I decided to start incorporating cold showers into my daily routine for the health benefits as well as the strengthening of my resolve and willpower. The results were encouraging. Without fail, I minimally finished each shower with 1 minute of cold water.
Two years ago, my wife and I kicked off a new family tradition in lieu of trying to conform to the traditional (and unrealistic) expectations surrounding Valentine's day. Given that the Holiday is centered around love, we wanted to transform our focus our energy on paying it forward by donating to organizations that are making a positive impact on the world. In doing so, we hope to set an example for our daughter Evelyn.
Imagine going up to a party where every person in attendance showed up and acted out what their ideal life would be like 5 years in the future? It may sound a little silly, but it's a powerful exercise because it forces you to do several things:
If you were to boil down your 2017 goals down to 3 words, what would they be? Why those 3? What do they mean to you? Here I share my 3 words and my intentions behind them.
If you wait for the perfect moment, it may never come. And conditions can change without notice. Your best bests? Faith, adaptability, and determination.
The stench that permeated from the upper pantry was so revolting that I refused to eat any food that was being stored there. Even the thought of breathing in those molecules made me queasy. And yet, over 40 fully capable young men in my fraternity (myself included) continued to walk through the area day in and day out despite the health risks. When I finally had enough, I decided to take matters into my own hands.
Why Should You Read This Book? Because somewhere in your life you gave up on a goal or a dream because of a dis-empowering belief. You believed you were not good enough, smart enough, fast enough, pretty enough, charismatic enough, or rich enough. Or maybe you were born in the wrong country, with the wrong parents, and as the wrong gender. Maybe your timing was off, or the market conditions changed underneath you. Whatever the reason, there was some external factor "out there" that is the cause of all your pain and suffering. If only things were different! If only you won the lottery! Only then would you be able to be able to create the life you wanted....
In an age where the internet is the ultimate university-at-your-fingertips, some people choose to skip class, pass notes, or doodle. Call it truancy 2.0, the desire to not show up and/or engage with the new social, business, entertainment, and educational opportunities that smartphones and ubiquitous internet access affords us.
My mom beams with pride when she tells the story. "Rick could do double digit addition in his head in kindergarten." I'm not going to lie. Seeing my mom so happy feels great because she's gone through a lot of challenges in life. Over time, it fueled my own sense of pride that I was one of the brights spots in her life, particularly during the darkest of times.
Many people say that they would love to write a book before they die. On 11/11, I finally get to turn that goal into a reality. It's incredibly exciting and scary at the same time because it is the end of but one step on the rest of my journey in this lifetime. Here's hoping I have the strength and stamina to see this through...