I wanted…

• I wanted to write a blog post about how my life is changing now that I’ve moved 4000 miles away from the one place I’ve ever called home as I attempt to make this place my new home.

CHOICES

I had absolutely no intention of writing anything until the weekend, and even then I had only been toying with the idea of writing a proper introductory blog as I kind of got right into the heavy stuff on my first post.  You know, a blog to let potential readers get to know a little bit about me and what the purpose of these ramblings might be.  Then I landed upon two YouTube videos which got me thinkin’… FUCK I HATE WHINERS!  (sorry Mom)

Okay, there!  The elephant’s out of the room.  Any of my clients who read my first, and now this blog have just been waiting for me to drop an F-bomb – it’s a bit of a thing with me.

This first video was a preview for a book by Dr. Lee Lipsenthal entitled “Enjoy Every Sandwich”.  Dr. Lipsenthal was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in July 2009 and after a subsequent recurrence accepted his diagnosis, illness, and treatment.  He discovered that rather than fear, the realization of his own mortality actually brought out a calm reflection, one which enabled him to provide insight, aptly portrayed in the title of his book, he advises us to “Find the joy in the simplicity of life”.  I know… a bit heavy!

The second video was much lighter – a clip of Michael J. Fox playing Johnny B. Goode (yup, a re-enactment of Back To The Future, complete with red guitar) at his recent charity benefit held last Saturday (November 12th).

So… just how the heck did these two videos elicit that emphatic statement noted above?

Here’s two men, whose lives are dramatically affected by medical conditions. How easy would it be for either of these men to pack it in, to simply say, “why bother, I’m dying”, or “I don’t think I can, I kinda got the shakes today”?  “Hmmm,I just don’t feel up to it today”?  No one would think twice.  Yet they’re not.  They’re at peace, they’re thoughtful, they’re raising our awareness, they’re helping, and they’re LIVING.  Even in death and sickness these two men are living – excuse free!!.

How many of us…  how many people do we know are so consumed with excuses, rationalizations and justifications for their own suckiness that they can’t get out of their own damn way?  We search for any reason possible to justify our complacency, “I’m tired”, “I’m just really busy”, “You have no idea how difficult it is”, “Something just came up”, “But they’re not doing it” (referring to someone else’s lack of action).  

STOP IT ALREADY… seriously!  

Take a look around you.  For the most part we’re pretty damn fortunate (if you disagree, listen to the news).  Most of us have our health (and a choice of whether we take care of it or not).  We have a roof over our head, food to put on our table (and a choice of what to buy), and a cozy bed to climb in to at night.  The basics, right?  Choices, right? 

Either we choose to get up off our asses and pursue our dreams and goals, or sit their drowning in our sea of excuses.  You pick!  

“Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.” 
~Don Wilder and Bill Rechin

Suggestions

1/ W.I.N. – What’s Important NOW!  De-clutter your life and focus on the things that will really make a positive impact in your life RIGHT NOW!

2/ Lose the “buts” and “can’ts”.  Any explanation that begins with “But…” is simply an excuse, and “I can’t” just means that you don’t want to badly enough.  Lose them!  Remove these words from your vocabulary.  Either you want to or you don’t!

ONE LIFE!  ONE CHANCE!  NO EXCUSES!

(check this video out if you’re still in doubt)

And maybe, just maybe embedded somewhere in this blog post is the intro I had thought about writing.  Maybe this explains that amidst my profanity and no bullshit approach there’s a simple desire to see people make a change in their lives and in turn, for them to help others.