Do it For Yourself — A Story of Inspiration and Faith
What do you envision the moment will look like? The moment when you’ve accomplished something truly great — something you’ve dreamed about and hoped that you’d achieve for a long, long time. Surely you have an image of this in your mind, right? I do. I play it back in my imagination several times each day. Oddly enough — or maybe not so odd — I’m there on my own. Alone.
I raise my arms in exultation to the sky, sun on my face, chills down my body, and it’s there in that moment that it hits me: all the hard work, sweat, tears, moments of anxiety, fear, frustration, doubt, anger, hopelessness, happiness, joy, faith and encouragement were worth it.
These things play back in my mind for what feels like an eternity but it all happens in just a few, fleeting seconds.
I did it.
For me, that moment is having my book arrive on The New York Times “Best Sellers List,” and knowing that my message meant something to thousands of people. That it added value to their lives.
“It is one of the beautiful compensations of life that no man (or woman) can sincerely try to help another without helping him (or her)self.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
See, what’s funny about life is that we should always look out for our fellow man and woman, and our actions should be altruistic and of value to the world. Yet ultimately, we’re all trying to prove something to ourselves. The hope is that the dreams of our heart, the purpose of our lives and the mission for why we’re here will someday culminate in the realization and self-actualization that we completed part of our destiny. That’s what it’s all about for me.
How about you?
My new book is out November 8th. Pre-order HERE!I’ve already completed the first part of my dream. I’ve written my first book, The Value of You, which will be out in paperback and e-book on Amazon starting on November 8th. Now, the hard part! Time to crack that Bestseller list. Maybe you can help me?
Your Version of “Miracle”I’ve thought a lot recently about how much I want others to celebrate in my success — not as some form of sycophantic adulation, but rather, to feel — and know — that they have been a part of it with me. I would not be able to write, coach, speak or spread my message without the support, encouragement and advice of people in my inner-circle OR my virtual friends here on Medium.
And yet, sometimes, the world feels dark and cold. Sometimes, we celebrate alone. I started this piece with a video of Kurt Russell, from his outstanding portrayal of Coach Herb Brooks, for the movie Miracle. This scene has always given me the goose bumps, not just because of the victory, but because I love his reaction after winning the incredible 1980 Winter Olympic ice hockey match against the Soviet Union.
For some historical background, the U.S. ice hockey team, composed entirely of amateur college students, defeated the world-best Soviet Union hockey team in the semifinal round of the 1980 Winter Olympic ice hockey tournament. It’s one of the greatest sports victories (and simultaneous upsets) of all-time.
“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours. It is an amazing journey, and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” — Bob Moawad
Herb Brooks had poured so much of himself into building up the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual chops of this group of 18–22 year-old men, constantly telling them that they could be great if they worked hard and wanted it badly enough.
In this moment, he realizes his dream, and yet he’s literally beside himself. He’s so overcome with joy and pride in his players, he needs time to soak it all in and immerse himself in the exceptional magnitude of this emotional, tremendous accomplishment.
On our journey, both before, during and once we’ve reached our destination, we want others to recognize our successes. We want respect. Respect, not always for the result, but for our grit, verve and resolve during the process. We yearn for respect because it helps validate what we’re doing, giving us confidence to become the best version of ourselves — in order to give that piece of ourselves back to the world.
Some of us want congratulations but there may not be adulation or celebration at what we do. That should never matter, anyway. Do it for yourself. Do what you do for those who have meant the most to you during your journey, the people giving you props along the way as you continue to ascend to the top of whatever your profession or success is.
Suffering“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Far too often in advance of our personal journey, we’re sold a script that if we simply take the first step, everything will fall in place, as if we’re all living out some fairy-tale version of the movie, Frozen or (fill in your favorite Disney movie here) ________. Mine happens to be, Aladdin, if you’re keeping score at home.
Taking the first step is essential. Expecting that there won’t be adversity, setbacks and suffering along the way? Now that’s completely unrealistic.
Suffering is defined as, “the state of undergoing pain, hardship or distress.”
We’re all going to feel vulnerable, at times. I’ve come to accept this with my writing, personal relationships and career. Navigating through our lives requires an artistic approach, as opposed to a scientifically prescribed methodology to handling life’s choppy waters. We write our own scripts, as we take the initiative and enforce greater control over our direction.
Yet life always teaches us that sometimes, we have to let go of the reins. Anyone who has ever experienced success and failure knows that we cannot control every outcome or have a contingency plan for every wrinkle life throws at us. This is not to suggest that we shouldn’t be well prepared, just to know that there will be down times and periods of suffering — which if we’re willing to ride out, will only make us stronger and wiser for the wear.
Our journeys comprise feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt and wonder of whether others care if we’re moving forward, or if we’re just stuck in neutral. I’ve seen friends and colleagues beaten down with sickness, rejection or lack of recognition and appreciation while they’re already down. As Chris Martin once sang, “Nobody said it was easy.”
Desire, care, faith, hope and love power through this negativity, anxiety, despair and doubt. Mental and spiritual resolve are sometimes all we’ve got! We reach our destiny because we believe it, desire it and burn for it with passion and love. We keep going even when the odds are against us, when circumstances are not ideal and when no one seems to believe in us except ourselves.
Is That All You Got?Last week, I was very sick. When I went to get checked out by the doctor, she told me, “You’re not drinking as much water as you think.” She went on to tell me the importance of drinking plain, regular, H2O, and how this should always be at the forefront of our diet — every day.
It got me to thinking about things, in a different light, regarding productivity. The management of our time. Are we doing enough? Are we feeling satisfied with the status quo? The conclusion I came to was, we often do not create as much output as we think. In other words, and this is as human as human gets, our perceptions are often out of wack and off-kilter.
Who are we really to be the best judge of what we can produce? We need to think beyond our circumstances and occasional plight. We need to re-assess our goals and progress on a weekly basis. Keep blowing the roof off and making your music loud and proud. Don’t set a fixed number in your head. Don’t let goals be the be-all, end-all. In a lot of instances, goals are the minimum.
Exceed your goals! Don’t just be on time. Go for more. Don’t just beat your best time. Shatter it!
I watched Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly recently promote her new book, Settle for More, which discusses her personal journey. Much of the book centers around how she turned her life around in her early 30s, while working a strenuous job as a lawyer. She talked about how she came home one night, exhausted, and turned on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Ahhhh, it all feels better on Oprah’s couch, doesn’t it?!
Staying on story, she said Dr. Phil spoke during one of the segments about personal empowerment. She relayed the following quote and discussed how it was a moment of reckoning for her. There’s a great deal of power behind these words. Here they are:
“The only difference between you and the people you envy is that you settled for less.” — Dr. Phil
We can look at those who we want to emulate — the people who serve as models for the type of path that we want for ourselves. Then, we have choices to make. We can do nothing. Stew in envy. Or we can be happy for their success and pour positive energy into wanting the same thing for ourselves.From there, it’s all about the willpower to act.
Along the way, as we go, we should be happy if others come along for the ride. Either way, that should not matter. Do it for yourself. Full of confidence, visualize the image of what your moment of triumph will someday look like. You’ll soon live it if you keep going. I believe I’ll find the same fate. We have to have faith. We have to rely on our values and dream big.
Value Yourself!My upcoming book on Values is due out November 8th! Pre-order it now!
Contact me if you’d like, Follow my Facebook Page and Join me on your journey. Let’s GO!
Do it For Yourself — A Story of Inspiration and Faith was originally published in Personal Growth on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
