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This post was prompted by Gwen Bell follow her on twitter here
We are afraid of truth, afraid of fortune, afraid of death, and afraid of each other. Our age yields no great and perfect persons. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
You just discovered you have fifteen minutes to live.
1. Set a timer for fifteen minutes.
2. Write the story that has to be written.
At the end of my life I take a cue from the teaching of one of my latest favourite people Brendan Burchard who says that we should ask these three questions when facing or at the end of our lives.
- Did I LIVE?
- Did I LOVE?
- Did I MATTER?
Did I live?
I think as I navigated through the first half of my life I was naturally living like a warrior, on a relentless pursuit of MORE. I certainly am glad that in my second half, I am now on a relentless pursuit of a worthy vision for my life. When I do this I am able to then build a business that will support my lifes dream, instead of suppressing my lifes dream to serve a business.
I want to live my un-lived life. All those things I have suppressed during my first half I want to do now. I also want to level up my life. Starting now and for the next five years I want to do some challenging things that will take me outside my “comfort zone”. In five years my wonderful wife and I will embark on a journey. This journey will be to lead a location independent life. We will live and work around the world, leaving our mark everywhere we go. I think this will make me happy that at the end of my life I will say I did LIVE.
Did I LOVE
This area needs work. I love those real close to me I think. My closest inner circle, my wife and two wonderful boys. I know that I need to expand this circle, with further concentric circles, adding my extended family, my community, my work colleagues, and finally all the citizens of the earth. I don’t know why with some in my life loving has been a struggle. I need to be better. I will be better.
Did I MATTER
One one thing can I leave that will be mine? One thing that will continually move people I coach, or lead in the most meaningful way? I think it is my 4 part framework for making a change.
- Decide to make a change
- Do the Work
- Stick to it
- Celebrate
Decide to Make a Change
This part is seemingly the easiest part. I simply ask myself “am I happy with my current results?” and/or “Do I think I could get even better results?” If the answer to these questions is yes, then I have but one choice, I must make a change. I Decide to make a change. A great book to support thinking on this is by Seth Godin called the DIP
Do the Work
This seems easy to think, but I have found in my experience it is the most elusive. I think when people embark on a new skill or mindset they naturally face resistance. The absolute must read for people making a change is Steven Pressfields books The War of Art and Do the Work. Resistance can be beat, recognizing that it is self perpetuating, and self created is the all important first step.
Stick to It.
My most favourite thought on this point is that most people do not know how absolutely close they were to getting the things they say they want when they quit. A clue for me is that when things are the absolute toughest, when I have so many doubts, fears, or terrible stories I am creating in my head, then I know I must be close. Steven Pressfield covers this well in War of Art when he discusses that it is at the point when we are almost there that resistance throws everything it has at me, I need to lean on my support network and keep pushing. The rewards are right around the corner.
Celebrate
I think this brings us full circle. Sadly I see many people build businesses that they must serve, instead of businesses that serve them. I think I did that a lot in my first half. At the end of my life I want to be living my life fully, with lots of love, leaving a legacy that will endure and confirmed that I mattered. For that to happen my business must serve my life and my dreams.
What do you think? Are You LIVING, LOVING, and do you MATTER? Let us know in the comments below.
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