Daily Gratitude: It’s nice of this feeling comes at the end of the year so you can feel the magic of the new beginning at the beginning of a new year. But did you ever wonder why this arbitrary number or date has become so powerful in our lives? Why do we all have to have something new and special at exactly the same time?
Why can’t any and every day be the new beginning we want and cherish? It’s sad if we feel so indoctrinated that all good projects have to be put off for “6 more months until the first”. That’s now a lot of people think so they’re always waiting.
Isn’t NOW the best time to begin something you’re excited about? I think it is. That way we cultivate the beautiful feeling of starting something new.
Can you try to revise not only your thinking on this but also your practice? Can you make any day New Year’s Day?
What better way to evaluate your growth than by encapsulating your year.
By that I mean listing all the things that happened to you or that you did.
What good came from each even if at the time it didn’t seem so good.
Then assessing each one to see
- Perhaps what was different about this event
– what you learned,
- what you could do differently if it happened again and
- what you thought was a good strategy.
Ultimately single out ONE particular point that made the most impact in your life.
Here’s a glimpse of my year. It’s just the highlights to show you how the universe works and how you can benefit from the review : ⁃ i finished my January 6 day race with at least 200 miles. What was different and what I learned was the same: I went in without out any goal other than to get 5 hours of sleep every 24 hours. There was little stress and yet I ended up with the same number of miles I get when I endure all the stress ⁃ I started the hotline. Discussing that will take an entire call. ⁃ I became an end of life doula. There’s so much I can say about that but surprisingly the best that came from that was amazing new and rich friendships ⁃ I began to volunteer at a home for the dying. Again I learned much more than taking care of people. I discovered that I need to take care of myself more and not get spun up in an organization where I have no direct impact. Self care is key ⁃ I finished vol state despite the trials and tribulations. More in a minute ⁃ I broke my clavicle. I learned that it’s ok to ask for help and people want to help. I learned that I can do things (like using my left arm) even without extensive preparation. ⁃ I had to have an ablation (burning) of a large part of my esophagus. I learned that swallowing and digesting things is an area i need to work on. Isn’t interesting how physical symptoms can represent so much of what we have to work on with our inner selves?
Here is the single most powerful quote of my year because of what it represents:
“The amazing thing is how powerful one on phone call can be for all of us!” Dr Rob Gilbert
Dr Gilbert changed my life completely during Vol State. He was always there. He always brought you guys my progress and he never once lectured me. He was the epitome of support. He got me to the rock, one phone call at a time. It’s only fitting that the book I’m writing about this race be dedicated to him.
Who can you call to make a powerful impact on that person? Who can you be there for so they know they are not alone? I can personally tell you that having at least one person you can reach makes all the difference in the world.
Daily Gratitude: Since everyone is considering (at least…between shopping lists) some sort of change for the new year, think about this quote.
I never really thought about discipline in my life….until I kept having to switch to “crewed” status at vol state. I finally realized it was a mental thing and then I accepted that I didn’t have the mental discipline I needed.
As a result I spent a year studying and practicing the art of mental discipline and the following summer I was able to finish the race without switching.
The other area I’ve had to apply discipline in is in my daily hotline call. I don’t always have topics that I think are pertinent. But I have to come up with something. That’s a challenge but since I’ve committed to it, I find something to talk about. Doing that has taught me almost as much as doing Vol State uncrewed.
What are some (or at least one) area in your life that you want to get better at (in)?
Once you answer that question, then ask yourself what it will take to achieve that. Break it down into tiny do-able steps so you don’t bite off more than you can chew. Figure out how you can ensure you can do these tiny steps on a CONTINUOUS basis. That is the key to all success. Doing the same things over and over, knowing that mastery of the foundation is required to build the rest of the pyramid (for example). If your foundation isn’t solid, the rest of your project may come crumbling down with the smallest of winds of adversity.
Decide these things now before you declare that you’re going to do x, y, or z. Take your time. There is no rule that says you have to start something on the 1st of January. That is not the 11th commandment.
Last year I started my hotline on the 13th of January. People were probably wondering (if they thought about it at all) “who the heck starts something in the middle of the month?” I do.
Why? Because I was going to be at a 6 day race over the 1st and then when it was over i had to drive home and get ready etc. Why would I have wanted to set myself up for failure just to start on the 1st when I knew things just wouldn’t be ready.
Think of all your variables before you make your plans. Then nothing can stop you! You’ll have no regrets even if that one thing doesn’t succeed. You will have developed the skills (and yes you will have also worked out your discipline muscles) for your next endeavor.
