All in…how about you?

Today’s topic has a dual meaning.  In my estimation it’s both how I feel about living my life as well as challenging each of you to think deeply about what’s most important for you personally and commit to living that reality.  Without being “all in’ and totally invested in creating the life I want then the only person I’m short changing is myself.  This is also the title of my most recent speaking topic.

To me, it really sums up my approach to life, and provides a clear message which I am constantly reinforcing though my speaking engagements and essays.  I suppose I’ve never been short on an opinion nor shy when it comes to communicating around this topic.  Lol!  😉

Living a passionate life on your terms is fundamental and at the heart of what I believe – the old adage of “you only live once” and “live today like its your last” definitely has a ring of truth to it.  I decided sometime ago that I wasn’t going to wait for life to come to me, but rather, embrace life and go after it with everything I have.

In my mind it’s a mix of balancing two key elements – the things you love to do and the practicalities of making a living.  For me, as a somewhat creative type I need to be working on balancing both sides of my brain each day…some creative outlets (writing and photography) with the more practical aspects of making a living (consulting and speaking).

At the end of the day it’s all about balance and finding the right amount of each…

Taking the leap of faith and leaving the Corporate world has been the absolute best thing I’ve ever done, and although not for everyone, for me it was like a total revitalization.  This is especially true because I’d made the move for all the right reasons…to have greater flexibility in my life and spend time with Zach and Sami in their teen years, while at the same time creating opportunities for me to travel and explore the world.

I suppose that’s why I’m so passionate about the topic, because I’m proof that you can create your own destiny and as I like to say “change the soundtrack to your life”, literally taking your hopes and dreams and making them come true.  Pretty awesome knowing that you control your own destiny and that you can make things happen.

There’s no question that it takes significant reflection in terms of understanding your motivations for making this change, but also planning when you make the initial leap.  On top of that you need sheer guts and courage as you are undoubtedly faced and overcome the obstacles that will invariably present themselves in your journey.

For me it’s been a combination of complete focus, perseverance and self belief overlaid with sheer bloody mindedness in terms of never giving up.

Whether we like it or not we’re all human and therefore had only so much emotion strength, so surrounding yourself with positive and like minded people also helps buoy your emotional state when times are tough.  Finding your go-to people, the real ones that will be there for you no matter what is absolutely crucial.

The concept of being “all in” is also an interesting one.  From my perspective this is an absolute…how can you be living an authentic and passionate life if you’re not fully committed or invested.  It’s impossible to be doing this while constantly hedging your bets.  Without being all in, it opens you up to the potential of wavering on your commitments…of adding conditions if you will…

Can you imagine if we constantly vacillated on every aspect of our lives?  Stuck in the middle, always looking for something better but without fully committing to what you have in front of you?  Clearly the biggest loser in this scenario is you!

Making half hearted promises to yourself and then not living up to them erodes your self confidence and feelings of self worth which is diametrically opposed to the concept of living an authentic life.  In my estimation, if you make a promise to yourself, you have put your personal integrity on the line and follow through.

However, if you fully commit and do everything in your power to make it happen and it fails, there should be no shame or regret but a feeling of satisfaction that you gave it your all.  There’ll be times when you give it your best shot but to no avail, you may come up short but the most important thing is that you were fully committed.

Your ability to roll with the prevailing winds and the invariable changes that occur, are vital to your personal growth and forward movement, because without them there would be no satisfaction when you finally achieve your dreams. 🙂

Take a minute to think and reflect on your level of commitment to creating the life you want.  Have you zeroed in on your fundamental and underlying raison d’etre (reason for being)?

For me it’s about not only about living the life I’ve always wanted and being the best parent possible, but also to help spread the word, the evangelist (no religious overtones) if you will. In fact, this, arguably is the most important thing I can do – share my experiences but also constantly prompt others to evaluate their lives and move forward in the direction that enables them to live their dreams.

Even if I get just one person to think differently then I believe I’ve made a difference…and isn’t that what it’s all about in life?  Helping others succeed and realize their full potential…on their terms.

I’d say that would be an awesome outcome…so, the question is “I’m all in, how about you?”

Until next week

Ciao!