Posted on by Raj Daniels

Choose Your Own Adventure

When was the last time you chose your own adventure?

Do you know that there’s a segment of the population that chooses their own adventure on a regular basis in the form of role-playing games aka rpg?

One of the reasons that chose your own adventure role-playing games have gained popularity is that for a short amount of time, players can adopt the personas and powers of the characters in the game. Participating in chose your adventure games also allows players to briefly shed their own personalities and even some of their tightly held beliefs and inhibitions. Recent research has even shown that playing rpg games can help improve creativity and problem-solving abilities.

You might not be a fan of such games, or perhaps your current schedule doesn’t allow you time to participate in what some might consider frivolous game playing. But what if I told you that there’s a way for you to reap some of the advantages and benefits of rpg games without playing the games or investing too much of your time.

Now I’m not encouraging escapism or ignoring reality, what I am suggesting is that on occasion you put reality on hold and step out of your normal day to day character. You imagine yourself in different roles, let your creativity loose and briefly adopt alternate thinking patterns. You allow your mind to drop its limitations and allow it to run free. You can do all of this in just a few minutes a day.

If you’re really against the idea of participating in your own rpg then that’s your prerogative. But if you do decide to indulge yourself then you’ll begin to experience some of the benefits that choosing your adventures can bring to your life.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

FIO

What do you do when you encounter a new challenge or problem?

Do you shy away and back down, or do you face it head-on?

If you face challenges head-on then good for you, you can stop reading right here. But, if you find that you tend to avoid challenging situations or problems, then keep reading.

One of the best mental tools you can develop for yourself is an attitude of FIO aka figure it out. The attitude of knowing that you can and will figure things out increases your level of self-confidence in the face of new challenges. Having a FIO attitude is almost like a superpower.

Now FIO doesn’t guarantee that you’ll always come up with the right answer or solution to a challenge, but it does mean that you’ll back down less often. And if you’re at all familiar with history then you’re well aware that rarely did any one person that accomplished something great or wonderful have the right answer before they encountered a new challenge.

Arming yourself with an attitude of FIO doesn’t guarantee success, but it does guarantee progress. Progress perhaps not always in the form of forward movement, but a progression of your mind. A FIO attitude opens you up to adventure, to explore, to challenge yourself and your status quo.

So as you go through life and bump up against some of its challenges, bolster your confidence by knowing that you have a FIO attitude, and that whether you’re right or not, you’ll at least give the challenge your best shot.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Reverse FOMO

How often do you experience FOMO?

If you spent any time during the 2010’s then you’re probably familiar with the acronym FOMO, and just in case you missed it, here’s what it stands for, Fear of Missing Out.

FOMO, when used in its normal context means that you’re concerned or afraid that you’ll miss out on something exciting and or interesting that’s going to somewhere where you’re not.

So what do you do?

You gather your energy and head off to participate in whatever activity you were afraid that you’d miss. But doing so comes with an opportunity cost. Oh, and if you’re not familiar with opportunity cost, it essentially means that if you’re doing one thing then you can’t do another simultaneously, so you lose the opportunity to so.

So what’s the opportunity cost of pursuing FOMO?

Well, if you dedicate your energy and time towards relieving or in many cases trying to mitigate your FOMO then ultimately that’s less time for you to pursue your own goals. Now if you don’t have any personal goals or things that you want to achieve then, by all means spend your energy as you wish. But, if there are things that you want to accomplish, then perhaps the idea that you can’t or won’t fulfill your own dreams is where the real FOMO should exist.  You should have the fear of missing out on your own dreams.

Now this might sound a little harsh, but the truth is that every second that you don’t dedicate towards fulfilling your own desires is lost forever, so whatever you trade that time for better be worth the opportunity cost.

When you read about or speak to people that are intensely focused on their goals you’ll find that a common theme amongst them is their ability to say no to almost everything that doesn’t lead them closer to the life they want to achieve.

So the next time you’re feeling FOMO creeping up on you perhaps stop and evaluate the sensation for a moment. Reverse the FOMO and ask yourself if the time and energy you’re thinking of spending will move you closer or further away from the life you want.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Build a Cathedral

What’s your reason for getting out of bed every morning?

If the only reason for you to get out of bed is that you have to, then sooner or later you’re not going to want to. However, if there’s a reason, a mission, something exciting you’re working towards, then there’s a high probability that you’ll look forward to waking up and getting out of bed because you’ll be pulled by the allure of working towards it.

Now you might argue that you don’t have a job or project that involves some kind of grand world-changing opportunity that can pull you out of bed, but that’s okay, not everyone does. But many times it boils down to perspective.

Here’s a wonderful illustration of perspective.

One day in 1671, Christopher Wren observed three bricklayers on a scaffold, one crouched, one half-standing and one standing tall, working very hard and fast. To the first bricklayer, Christopher Wren asked the question, “What are you doing?” to which the bricklayer replied, “I’m a bricklayer. I’m working hard laying bricks to feed my family.” The second bricklayer, responded, “I’m a builder. I’m building a wall.” But the third brick layer, the most productive of the three and the future leader of the group, when asked the question, “What are you doing?” replied with a gleam in his eye, “I’m a cathedral builder. I’m building a great cathedral to The Almighty.”

Not to knock bricklayers, but if a bricklayer can have that kind of perspective then I’m sure there’s a way for you find greater meaning in whatever you do.

Yes, at times you’ll have to get creative to see the bigger effects of the work you do, but it is possible.

So the next time you’re lying in bed not quite feeling like facing the day, see if you can shift your mind from being task-oriented to mission-oriented. Re-envision your day so that you’re pulled towards the bigger picture and then go build your cathedral.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Landmark Question

What do I want?

Stop and ask yourself the question.

Let it roll around in your mind for a moment.

What a beautiful and powerful question.

It’s beautiful because it gives you the opportunity to dream, to imagine the life you want. And the power lies in the questions ability to direct and drive your life.

Now some might argue that the question is selfish, and I would agree with them. But what’s wrong with being selfish? I’m sure if you were to ask Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King what they wanted, they could quite clearly articulate their answers to the question. In fact, their messages about what they wanted were so powerful that we remember them until this day.

I refer to it as a landmark question because you can use it to check in with yourself throughout your day. You can use it to see if your actions at any time are aligned with what you want, or if you’re wandering off track. You can use it to evaluate whether you’re pursuing your wants, or the wants of someone else.

Now I understand that the idea of ‘want’ is broad and can be applied to material and immaterial things, but I’m not here to pass judgment on your wants. What you want is up to you. I’m just recommending that you take the time to ask yourself the question on a regular basis.

So if you didn’t ask yourself the question earlier, do it now. And if you have the opportunity, make a list of your answers. Review the list often, add and edit at will.

Look, you don’t have to take my advice about asking yourself this landmark question, but the last thought I want to leave you with is this. If you don’t ask yourself what you want, then there’s a high probability that all you’ll get is what’s left.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Shouldn’t Do

What shouldn’t you do?

Sometimes thinking about what you shouldn’t doing in order to live the life you want is much easier than thinking about what you should do.

Educators have said that for young children, the concept of subtraction is easier to learn than addition. The idea of addition or visualizing more is apparently more difficult than the visceral feeling of having something taken away. Maybe this is true for adults too.

Perhaps instead of thinking about what you can add to your daily habits and routines to improve your life, think about what you can remove.

For example, if health or wellness is important to you then instead of adding exercise you first work on eliminating junk food or sugar. Or if healthy relationships are high on your priority list, then you decide to cut back on other activities so you have more time to spend with people.

One of the best ways to decide on what you shouldn’t do is to first evaluate your values and your goals, essentially the things that are most important for you. Next, keep a loose track of your daily activities for a couple of weeks. If you already maintain a schedule then tracking your activities should be a relatively easy thing to do. Once you have a few weeks of information you can start reviewing and eliminating.

Think of what you shouldn’t do as your not do list. Simplify your life by using it as a tool to bring a sharper focus on what you deem to be important for you.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Customized Life

What do the following things have in common?

Customized clothing.

Customized jewelry.

Customized home.

If you said or thought that they command a higher price then you’re correct.

But why do they cost more?

What’s the additional value behind a customized item?

The reason a customized item commands a higher price and has added value is that it’s made specifically for your individual preferences. Customizing takes additional time, attention to detail and requires advance planning.

What if you adopted the idea of customization and applied it to your life?

What if you took just a little additional time to pay attention to the details of your life and added some advance planning?

Maybe the result would be a customized life. A life designed to bring additional value to you.

How much time and effort would it take to customize your life?

The short answer and unsatisfying answer is, it depends. It depends because life circumstances are unique to all individuals. But that doesn’t mean you should lose hope.

If you really want a life that tailored to your desires and dreams then consider spending time thinking about what’s important to you and then planning your time to customize your days. While there’s no guarantee that time spent planning will result in you living the life you want, it does significantly increase the odds in your favor.

So spend some time and start customizing your life today. Invest the time and effort in planning your days and years. The reality is that if after spending time planning and customizing your life doesn’t yield results you’re seeking, then you can always go back living a regular, off the rack, unplanned life.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Pronoia

Are you familiar with pronoia?

If you’re like most people then you’ve probably never heard of it. However, I’m quite sure that you’ve heard of its sibling paranoia.

One of the definitions of paranoia is that it’s a thought process that causes you to have an irrational suspicion or mistrust of others. Essentially you go through life thinking that people and in some cases situations are against you or out to get you. If you ask me, being paranoid sounds like a terrible way to live.

Pronoia, on the other hand, is just the opposite. The definition of pronoia is the positive counterpart of paranoia. It is the delusion that others think well of one. Actions and the products of one’s efforts are thought to be well received and praised by others. A person experiencing pronoia feels that the world around them conspires to do them good. I don’t know about you, but just reading that makes me feel good.

Now I’m not advocating that you go through life with a quixotic viewpoint thinking that you’ll never experience any challenges or obstacles. What I am suggesting is that you adopt an attitude and perspective that people and situations are collaborating to work on your behalf and not against you.

You’ve probably heard the old adage, you’ll see it when you believe it, so here’s a great opportunity to give it a shot. Experiment with pronoia for a few days and see how you feel. If at the end of the experiment you don’t feel any different then you always can go back to your status quo, but if you do then you might make space for the other sibling to move in.   

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Confused

When was the last time you were really confused?

If it’s been a while then you’re not adventuring enough.

I know this might sound a little odd at first but stay with me and I’ll explain.

You see, confusion is a beautiful thing.

If you’re confused right now or your mind is already pushing back then we’re on the right track.

I can feel that right now I’m knocking on the door of your sense of how the world should be.

Why?

I’ll tell you why.

Somewhere deep down you believe that life should be neat and organized. That you should already know everything and that being confused is a sign of weakness. But that’s far from the truth.

When you’re confused, you’re standing at the edge of an opportunity for growth. Now you might not enjoy the feeling of danger that comes with the territory of being confused, but that’s because it’s challenging your sense of who you are. At its core, confusion is caused by uncertainty.

So if confusion is an opportunity, how do you manage it so that it benefits you?

Well, you can start by asking yourself questions.

A great question to begin with, is to ask yourself, should I already know how to do this? If you’re encountering a new question or situation, one that you’ve never experienced before, then there’s a high likelihood that you’ll experience some confusion, this is your opportunity for growth. And if it’s a question or situation you’ve experienced before that’s causing you confusion, then that means you didn’t really learn it the first time around, and so now you’re presented with another opportunity to learn.

When you encounter confusion, learn to use it as a tool, make it one of your superpowers. Be the one to embrace situations filled with uncertainty, because deep down you know that all confusion is, is an opportunity to learn and grow.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Daydreaming

When was the last time you allowed yourself to spend time daydreaming?

Hopefully, it wasn’t too long ago.

Daydreaming has often been relegated to a childish activity, but only by adults who have lost or perhaps forgotten the magic that can occur while daydreaming.

Adults have a tendency to think wandering minds are bad or inefficient, but this is far from the truth. Numerous studies have shown that daydreaming can actually be a sign of an efficient or even intellectual mind. A brain that can process a task quickly will do so and wait for the next task, but if not presented with one might then wander and think about something completely different. And many times, during this wandering is when ideas are born.

If you need further convincing then you might like to know that some of the most important artistic, business and scientific breakthroughs ever made by people like Einstein and many others came about because they allowed their minds to wander.

Daydreaming or giving your mind a break from immediate tasks at hand allows it not only to rest, but also the opportunity to stitch together disparate thoughts and concepts that you might not otherwise do during intense task-oriented thinking.

So the next time you find yourself stuck on a task or between things on your to-do list, instead of moving on to the immediate next thing, give yourself the permission to daydream. Tap into your inner child and let your mind wander. You might just surprise yourself with the creative or inspirational ideas it’ll come back with once it’s done wandering.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Good Deed

What good deed are you going to do today?

If you haven’t thought of one then now might be a good time to do so.

Just imagine for a moment what the world would look like if all seven billion people committed to doing one good deed a day. Just thinking about it makes me smile.

Your good deed doesn’t have to be something elaborate or time-consuming; sometimes the simplest of acts can mean so much.

Maybe you hold the door open for a person that’s in a hurry, you pick up a piece of litter, or you say some words of encouragement to someone that you think might need to hear them. Whatever good deed you do is totally up to you, just do one.

Yes, I know and understand that your schedule might be full and you might be pressed for time, so I suggest setting a daily reminder for your good deed. You can put it on your calendar, or just write it on a sticky note and put it in a place where you see it on a daily basis.

Engaging in a daily good deed practice might seem trivial, but sometimes the smallest actions have the biggest impact. And just think for a moment how you would feel if everyday someone did a good deed for you. Doesn’t that sound like a world you’d like to live in?

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Can-Can’t-Won’t

"Big things have small beginnings." -Lawrence of Arabia

Do you want to be healthy?

Can you do one pushup or jumping jack?

If yes, do it now,

Yes, right now.

If you can and you don’t then there’s a high likelihood that you won’t, not because you can’t, but you don’t really want too.

Do you want to improve your finances?

Put a dollar into a savings account right now.

That’s right, stop reading and do it right now.

Did you do it?

If you can and you don’t, then…

Yes, you’ve heard it before.

Think about all the things can you do and you don’t, and it’s not because you can’t.

Would you like to improve your relationships?

Call, text, or just tell someone how you feel about them.

Do it right now.

Don’t wait.

Do whatever you can do right now that will move you one step closer to the life you want for yourself.

Don’t worry; this blog post will still be here when you get back. And you will have made progress in your life, so I’m okay even if don’t finish reading it.

If you’re still reading then maybe it’s time to get honest with yourself.

After you’re done reading take out a sheet of paper and draw four columns

In the first column make a list of all the things you think you want to do.  Now label the other three columns, can, can’t, won’t.  Next, read your list and put checkmarks in the appropriate columns.

Here’s where the being honest with yourself really kicks in.

For example, if you really want to improve your health, and you have the ability (can) to take action right now, but you don’t, then put a checkmark in the won’t column and then ask yourself, why not?

What’s holding you back?

If you have the ability, and you don’t take action, well that means that you might really not want to. This might sound a little harsh at first, but it’s not meant to. You see the majority of people have the ability to take at least the smallest action towards whatever it is they think they want out of life, and they think that they’ll take that step later, but they don’t.

What they don’t realize is that there’s something magical about immediate action. The first action or step builds confidence and provides momentum.

Why is momentum so important?

Because it moves you out of your current state. It breaks the inertia, aka a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged.

So if you’re still reading and haven’t done that pushup yet, or told someone how you feel about them please do it now. Get out of the won’t column, leverage momentum and start taking small steps towards the life you want.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

What It Takes

Do I have what it takes?

Ask yourself this question and answer it honestly.

If you’re wondering, what it takes for what? Or, it depends then you’re thinking, which is a good sign.

Asking yourself if you have what it takes enables you to set a baseline for yourself. The moment you decide to embark on an endeavor or personal journey, you should begin by taking a personal inventory and the ‘what it takes aka WIT’ question is a great place to start.

If your answer to your WIT question is a resounding yes, then good for you, you can now move forward with confidence. Although I must warn you that if you really are on a new personal journey then rarely do you already have what it takes, because the nature of something being new is that you’ve never experienced it before. Now I’m a big fan of a healthy dose of optimism, but must warn you that things can get a little messy when optimism and reality meet, especially if you’re not prepared.

If your answer to the WIT question is no, then good for you too, in fact, it’s almost better than a yes.

Why is it better?

Because now you’re almost forced to take a personal inventory and in doing so you can begin to acquire the skills and talents that you’re missing. During the process of working on yourself you’ll begin to gain more confidence in your ability to accomplish whatever it is you set out to do. Sprinkle in a little optimism and you’re almost unstoppable.

Now I’m not suggesting that you have to be one hundred percent ready before you move forward on any new endeavor, because that will never be the case and can lead to what’s known as analysis paralysis. What I am saying is just start by asking the WIT question, and begin to work on what you need, because the act of doing so will in itself move you along your journey.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Standing Ovation

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” – William James

When was the last time you received a standing ovation?

If you can’t remember then it’s been too long.

Take a pause from reading right here and give yourself a standing ovation.

Here, I’ll join you.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, and clap.

How did that feel?

Feeling appreciated is a lovely feeling and occasionally, instead of waiting for others to appreciate you, you can take a moment to appreciate yourself.

And why shouldn’t you?

You’re the one working your way through the ups and downs of daily living and only you know the experiences you’re feeling, so you deserve to be appreciated.

Now the thought of stopping to appreciate yourself might seem a little awkward at first and it’s because you’re not used to doing so. But that feeling will subside once you develop the habit of self-appreciation.

If you’re still struggling with the idea of appreciating yourself, then perhaps it’s an opportunity for some introspection. And if you can’t or don’t appreciate yourself, how do you really expect others to appreciate you?

Appreciating yourself is nothing to do with being the best or an act to inflate your ego, it’s just about showing a moment of gratitude for yourself.

So as you go through your days and you appreciate or say thank you to those you interact with, say the occasional thank you to yourself too. Believe me when I say you’re worth it.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Having It All

What is important in life is life, and not the result of life. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Imagine for a moment that you have in your possession every object, relationship and life accoutrement that you’ve ever wanted.

How would your life look and feel?

What would you do next?

If all of your worldly desires were already fulfilled, what would you be motivated to do?

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but I’ll reiterate just in case you’ve forgotten. The real flavor of life is found in the pursuit of your desires. Yes, eventually holding or experiencing the object or person you covet does deliver a temporary pleasure, but the real stories live in the experiences that you encounter on your journey to your goal.

You might beg to differ, and understandably so, because there can be or should I say will be times when the journey just feels too difficult, and your efforts don’t seem to be fairly rewarded, but the reality is, who are we to judge what is fair or not?

History books are filled with individuals that seemed to have had it all, yet lived lives of misery, especially those that were born with the proverbial ‘silver spoon.’ In fact, it seems as though those with the silver spoon experienced some of the hardest lives because their every need and wants were satisfied and their ‘privileged’ positions made them less resilient to life.

Having it all is fleeting. There’s a point in time that can vary from a minute to days during which you’ll experience the pleasure of your desired object or pleasure, but then that becomes your new normal and the pleasure you felt dissolves like cotton candy on your tongue.

Hopefully, you realize that having everything you’ve ever wanted might not be as wonderful as it sounds, and that the real pleasure and treasure are buried in the experiences you’ll have, and the person you become on the way to fulfilling your desires.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Continue or Not?

You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don’t give up. ―Chuck Yeager

Do something.

See nothing.

Do something.

See nothing.

Do something.

See nothing.

Do something.

See something.

Very often when you’re working on a personal goal or even a business project you’ll feel as though your efforts are in vain because you’re not seeing any results. And the truth is that at times your results might not be visible. But if you remember, in your fifth-grade science class you learned Newton’s third law -for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So the only way your actions will not result in reactions is if your actions defy the laws of physics.

In the business world, the common names for the period of struggle where progress feels to have stalled are the dip, the trough of despair, disillusionment or sorrow, also the period of resistance.

It’s when you’re going through any one of these phases that the thought of giving up challenges your spirit every day. And just to be clear, there’s nothing wrong with giving up. The best business people and military strategists will tell you that knowing when to quit is half the battle. But just because you give up doesn’t mean that your actions did not yield results, it’s just that they were not the results you were hoping for in the time frame of your needs, wants and/or expectations.

So, if there’s a goal or an endeavor you’re pursuing and you’re not yet seeing the results you need, want or expect then you have to decide whether to continue or not. But know this, the act and feeling of doing something and seeing nothing will be with you in whatever you pursue, and my guess is that the last thing you want to remember yourself as is the person that gave up on everything, because each time you tried something and saw nothing, you quit and walked away.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

The Golden Rule

How often do you practice the golden rule?

If you’ve forgotten what it is then here’s a reminder. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Sounds simple enough.

But what if I changed it just a little?

What if it said, do unto others as you would have them do unto you and/or your loved ones.

What if the consequences for every good or bad action or thought you had towards another person would now affect not only you, but those you love too?

This change might seem subtle at first, but once you begin to think about it, you’ll quickly come to the conclusion that the repercussions of your actions will continue to travel on for countless generations.

Being or feeling responsible for your own actions is something that you’re probably already used to. But when you begin to realize that there’s a good chance that those you love will also be held responsible for your thoughts and actions then, well the reality is then what?

Do you now change how you act and think towards others?

I can’t help you answer that.

That’s a question you have to wrestle with by yourself.

However, if you ask my opinion I would say that when you hear the word ‘you,’ don’t think of it as you the individual, think of it as ‘you’ the collective. You are you and you are everyone.

This might seem a little difficult at first, but even if you just look at it from a purely biological perspective then you are the accumulation of all your ancestors to date and you are the starting point for all those that will come after you.

So as you go through your day today, think about the golden rule. And as you’re acting and doing towards others, keep in mind that someone you love dearly might be the recipient of your actions and intentions.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Message from Life

Hi.

I’m life.

This is not the first time we’ve met, or the first time I’ve spoken to you, but it is the first time I’m writing to you.

I’m here to put a stop to some ugly rumors.

Apparently there’s a rumor out there that I get in the way.

You may have heard it said, or you might have even uttered the words yourself, something along the lines of ‘life gets or got in the way.’

Well, I’m here to tell you that nothing could be further from the truth.

How could it be true?

I’m the one that gets you wherever you want to go, to do whatever you want to do.

If it wasn’t for me, there would be no you.

I’m your biggest fan, and I kinda hoped you’d be my biggest fan too.

I would never get in your way.

I’ve been holding back all these years because I love you. But today, right now, I have to tell you the truth, just so that we can set the facts straight once and for all.

I don’t get in your way.

You get in your way.

Now I’m not telling you this to hurt your feelings, or to protect my reputation. I’m telling you this because it’s about time you knew the truth.

I’m sorry if you think I’m being too hard on you, and maybe I am, but it’s because I really do love you. I am your friend, your partner, your one and only constant companion on this journey. And since we’re bound together, why don’t we make the most of it.

Let’s make a deal.

When you decide that you want to accomplish something, I will support you with as much energy and strength as you need in order for you to achieve what you want to. I promise to always have your back.

And here’s your side of the deal.

If you decide mid-journey that you no longer want to pursue something you were after, please don’t blame me. Step up and say the words, I decided it’s not what I wanted. This phrase removes the blame from me and places the responsibility back in your hands.

You see, it’s okay for you to change your mind, but when you place the blame on me, well then you’ve done both of us a disservice.

So do we have a deal?

I hope so, because I’m excited to see what we can do together.

Love you forever,

Life

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.

Posted on by Raj Daniels

Take the Shot

Sometimes you just have to take the shot.

Yes, it can be scary.

And no, you’ll never feel one hundred percent ready.

But that’s okay because you’re not alone.  And regardless of what you might hear or think, rarely is anyone one hundred percent certain of success before they make a move towards something they want to accomplish. Being unsure or uncertain comes with the territory of trying something different or new.

In sports, players are taught to want the ball, or to take the shot whenever they see an opportunity to do so. Once all the mental math has been calculated and the percentage of success looks good enough then the shot must be taken. Good enough, not one hundred percent. Because rarely are the opportunities for success one hundred percent.

You can dream, plan and wish all you want about something you want to accomplish, but nothing will teach you more about what you want to do than taking a shot at it. You will very quickly learn what you need to do or improve to accomplish what you want, or even perhaps more important, whether or not you really want to pursue it or not.

Not all the shots you take have to be life on line commitment shots. You can take small, almost practice shots to begin with just so that you can develop your shot taking muscles.

Nothing great will happen for you until you start learning to lay some risk on the line. Risk of failure, money, and reputation will all have to be put to the test if you ever want to achieve anything great.

So get in the habit of taking shots as early as you can. Start small and get used to moving without having all the information at hand. And if you’re still hesitant, then think of it this way, if you don’t try, you’ve failed before you’ve even started.

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Posted on by Raj Daniels

Role Play

Where does reality exist?

I’ll give you a moment to think about it.

If you said it exists within you, then you’re correct.

And if you really believe this to be true, then you should be able to change it.

Reality at its core is your perception of the world.

Are there certain laws of nature that are indisputable? Absolutely. But almost everything else you experience is based on how you perceive it to be.

If you don’t believe me or have doubts then let’s play a game.

Just for today, you’re going to imagine that you’re not who you are. You’re going to adopt a new role. Just like in the video games where you can choose a character, do that for yourself today.  Now I understand that a video game character might be a stretch for you so adopt something simple like a police officer or nurse and go through your day as if you were your chosen character.

If you really play along and adopt the traits of the character you chose, you’ll begin to see the world very differently. For example, if you picked the police officer then you’ll begin to notice traffic violations or suspicious activities and many other things that you wouldn’t have noticed as yourself.

Now, this is just one small example of role-playing and changing your perception of reality. The truth is that there are millions of parallel realities going on right now.

Changing how you see yourself, changes your perception of reality and role- playing or more important role changing is a great tool to help you navigate times and situations that are challenging for you. Always keep in mind that that you’re not bound to your current role, and you have the ability to adopt any role that you think will be beneficial to you in any moment.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it please share it with one person you love.