When Your Back is Against the Wall by Pat Riley

“Competition brings out the very best and the very worst in us. Right now, it’s bring out the worst, but if he sticks with it, it’s going to bring out the best.” Pat Riley

“Every now and then, you have your back pushed up against a wall. It seems like there is nobody you can depend on but yourself. That is how the Lakers felt on that day. If they lost, the choke reputation would be chiseled into stone, a permanent verdict. If they won, they had an opportunity to prove they could keep on winning. It was a do or die situation.

Coach Riley faced Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the star center, and said, “When I saw you and your father on the bus today, it made me realize what this whole moment is about. You spent a lot of time with Big Al today. Maybe you needed that voice. Maybe everyone in this room needs to hear that kind of voice right now–the voice of your dad, the voice of somebody in the past who was there when you didn’t think you could get the job done.”

“A lot of you don’t think you can win today. A lot of you don’t think you can beat the Celtics. I want each of you to close your eyes and listen.” And they did.

Continued…

And Riley began his tale, “When I was nine years old my dad told my brothers, Lee and Lenny, to take me down to Lincoln Heights and get me involved in the basketball games. They would throw me into a game and I would get pushed and shoved. Day after day, I ran home crying and hid in the garage. I didn’t want anything to do with basketball.”

“This went on for two or three weeks. One night, I didn’t come to the dinner table, so my dad got up and walked out to the garage where he found me hunkered down in a corner. He picked me up, put his arm around me, and walked to the kitchen. My brother Lee was upset with him. ‘Why do you make us take him down there? He doesn’t want to play. He’s too young.’

“My father stood up and staring at Lee, said, ‘I want you to take him there because I want you to teach him not to be afraid, that there should be no fear. Teach him that competition brings out the very best and the very worst in us. Right now, it’s bring out the worst, but if he sticks with it, it’s going to bring out the best.’ He then looked at his nine-year-old, teary-eyed son and said, ‘Pat, you have to go back there.’

So Coach Riley told his players, “I thought I was never going to be able to get over being hurt and afraid, but I eventually did get over it.” As he was talking, he was slowly pacing back and forth the locker room. Looking at the players, he saw that Michael Cooper was crying…
Coach Riley went on, “I don’t know what it is going to take for us to win tonight but I do believe that we are going out there like warriors, and that would make our fathers proud.”

The Lakers won the game. They also won three of the next four games. The 1985 championship was won by the Lakers…
During the off season, Michael Cooper told Coach Riley that the pregame message had gone deep for him. As a boy, Cooper had a grievous leg wound, an ugly cut through the muscle. Doctors did not think he would ever walk correctly again, much less become an athlete. He was sustained through those times by a wonderful mother and devoted uncle. So he had heard those voices.

All of us have at least one great voice deep inside. People are products of their environments. A lucky few are born into situations in which positive messages abound. Others grow up hearing messages of fear and failure which they must block out to hear the positive. But the positive and courageous voice will always emerge, somewhere, sometime, for all of us. Listen for it, and your breakthroughs will come.
Fear of failure will lead you to despair, wrong decisions, and host of other problems. However, when the voice comes through it will counsel courage, that affirms your life and your ability, and it will position you to do your very best.

Story by Pat Riley, A 4^th course of Chicken Soup for the Soul, page 300

“There is no earthly bliss not watered by tears.”

Filipino proverb

I remember a distinct moment from grade school: I looked around the classroom and wonder if anybody else was actually listening to the teacher. My wandering imagination has always fascinated me. I would dream constantly; paying little attention to the boring or mundane. My imagination is like a trusted friend I can always rely on to entertain me. I would learn this was to be my blessed curse; a never ending imagination of possible wonders.

I read somewhere that writing is no more than a guided dream…

This dream starts in grade twelve English with the poem Ulysses by Lord Alfred Tennyson. It was the first time that literature would inspire me to take action. I was mesmerized by this poem and it would soon become a part of my soul. The great urge to travel the world pursuing distant horizons and unknown wonders filled my heart. I made a decision that day to travel Europe for the summer; and it was simply the most enlightening decision I have ever made.

“…I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’
Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!
As tho’ to breathe were life!…” Ulysses by Lord Alfred Tennyson

I found part of my true self that summer in Europe. I grew more in character then the previous 18 years of my life. The world was a grand vast place and I needed to contribute my verse. Everything was so fresh and alive; I was seeing the world in a new light. It was sensory-overload and for the first time, my imagination stilled. I didn’t realize it at the time, but somewhere between The Grand Place in Brussels and the snow covered peaks of Switzerland, I took my first step towards a few fleeting moments of enlightenment.

It would take three years for me to return to Europe. I had become a lost soul in University. My live the biggest life you can attitude had me hanging my hat in the pub instead of the classroom. I was having the time of my life, completely unaware that my future was taking a turn for the worst. I had lost all direction; something big was missing in my life. The Scary part was that I had no idea what.

I started my trip in England and managed to make my way down to Greece. Just thinking about Greece as I write gives me chills. That warm ocean breeze and winding seaside roads seemed to naturally heal my unhappiness. I was a free soul again: I was loving life once more.

Sitting on a rock in Corfu enjoying the splendor of the brilliant pink sunset and contemplating my life. I decided to make a list of everything I loved and hated about myself. I looked at the list for a long time – and then I threw it in the Ocean. It was a list of my past-self, and I made peace with it, realizing it had no bearing on my future. Then it struck me hard. This overwhelming and absolute feeling of joy invaded my soul. I wept with tears for joy for the first time in my life. I cried my eyes out and it felt wonderful. I was happy to be who I was; and proud of my place in the world. That cry still remains one of the happiest moments in my life. I was forever a changed man.

Nothing could hold me back from returning to Europe next summer.  I needed to sit on my rock and figure out one question. What I want to do with my life?  The question was simple.  If I could do anything at all, what would make me the happiest?  The answer never showed. So I left Greece on a ferry heading to Italy. I was listening to Ben Harper’s song ‘Give a man a home’ and I finally figure it out. I wanted to travel the  world and write about it. That would make me the happiest man I could be.

I knew that was the answer I was looking for more then I knew anything else on earth.  I traveled up the coast to arrive in Barcelona a few days later; and had my first meeting with fate.  I arrived late at night and there wasn’t a bed to be found anywhere.  I stored my backpack in a locker at the train station and headed to the beach to crash. I awoke miserable and tired. I searched everywhere for 6 hours to find a place to stay. The hot sun was pouring down and my backpack was digging deeper and deeper into my shoulders. I had no luck at all.  I was ready to give up and get back on the train, but I decided to give it one more try. Finally, the hostel Alberg Palau had one bed available; relief.  On my bed was a copy of The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho: a story about a sacred journey to Santiago Compostela in Northern Spain to become a new man. That book would become part of my journey as I traveled through the luscious green valleys of Spain to the Cathedral of Saint James. The Cathedral was breathtaking and for the first time I felt immersed in the Soul of the World. I was certain that a higher source of power existed on earth, and I felt comforted by that.

“It is the pleasure of searching and the pleasure of the adventure.  You are nourishing something that’s very important-your dreams.  We must never stop dreaming.  Dreams provide nourishment for the soul, just as a meal does for the body.  Many times in our lives we see our dreams shattered and our desires frustrated, but we have to continue dreaming.  If we don’t, our soul dies…” The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho

I returned home and picked up a copy of Coelho’s famous book The Alchemist.  It was an omen that confirmed everything I had learned in my travels. I would begin listening to my heart and following my dreams.  I was the Sheppard boy Santiago whose love for traveling had revealed his personal treasure. From that moment on, I dedicated my life to becoming a writer.  I had finally found what I was looking for; my destiny.

“When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It’s always a positive force.” The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Ulysses is still my favorite poem, and The Alchemist my favorite book by my favorite author. I have yet to return to my rock on the beautiful beach of Corfu, but I know I will make it back there someday. Hopefully with a copy of my bestseller in one hand and my journal in the other.

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Hope you enjoyed my insight…. Peace and safe travels…

Jonathan

“It’s simply beyond words. It’s incalculacable.”  Michael Scott – The Office

Everyday, I listen to people’s problems over the phone and do my best to offer them a solution.  I’m in sales, and most days I really enjoy it. In sales, when the dust clears, you can either give results or excuses. I have always been great with excuses. I have a long never-ending list that has been tried, tested, and true since as long as I can remember. Simply stated, a good excuse at the right time can be a beautiful thing. However, recently I noticed a very positive change in my work life: I developed a desire to be the very best.

Any salesman or woman, has probably read a hundred different sales tips and strategies. So I am just going to give you one. The greatest truth in sales: “People buy for whose reasons, your reasons or their reasons? People buy for their reasons.” Simple right?

I remember the feeling of closing a fortune 100 company at first sales gig. I roared a loud triumphant cheer and felt the rush of self-actualization pass through me. Closing that sale felt fantastic, and as with all fantastic things, I wanted more right away. Now that initial rush has changed to more consistent and complete feeling that I carry with me throughout my workday. The simple feeling that I am good at something, I have the power to enjoy it, and it brings me joy to succeed at it. So here are my essential teachings on finding the Zen of closing a sale.

“Reverse psychology is an awesome tool, I don’t know if you guys know about it, but basically you can make someone think the opposite of what you believe, and that tricks them into doing something stupid. Works like a charm.”  Michael Scott – The Office

Celebrate each victory whether large or small.

The Costa Ricans have a beautiful saying called Pura Vida. The literal translation is “Pure life”, but the contextual meaning is “Full of life” or “Purified life”.  For me it’s the perfect sales philosophy to follow. “It embodies a philosophy in which communal ties are strong and close; difficulties are overcome with a resilient and happy spirit, where life is enjoyed leisurely and to the full, and where fortune of whatever size is heartily celebrated.” Tony Cousins. Take a moment to think about that philosophy and how it can pertain to both your work and life.

“I guess the atmosphere that I’ve tried to create here is that I’m a friend first and a boss second, and probably an entertainer third.” Michael Scott – The Office

Bring harmony to your work space and everyone around it.

I shared my first office with a close friend Eric. It was high above the city on the 17^th floor with a corner window overlooking the Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver. Each morning I would play a little Hemi-Sync music to help me get into a peaceful harmonious rhythm. Hemi-Sync is short for Hemispheric Synchronization, the technique synchronizes the two hemispheres of one’s brain, thereby creating a ‘frequency-following response’ designed to evoke altered states of consciousness through the use of sound. Similar to someone listening to the symphony of the rain wash away their tears, or the elevating beat of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to lift their spirits. When you bring harmony into your tone of voice and complement it with a peaceful attitude, people will enjoy talking with you, and want to listen closely to what you‘re saying. Within a week, Eric was asking me to play this selection or that one, and had chosen a favourite. The following is a clip of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, I recommend playing it softly in the background as you continue reading. 

“Uh, yeah, I get a little frustrated when I’m dealing with incompetence. Well, you know what? You can go to hell and I will see you there. Burning. Fine. Oh, wait, so you’ll let me know when you’ve made a decision?”  Dwight Schrute – The Office

Control the ebb and flow of your conscious thoughts.

Be as passionate as you can without getting too emotionally involved. This can be one of the most difficult things in sales and life. Passion and enthusiasm are the driving force behind any great sales person. But be weary against becoming to emotionally involved, their is a very fine line between passion and the “greed of needing“. Remember that each “No” brings you one step closer to finding a “Yes” and closing a sale. Strive for the balance of understanding it’s the “No’s” that make the “Yes’s” feel great, and the “Yes’s” that make the “No’s” worth it. Find the balance and the big Moby Dick (Whale-not to be confused with a swinging rod) of sales will soon be yours.

Be at one with all the wonderful things about your job.

Motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar talks about attitude, and how we’re often unaware of how many things we like about our job. The example he gives involves a bitter and unhappy women who approached him with what she thought was an impossible problem. When she walked up to meet him, he never saw more anger in a person in his entire life. She started crying right away, and said she has this horrible job that she hates, she hates everything about it, and she hates everyone who works there. She looked at him and asked: “Can you help me?” He looked at her firmly and said: “Your problem is about to get worse.” She replied: “What do you mean?” He said, “I believe they are going to fire you.” She was stunned, “Fire me, why would they to fire me?” Zig then explains, “have you ever noticed when someone is about to lose something they have been complaining about, it takes on brand new value.” She looked at him and asked, “ What can I do? He asked her to get out a piece of paper and write on the top, “I like my job because”. She replied, “that will be easy, I don’t like anything about my job or the people down there.” He asked her: “Do they pay you for working there?” “Yes, the pay me”, she replied. He responded, “Well do you like to be paid?” She said, “Yes I do”. Zig: “Ok, that is one thing you like about your job.” In the end, she had 22 things she liked about her job: she was paid above average, she had a office, a parking spot, three weeks paid vacation, they paid to send her to conferences, and so on. He told her to go home and read it over in the mirror and change “I like my job” to “I love my job”. Zig believes “The healthiest of all human emotions is gratitude” Six weeks later he was back to do a follow up sales seminar and there she was sitting in the front row grinning so wide she could have eaten a banana sideways. He asked her how she was doing, and she replied, “I am doing wonderfully well. You will not believe how much those people at work have changed.” The moral of the story: “Your not going to change anyone else until you change you. “

Your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated. Feel free to share any Sales or Zen related stories or information below.  Thanks

“What is the single most important thing for a company? Is it the building? Is it the stock? Is it the turnover? It’s the people. The *people*. My proudest moment here wasn’t when I increased profits by 17%, or cut expenditure without losing a single member of staff. No, no, no, no. It was a young Guatamalan guy, first job in the country, hardly spoke a word of English, but he came to me and he went “Mr. Scott, will you be the Godfather to my child?” Wow. *Wow.* Didn’t work out in the end. We had to let him go. He sucked.” Michael Scott – The Office

I published a post containing, Tips on living a better life in 2008, which sparked serious debate over number 28, “God heals almost everything”.  I was pleased this post had such passionate responses.  I allowed all negative and positive comments fly while watching the debate progress.  Few chose the middle ground, but those comments were my favorite.  What I loved most about the post was learning insight from its publication.

Photo found on Vi.sualize.us

Notably, the following seemed to strike a cord with me:

Comment by JM, “It’s as though #28 ruined the day for everyone who read it. I’m agnostic or atheist or I don’t really know what, but it’s really irrelevant. I’m just blown away by the negativity that one comment can provoke in people who are logging on to a website based on “enlightenment.” My personal advice would be to “F&*$# lighten up.” But perhaps more sage advice would be what a Buddhist monk once told me when I struggled with one of the teachings: “Ignore that teaching. If it is a roadblock to accepting the good parts in the other passages, then you must discard it. Maybe one day you will feel differently about it, maybe not, but don’t let it get in the way of the parts which are helpful to you.” That’s my two cents. Feel free to get angry, I won’t.”

Photo found on Vi.sualize.us

So as a follow up I’m asking the following questions in hopes that my readers will continue this debate and learn from each other. What are the most important questions in life?  Are they about religion, happiness, freedom, love, etc?  Can any answers true satisfy, or are the answers shape by ones experience? Have you found any answers? What?

To start off, I listed questions to get the ball rolling.  I hope you will share your knowledge, love, hate, wisdom, or anything you feel like ranting about.  I will allow everything to be published.

Photo found on Gods Emerald’s

Questions???

1. What is the meaning of life?
2. Where Did I Come From?
3. Who Am I?
4. Where Am I Going?
5. How much money is enough?
6. What is love?
7. Is there a Supreme Being and is his name really God?
8. How far does space go? Is there life on other planets?
9. ”What is the meaning of life?
10. How much is it?… Are you married? Will there be an open bar?
11. “What kind of job will I have in the future or even right now”? “Where will I live?”  “Who will I marry?”
12. “WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO WITH MY LIFE?” “What do I want to do with my life?”
13. “What are the most important questions I need to figure out to be happy?”
14. “What is happiness and how do I achieve it?”
15. “Why is an all-knowing God not naturally known by His human creation?”
16. Is there real proof that God cares for you?”
17. What is life all about?”
18. “Is there life after death?”
19. “Why does God allow pain and suffering?”
20. “Can we know God?”
21. Does God choose sides?”
22. Does God want freedom?
23. Why does God let war happen?
24. Whom should we pray for?
25. Is my life significant?
26. What really matters in life?
27. Why should I get up in the morning?
28. Is there life after death?
29. DO I have free will?
30. Why are we here?

Using affirmations is a way to create positive change in your life, but just as important; they feel good to say.  Affirmations are one of the easiest, yet most overlooked meditations in the world.   I will once again refer to a little book called Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain as the source of inspiration for this article. Definition:  “To affirm means ‘to make firm.’  An affirmation is a strong, positive statement that something is already so.  It is a way of ‘making firm’ that which you are imaging.”  Shakti Gawain

Try saying my personal three affirmations in life, and see how they make you feel:

“I am capable of anything and bound by nothing”“

“I love like I have never been hurt, and work like I don’t need the money”

“I strive for love, Seek knowledge, Find happiness, and Yield not to Fear”

They feel good to say, don’t they?  When we practice using affirmations, we replace the old bad programming that blocks us from moving forward in life.  Our mind defines us, whether we like it or not.  Filling it each day with positive affirmations will have an immediate impact on how we feel and think about our present situations.  It is such an easy practice contrary to the difficult meditations that push us to quiet our mind. Creating your own personal list of affirmations is a fun and positive exercise.  I suggest making the Affirmations as personal as possible, don’t simply rely on someone else’s list for your life, make your own and start today.

Shakti gives the following 7 tips for you to follow:

1. “Always phrase affirmations in the present tense, not in the future.”
2. “Always phrase affirmations in the most positive way that you can.”
3. “In general, the shorter and simpler the affirmation the more effective.”
4. “Always choose affirmations that feel totally right for you.”
5. “Always remember when doing affirmations that you are creating something new and fresh.”
6. “Affirmations are not meant to contradict or try to change your feelings or emotions.”
7. “When using affirmations, try as much as possible to create a feeling of belief, an experience that they can be true.”

Here are some great examples take from Creative Visualization to get you started:

• “I am dynamically self-expressive.”
• “It’s Okay for me to have everything I want!”
• “I feel happy and blissful just being alive.”
• “I am a radiant being, filled with light and love.”
• “I am an open channel of creative energy.”
• “The light within me is creating miracles in my life here and now.”
• “I love to love and be loved.”
• “Infinite riches are now freely flowing in my life.”
• “Everything I need is already within me.”
• “Abundance is a natural state of being.  I accept it now!”
• “I love and appreciate myself just as I am.” By Shakti Gawain

NOW, doesn’t that just feel good?  The present moment is all we have in life, so take this moment to write at least one affirmation to share with others in the comment section below.  Begin changing you inner-self with positive thoughts today.

One of my old college buddies flew anywhere in the world for free courtesy of his step dad who worked for Air Canada. When I told him that I hated to fly; he was shocked. He told me to “just relax, you can watch a movie, eat, read, meet someone new, have some good conversation; the journey is always what you make of it. Forget about arriving, enjoy each little moment that you’re free and away from the routine and hassles in life.” I never forgot that statement; I carry it with me on every trip. Time is so precious in life, at some point the hourglass drops its finally grain of sand, so treasure every moment.

Here are 4 tips on changing you life while experiencing the Zen of travel. 

1.) Take some time alone in a special place to contemplate your happiness. Some people are always shocked when I tell them I traveled somewhere alone. They will never understand the complete and absolute feeling of freedom one receives from standing in a new part of the world and thinking “what do I want to do today, what will make me the happiest”. It’s so refreshing to get away from everyone and everything that has influence in your life; you can hear the voice in your own soul so clearly. Remember to take some time for yourself; Walk on the beach or up a mountain until you find a secluded spot and just sit back; enjoying the moment while contemplating your happiness. I sat on a rock in Greece and made a list of everything I loved and hated about myself, I came to some stark realizations that day. After a long time I threw the list into the ocean and felt completely liberated from my past. I swam in the ocean as the sun was setting without a single thought or worry about the past or future.  

2.) If you take all you favorite and nostalgic songs with you on a trip and you will never find loneliness. Music is the great soundtrack to our lives. It will bring you back to the memory of a lover or a special time in life. The song Closing Time by Green Day, always brings me back to the fond memories of all the great friends I made in college that worked at the Shot Pool Pub in London, Ontario. Everyone who worked there was a very special and charismatic person. We had the time of our lives working together, sharing together, living together, and occasionally sleeping together. The road trips, birthday parties, and special events were a golden era in our lives. Music is a warm comforting blanket that will keep your soul alive with beautiful emotions at the most troubling times on the journey before you.  

3.) Everyone has that one great book that is recommended to them over and over again. So think about it, find it, and take it with you on your trip, everything happens for a reason, and it often seems to me that the right book always comes to me at the right moment in life; when I needed it the most. If you pay attention, the right book will always find you and help you change the impossible. One of my all time favorite college football coaches, Lou Holtz, states that “Only two things will change your life 5 years from now: are the people you meet and the books you read.”   

4.) Traveling is all about change: the only constant in our lives. The more you change on a trip the more beautiful the journey becomes. Traveling forces a change in everything around you and takes you away from your boring routines, narrow perspectives, disheartened attitudes, and fearful inhibitions. I felt so happy to be alive as I was returning home from a life changing trip in Greece. On the plane, I started a random conversation with a Lady sitting next to me at the back of the plane. We talked for a long time before she looked me in the eyes and said, “I can feel the happiness in you, you really must have made the most of your trip, and don’t ever forget this feeling when you get back. Don’t remember this moment; keep on living it.” Her voice cracked a little bit and I saw tears starting to form. She looked at me dead in the eyes and with a tremble in her voice said, “I went away because I needed some time alone, I have cancer, and I needed to figure out how I was going to tell my husband and kids that I’m dying. I couldn’t figure out what to say to them; but I figured out what to do about it. I’m going express all my love to them each and everyday with all my heart and soul. I am going to live in love for the rest of my days.” Starting that simple random conversation made me realize how fortunate I was at that moment, face to face with those tears of love and fear changed me a little, from that moment on I was also going to try to live in love for the rest of my days. To just Live in love… Pura Vida Forever…

“Nothing happens unless first we dream.” Carl Sandburg

 The first life changing experience I encounter by mail.  I was sixteen, it was the first real letter I received, and it changed my life.  Coincidentally, it was written by me and addressed to me at the same time.  One year prior, a friend invited me to a leadership camp called YLCC. I wasn’t a leader at the time, nor did I ever participate in leadership functions.  His catch was the girl to guy ratio, about 10 to 1, a great way to meet  new girls and have some fun.  I won’t delve in the details of the camp, but it was an oasis for the free spirit, a place to dance like no one is watching, be silly, and share everything you were afraid to share.  

“Dreams are the touchstones of our character.” Henry David Thoreau

Before the three day charade came to a conclusion, we were asked to write a letter to ourselves with all our dreams and goals for the next year.  So there I stood one year later, this letter in my hand, face to face with the power of the unconscious mind.  I realized in one year almost every single one of my goals.  Some were very far fetched and unlikely, but I achieved them.  People always write and talk about the power of goal setting; I experience it.  It was undeniable.

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” Michelangelo

 I still have that first letter, and the many that I have written since.  I call them my Battle Plan for success. Before writing a new one, I reread all of the old ones again.  Each time I check off some forgot goal that I have since accomplished.  With each new plan, the dreams that I turn into goals, become more elaborate.

“If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

I recently wrote a new plan which was long overdue.  I thought, I would share with you some tips for creating your own strategy; and perhaps share a little of the wisdom I have found.

“There is nothing like a dream to create the future.” Victor Hugo

1.)  Do it today, not tomorrow, or on the weekend, nor next week.  Today…Today…Today…

“I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”  Henry David Thoreau

2.)  Start by writing an introduction stating why you’re writing this plan and what you hope to accomplish.

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”  Ashley Smith

3.)  Break the list down into categories, such as: Body, Mind, Social, Work, Finance, Travel, Family, and of course Pleasure.

“The most pitiful among men is he who turns his dreams into silver and gold.” Kahlil Gibran

4.)  Be as specific as possible, but never be reasonable.  Don’t limit yourself, no matter how crazy the dream seems, if you turn it into a goal, it becomes a possibility.

“Some men see things as they are and say, “Why?” I dream of things that never were and say, “Why not?”   George Bernard Shaw

5.)  Write what you hope to accomplish, but don’t stop there.  Keep writing about who you want to be, who you want to meet, what you want to feel, see, and smell.  Let your imagination run wild on the page, this is your letter to do with whatever you desire. 

“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.”   Goethe

6.)  Conclude by writing how you will accomplish this: hard work, will, desire, kindness, love, meditation, perspiration, etc.

“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.”  James A. Froude

7.)  Finally, sign it like it is a legal contract with yourself.  Then sit back read the list and smile at a plan for happiness and success.

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one, I hope someday you will join us, and the world will live as one.” John Lennon

8.)  Put the letter somewhere safe and forget about it.  When the roller coaster ride of life brings your spirits up or down, and you feel you need a boost.  Pull out the letter and proudly check off all the dreams that have become accomplished.                               

“A man’s dreams are an index to his greatness.”  Zadok Rabinowitz

9.)  Always remember….Write another letter….

“Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living.”  Anais Nin

If you would like to contribute some insights, experiences or knowledge to this post, then please leave a comment below. 

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I updated this post after a Reddit user left me a great comment. He gave the pessimists response to these philosophies, and I got a great laugh out of it. So I decided to add his comments into the post.  Anything to share?  Drop me a comment with your thoughts…

I love reading great philosophies on living life to the fullest, enjoying each sip from the nectar of life.  I have combined some of my favorites for your reading pleasure. My personal philosophy in life comes from the last line in my favorite poem Ulysses: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not the yield”.  My interpretation is to strive for love, seek knowledge, find happiness, and yield not to fear.

Dance like no one is watching, Love like you have never been hurt, Spend like you didn’t earn the money, and don’t take life too seriously: No one gets out alive, anyways.

Fear nothing, never quit, never give up, never surrender, and always speak your mind even when your voice trembles.  A life lived in fear is a life half lived; because man should never fear death but man should fear never having lived.
The Pessimists Response:

Fear nothing can get you killed, quitting, while you’re ahead or before you get into massive debt are both good ideas. Surrendering when you’re wrong is prudent. Man shouldn’t fear death, but all these people keep talking about how they hope there is an afterlife.

Live this day as if it will be your last. Remember that you will only find “tomorrow” on the calendars of fools. Forget yesterday’s defeats and ignore the problems of tomorrow: This is it. Doomsday, All you have.

The Pessimists Response:

If you forget all the defeats, you’ll never learn. If you ignore all the problems, you’ll never get anything done. Today isn’t doomsday, sorry.

Nothing happens by chance, so don’t chance anything; make it happen now.  Don’t wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it.
The Pessimists Response:

Quantum mechanics disagrees, chance and randomness is an integral part of the fabric of reality. Roll a die, tell me if you think the side that comes up is a result of chance or not.

Circumstance don’t make a hero, they just reveal him.  Man is not the creature of circumstances, circumstances are the creatures of men.
The Pessimists Response:
Circumstances aren’t creatures.

Laugh at yourself, life, and everything around you. Laugh as a remedy and a miracle drug that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective seemingly terrible defeats and worries in life.

The Pessimists Response:

This sounds like a legitimate neurosis. If you do this often, you’re probably legally insane.

It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. Remember that you have only one life to live so make the best of it. Be whoever and whatever you’d like to be. Pursue your passions and your dreams.

The Pessimists Response:

I’d like to be Michael Jordan, should I try and be Michael Jordan even though I can’t? That seems rather silly.

Don’t waste time suffering.  It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.

The Pessimists Response:

Wait, so you say not to waste time suffering, then you tell people that failure can be better than success? This seems contradictory. Also, a constant string of failures will end up putting you on welfare. Succeeding in imitation is often the precursor to success in originality.

Throw caution to the wind in pursuit of pleasure, because if it hurts, then it’s probably worth it.

The Pessimists Response:

It’s probably a good idea to remain semi-cautious, lest you become severely injured. And that time I got stabbed, it was worth it? Or the time my grandfather died, it was worth it?

Always lie to cops…  Just kidding…
I guess he agreed with this one…

An open heart:   Let everything in without fear; an open heart will always lead to beauty.  Open your heart to the people around you, the sun, the stars, and the wonderful experience of life.  There is only one friend who can never betray you in life; your heart.  It will lead you to your smiles, treasures, and true love.  Take a moment each day and listen to the sound of its rhythmic beat and ask it what the best plan is for today.                                                                                                                                                                   

Limited or no expectations: Don’t limit yourself with expectations of the grandiose.  The less you expect, the more you get.  If you want to be pleasantly surprised time and time again, expect nothing, want nothing, and just be.  Make a point not to plan everyday out, or like me don’t plan anything at all, just step outside and follow your heart to the next pleasant surprise in your life.  It’s when we least expect it that our heart fills us with the white light that brightens the day.       

Virgin Eyes:  All children are Zen Masters because everything is an eye opening experience.  They’re seeing, tasting, feeling, and most important; loving the world for the first time.  Try saying to a child with all the enthusiasm in your heart, “Wooowwwwwww Look at that Bridge”, their eyes will light up with wonder and inevitably have a complete Zen response like “AAAHH”, WOW, and so on.  There is nothing mundane or boring in life for a child, everything possesses beauty: a Cat sitting peacefully in a window, a Bird singing in a tree, even a little Ant crawling along just trying to make it home alive.  When or where we lose this wonder, I don’t know, but it seems to me when we travel a little sense of this child like wonder comes back to us.  We want to gaze at Churches, buildings and monuments with delight.  Yet, the same delight can always be found right in our own backyard on a cloudy day.  Choose virgin eyes and see the world again for the first time.    

The present moment:   There is no tomorrow and yesterday is never coming back!  Ask yourself each morning, “What do I want to do today; what will make me happy now!”  That is the beauty of the journey.  When all the routines, expectations, and obligations fall to the wayside; all that is left is your desire; follow this desire in the present moment.  Start the day off with that which will make you happy and leave the rest open to new experiences.  There are infinite possibilities of happiness; no one can ever hope to obtain them all.  If you can gain even a few specks of what will make you happy; then you have done a good job.        

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Journal:  A journal will bring you back to the thoughts and feeling in your mind.  It will show you how your soul has grown and that you have become a different person.  Rereading my journals is always fun because it shows me how my heart and mind has changed.  This reminder is comforting; change is the only constant in the world.  Embrace change and you will always continue to become a better person. 

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