Category: Gratitude

One of the most influential books that I have ever read is Alan Cohen’s “Why Your Life Sucks”.    This book provides the reasons why some do not live a fulfilled life.

The book is an easy read of about 240 pages and I got through it in two days.  The chapters in the book provide each reason why your life sucks, and there are ten of them.  I still go back and refer to the ten reasons as a refresh and reminder to make sure that I do not indulge in these ten principles.

Listed here are the ten reasons why your life sucks:

1. You give your power away.
2. You expect it to suck.
3. You get fooled by appearances.
4. You waste your energy on things that suck.
5. You keep trying to prove yourself.
6. You say yes when you mean to say no.
7. Your think you have to do it all by yourself.
8. You try to fix other people.
9. You starve your soul.
10. You forget to enjoy the ride.

You can purchase the book at the following:

https://www.amazon.com/Why-Your-Life-Sucks-About/dp/0553383620

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/29347/why-your-life-sucks-by-alan-cohen/9780553383621/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/why-your-life-sucks-alan-h-cohen/1100267723

In this blog, I want to talk about something that I never liked and feared and that is the power of deadlines or better yet, the power of enforcing deadlines.

Yes, deadlines are usually set by others and we usually react to them.  Deadlines can be to arrive at a place at a certain time, multiple projects at work, or getting your rent or mortgage payment paid by a certain time.

What I have found though is the opportunity not only to meet the deadlines set by others, yet we can establish and enforce our own deadlines to get whatever we dream or desire to get accomplish.

Without deadlines, we will not reach our dreams.  It is a key ingredient to make us grow and become more.  In addition, we can be the best version our ourselves.

As Ryan Blair of the 100 Day Challenge states, “how you treat deadlines speaks volumes about you, your belief systems, your reputation, your results, and your future”.

Deadlines are the ultimate source of inspiration because it raises our standards.  Raising our standards means raising our rewards.  Deadlines forces us to step up our game and perform to the best of our abilities.

Deadlines in addition creates urgency to get goals achieved and gets us fired up, focused, and engaged.

Here are the benefits of enforcing deadlines in your life:

1. Deadlines empower focus.
2. Deadlines prioritizes activities.
3. Deadlines enforce accountability.
4. Deadlines demonstrate commitment.
5. Deadlines create a massive sense of urgency.

As we can see, deadlines are not the enemy nor something to fear.  Deadlines are a secret weapon, which creates growth.  It gets us out of our comfort zone, and we know that all the fulfillment and growth lie outside of our comfort zone.

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback around deadlines and what deadlines do you set for yourself.

Mid to late August is my favorite time of the year.  I don’t know what is because we are nearing the end of the summer, and it is getting slightly cooler.  What I love about it is the days get slightly shorter and how the sun sets at between 6pm and 7pm is breathtaking.

This year is special because I am about to check off another item on my bucket list in a week.  I am about to go on a vacation (holiday) to Paris.  Paris, France has been a place that I always wanted to go.  I will also have the opportunity to go to Athens and Satorini, Greece and Milan, Italy on this trip.

It also has been such an incredible summer getting my business started, knowing that my family is happy and healthy.  I also was able to celebrate many of my family and friends celebrate milestone birthdays.

It is not like my life is perfect either.  I have some great challenges going on.  I am extremely busy in all areas in my life.  I have had some trying moments as well.  I even lost a high school classmate a week ago.

As I heard from my mentor Tony Robbins, “where focus goes, energy flows”.  If I focus on that my summer has been incredibly amazing that is the result I have.

What are you grateful for in your life at this present moment?  Are you dwelling on your problems?  Or are you living each moment feeling blessed?

I wanted to take a moment to write about the beginning and foundation of wealth and happiness: Gratitude.

Gratitude to me is the foundation of excellence, wealth, happiness, and living an extraordinary life.

Intellectually, I knew what gratitude meant.  Even sometimes I would tell someone to “be grateful”.  Yet if gratitude is not applied or practiced, one does not know anything about gratitude.  I was one of those who did not know what is gratitude.

My journey to gratitude began six years ago channel surfing and finding a program called “Excuses Begone” with Wayne Dyer.  I really immersed myself into the program and watched it again.  I remembered Wayne Dyer from an interview many years back with Tony Robbins.

I then starting searching YouTube on Wayne Dyer as well as others like Tony Robbins and Marianne Williamson speak on gratitude.  Since I was taking in so much information, I bought a notebook and started writing down passages and notes on what I am grateful for.  Before I knew it, I felt more alive than I ever have.  I was smiling and saying “hi’ to strangers on the street.  I found myself interacting with close ones much better with more joy.  I also found myself to be much more productive and profitable in my business.

My practice would become and still to this day is to write down what I am grateful for.  I usually complete this in the morning.  I then will watch an inspirational YouTube video of something inspiring and listen to some music to get in a state of gratitude.

Here are the eight benefits of gratitude.

1. It naturally makes you want to give
2. It improves your health
3. It is a major anti-depressant
4. As Tony Robbins says, “you cannot be fearful and grateful at the same time” and “you cannot be angry and grateful at the same time”
5. Opens doors to new friends and relationships
6. Drastically reduces stress related tasks making life much easier
7. You will live an extraordinary life
8. You will feel that all your prayers have been answered

So what is gratitude to you?  What is your gratitude practice?  Are you willing to commit to live in gratitude?

My challenge to you is to make gratitude to a top priority.  Go on a 30 day gratitude challenge where you commit to living in gratitude.

“The secret to wealth is gratitude”  Sir John Templeton