Feeling Lost

Have you ever felt lost and alone?  Was it cold and dark?  Where were you at that point in time?  And most important of all, how did you get there?

Sure, you make a wrong turn.  Great ... stuck in the ghetto ... oh snap.  So you have no GPS, took the wrong exit, and you're lost.  This isn't what I'm talking about.  Flying solo and doing things independently is great, especially for the entrepreneur.  This is not the same as going it alone.

Cold and dark isn't when you have have the A/C on and your night light is off.  It's way scarier than that.  These feelings often happen in life.  At least for me ...

I found out an interesting fact recently:  It takes 13 minutes to recover focus when answering a text message during work hours.

This is so crazy, but it is true!  You have to acknowledge the text, read it, reply, wait for a response, and eventually cut off the conversation.

There would be times during travel, I would glance down at the simple little text message.  "Oh, I can answer this, no problem!  *click click click*

All of the sudden, I look up, and I have arrived.  I have no clue how I got there.  I was where I was supposed to be there.  But I felt like I just teleported my car and myself there.

I lost focus of what was really happening around me.  My entire perception on things was totally warped.  This has happened multiple times.

So wise man told a young prince the same thing.  "You have travelled very far to gain much wisdom.  So, I shall teach you a lesson.  When you master this, you shall be very wise and fit to be a king.  Take this spoon filled with oil.  Walk around this grand and marvelous castle.  Walk into every room and never spill a drop.  Return to me with your spoonful of oil and you shall be very wise."

The boy quickly took off.  He just had to become ready to be a king.  His father needed to rest.  It was his time to take the responsibility. If he didn't do it, nobody else would.  He walked into another room thinking that this whole spoon thing was a little eccentric, but aren't all old people with their wisdom.  Before he realized it, he had zipped through over 20 rooms in the castle.  He made haste and returned quickly to the wise man.

"Welcome, young prince.  I see you have made haste.  Do you have your oil?"

Meanwhile, the prince proudly approached for this wise man to examine.  Suddenly another inquiry, "what colors were the tapestries in the third room?  If you do not know, you must go back and tell me.  They are quite marvelous."

The prince rushed off to the third room.  It wasn't very far away.  He skipped the first two rooms this time.  Inside, there were these red velvet tapestries that flowed from the top of the 10 foot high window.  The intricate designs of gold and jewels just left the prince dazzled.

A few hours later, the prince returned to the wise man.  He described the beauty of the tapestries in far greater detail.  The sight was worth 1000 words. 

"Very well.  You described the tapestries perfectly.  Now, what of your oil?"

Suddenly, it hit him.  The prince spilled the oil back in the third room.

"You see, young prince.  You must observe the world around you in all its beauty.  But you must not forget about your oil."

There is so much potential out there in the world.  Remember this and never forget it.  Don't forget to stay grounded.  I realized that I wasted a lot of time doing things I just hated.  About 1 year ago, I left my full time job.  I've been through some major hardships since then.  I've been through a lot.

Maybe the extra income from my job would have helped pay the bills.  Maybe I could have enjoyed a few extra privileges in life.  Maybe I would have just settled for a paycheck.

I stopped settling for making others rich.  I stopped killing myself.  I committed to bettering myself.  I found out what I am passionate about and I went for it.

I am proud that I accomplished everything that I have done.  I built a team of professionals.  I've grown my business.  I set myself up for success.  I went for it.  This is the beginning.

I sat back and counted the days ... and I realized the months that have passed since I worked my full time job.  2013 is going to be an amazing year.

I realized that I focused on the wrong things.  I settled for a life of paycheck to paycheck.  Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore.

I've learned a lot of unorthodox training methods.  I've never even had a "gym membership."  I didn't let any of that stop me from becoming the trainer that I deserved to be.

You can set yourself up for success by not settling for anything less.
Oppose all the negativity.
Life will only get better.  I tell clients this little catchy saying about getting in shape.  It actually applies to a lot in life.  So let me share it with you.

Change
Do something different.  If you're not happy with where you are at or what you are doing, then just change it.  Go after what you are passionate about.

Adapt
This will take some getting used to.  Over time you will become more comfortable doing what you love.  It will feel strange, you know, not working.  But, you should have saved money to help you with your career transition.  If not, the bills will get paid when you're making the money you're actually worth.

Progress
Don't settle for just getting your feet wet.  It will be very refreshing.  You have been dreaming about living this life.  So, make some adjustments and embrace the new life.

Persevere
Never give up, never go back, and never settle for anything less than what you are worth.  Don't back down.  There will be setbacks.  Keep going, have a road map for success.  That means you need to know where you're headed.  That means you need to keep looking at your current position, keep on track, and navigate through it no matter how hard it gets.

Transform
You have arrived.  My goal for my clients, friends, family, partners, and myself is that we all attain our personal goals.  I want us all to not only achieve goals.  You need to maintain them.  Embrace the new life that you have earned.

Remember, I talk about fitness and using these philosophies, but its the same with bettering yourself.

There is a huge world out there.  Experience it.  Don't get caught up in the here and now.  The present is now, the future brings change.  We cannot control our futures.  Why live a life of fear and settling.  Our problems are like the drop of oil.  We cannot ignore them.  However, we can't miss the golden laced tapestries of velvet because of a small drop of oil!

I'm not a millionaire and I'm not pitching how to make lots of money.

But I can tell you that you will NOT do it if you settle for something less.

Never settle for a mediocre life.

Life is too short.  Embrace it.