On this beautiful, sunny afternoon in Vancouver, I decided to go for a stroll around Kitsilano. I found myself relaxing at the beach, staring out at the ocean and beautiful scenery around me. I felt at peace with myself.
Getting myself into that kind of relaxed, peaceful state is very refreshing. It allows me to think clearly and express my thoughts freely. As I sat there, I began thinking.
I thought about how lucky I am to be experiencing this beautiful sight — how lucky I am to be living in Kitsilano, with 7 other positive, motivated individuals as my “mastermind group”, known as Project Vancouver. I thought about how lucky I am to be doing what I passionately enjoy doing, which is influencing people’s lives for the better and making a REAL contribution to the world. I thought about all of the amazing friends that I have. The people that I’ve met in my journey…
Then, I thought about all of the experiences I’ve been fortunate enough to go through at such a young age. The experiences that have created me – that make me who I am today. And while a lot were negative and others were positive, they’ve added an immense amount of value into my life, shaping my character and personality.
I felt like I wanted to reach out and thank all the women that I’ve encountered and shared experiences with over the years… especially the ones that “rejected me”, since those are the ones that propelled me further to grow and become better. I’ve learned a lot of lessons, and don’t know where I’d be without that.
Who knows, if I just lived a typical, practical life… I wonder where I’d be?
I figure I’d just be “content”, going to school or working a boring job, with a small circle of friends and a mediocre girl who I’d probably eventually end up marrying because it was easy and comfortable.
I thought about how thankful I am of the decisions that I’ve made. The decision to never settle and to constantly strive to become the best that I can be. The decision to not go to school, quit my job, and begin Lifestyle Transformations to align with my core purpose in life. These are all decisions which will ultimately make me truly fulfilled and happy.
I thought about how much love and respect I have for my body, which is the amazing force that gives me LIFE.
I thought about how grateful and appreciative I am of everyone and everything around me.
I went on and on and on…
This is GRATITUDE. APPRECIATION. It’s what makes us truly fulfilled.
Most people don’t take the time on a regular basis to think about this stuff. It just flies over their head. They’re too busy focusing on achieving and becoming successful, instead of putting things into perspective and realizing just how LUCKY they are.
It’s great to ACHIEVE a lot of things — BUT, becoming “SUCCESSFUL” isn’t what is going to make you happy.
There is an ART that few people rarely master, which is the key to happiness and fulfillment on a regular basis. It’s the gratitude and appreciation which you take the time to acknowledge on a daily basis which fills you up.
When was the last time you stopped to think of how lucky you are?
Give yourself the gift of happiness and gratitude on a regular basis. You deserve it. Give yourself the love, connection, positivity, appreciation, and respect that most people DESPERATELY crave from others. Fill yourself up with joy.
When you can do this, you will be more emotionally INDEPENDENT, meaning you won’t need to depend on anyone else to fulfill these needs for you. Also, you will have more to CONTRIBUTE and to offer to others, which will make a drastic change to your relationships and social life.
You will no longer feel “needy” or “lonely”, waiting for that special someone to come along and fill that emptiness or void inside you.
Instead, you will feel EMOTIONALLY ABUNDANT.
After all, the reason why we chase girls in the first place is for the FEELING we will get out of it. Why not give it to yourself first?
DAILY EXERCISE:
Spend 10-15 minutes giving thanks and showing appreciation for everything in your life.
Trust me, your life will never be the same again!
Stefan
Executive Coach
Lifestyle Transformations
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Thanks for the reminder Stefan!
I haven’t been reflecting on the positives enough, but it really is the key to happiness. Approval from others is fleeting and inconsistent, so it feels good to have a permanent source of joy and inspiration - myself.
Cheers!
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