If you’re not growing, your dying. – Lou Holtz
When is the last time you focused on self-development? School?
I noticed there are two ways to go through school (and life):
- Passive: do what teachers tell you and no more. Do as little as possible to get by. Don’t actually learn anything.
- Active: squeeze every ounce of value out of every lesson for your own personal growth. Question everything to find real answers.
I chose route number 2 towards the end of university life. Through years of question asking, I have come to realize that most people, regardless of age, have no idea what the F is going on.
When you are young, you think of certain situations as “something I will know when I’m grown -up.” At the time I’m writing this article I’m 23, and here to tell the 12 year old me that I’m still not a grown-up. I still don’t know how to do some of those things.
What is the most important thing one could know?
How to pay taxes?
How to invest money?
How to get girls?
How to ride a motorcycle?
What if instead, we asked this:
Why do I do the things I do? What is my desired outcome from these actions and behaviors?
What most people don’t know, is why they do what they do. OR put in another way, nobody knows what they REALLY want to accomplish.
Imagine living your entire life not knowing why. Why you got that job, why you bought the house, why you bought that car, why you got married, why you got divorced, why you drank every night, why you couldn’t stop smoking, why you missed all of your kids’ games, why you went to school, why you work out….
but almost everyone I see lives this way… Too busy to live.
To fix this ask yourself these questions:
- What do I want my life to look like and why?
- What are the steps to get there?
Then follow-up with:
- Will this give me lasting fulfillment and happiness?
- What is keeping me from experiencing these emotions?
These are powerful questions that have helped me create more focus in my life.
I live in a great country, with great people, and great opportunities. We are afforded the luxury of being able to focus our efforts to do more for others. We don’t have to think about where we will sleep, when we will eat next, or if we can get clean water. Survival is a given. This leaves us with brain power to focus on innovation and creation. Many people squander this power.
The best thing I have ever done is write down the type of person I want to be, the things I want to try, and the life-style I want to live. I beg you to do the same and see what happens.
Live a Great Life 