path without a map, because you are going someplace no one else has.

This is your life. This is your happiness. This is your success. These are your dreams. Embrace them and start playing by your own rules.

What Will You Learn Today?

Life is about learning. Each day, we should all strive to learn something new. Every interaction we have is an opportunity to share and gain knowledge, but we have to keep an open mind. By setting aside our ego, we open ourselves to the realization that everyone, no matter how different, has some knowledge we don't.

In this age of technology, we have opportunity at our fingertips. With the Internet, we can do things our ancestors were never able to do. We can have immediate conversations with people we will never meet. Through websites like Duolingo, we can learn foreign languages in ways that our convenient for us. With the proliferation of blogs, we have the ability to learn from an assortment of amazing people. Major universities are putting many of their courses out there for anyone to take. The amount of knowledge we have access to is astounding.

Even with all of this, we can still learn much from the people we meet each day if we set aside our judgments. It is impossible to learn from someone if we go in to each interaction with preconceived notions about who they are or what they know. We can't label people and expect to learn anything from them. You never know what these people know or what experiences they may have. The barista in your coffee shop may have a Ph.D. in physics. The man playing the violin at your subway station may be a virtuoso playing on a multimillion dollar violin. You just never know who you are going to meet or what knowledge they can impart.

A hunger for knowledge allows us to grow. Trying to learn something new can also be scary. We are not going to be good at everything we try, but with practice, we can get better. I will never learn Spanish unless I try. You will never have your beliefs challenged unless you open yourself to new ideas and new ways of doing things. If we choose to keep our minds closed and to believe other people have nothing to teach us, we stagnate. We will not grow. We will not learn. We will not get any closer to the truth. What will you learn today?

Slow Down

All too often, we spend most of our time doing the monotonous and what we think we have to do. Of course there are going to be boring things needing to get done, but as a society, we have become really good at giving ourselves busy work. There are many causes for this...our education system, our work, all the technology at our fingertips, fear of boredom, the destruction of imagination, etc.

We feel we have to be multitasking all the time. Go to the kids' soccer games, but do work on our cell phone. Write a paper while listening to the radio or watching TV. Work on seven or eight different things at the same time. Have a conversation while checking e-mail. Not only does this "multitasking" cause us to do less than great work, but it also makes us tired and unhappy.

I know there are going to be a lot of people who disagree with this last statement and that's okay with me. I know the road to happiness is going to be different for everyone, but I also know we all need to slow down a little. Enjoy your child's soccer game. Have an actual conversation with someone without doing anything else. Focus on one task at a time before moving to another. If so many of us are stressed so much of the time, doesn't it make sense to try something else?

This life is short. It may not always feel like it, but it is. We all have tons of things we want to do, but very few of us will ever actually do them. We spend too much time doing the tasks we think we need to do and very little time actually doing what brings joy into our lives. Do the things that you really need to do, but stop giving yourself all the busy work. Focus on one thing at a time and be okay with doing "nothing". Do something that makes you happy and don't give a shit what other people think. Maybe they will actually learn something from you. Would you rather be the person stuck doing the busy work or the person who understands life? What's makes you happy?