“Man does not simply exist, but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become in the next moment.” Viktor Frankel. If you have never read his amazing book I highly recommend it. ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’. If you don’t know his story I suggest you search his name on google. He was an amazing survivor. So, what is his purpose behind this quote? There are many directions I could go but I choose just one. Our legacy, or how we will be remembered, or even if we will be remembered at all is in our hands while we are still here. Once the journey here is over, it’s done. I have known many people whose lives have been just ‘same stuff, different day’. And I have known many who started every new day as an amazing adventure whether that adventure was sailing off to a new destination or stopping by the local homeless shelter and giving comfort to a few lost souls. Let me ask you – who has had the greatest influence on your life and its meaning, purpose, direction, destiny, and yes memories? My list is very long but a few stand out – Jesus Christ. Mark Twain. Norman Vincent Peale. Will Rogers. Og Mandino and Mother Teresa. Why not create your list of who and why and how they have impacted you and your life.
“We have a problem. Congratulations. But it’s a tough problem. Then double the congratulations.” W. Clement Stone. One of my favorite quotes from my mentor, Norman Vincent Peale is, “There is only one group of people that don’t have problems and they are all dead.” Problems are normal and what matters, in the end, are two things, how we define them and how we respond to them. Teenagers have problems. Newlyweds have problems. Divorcees have problems. Millionaires have problems, Homeless people have problems. Each group may have different group of problems but their impact on the quality of their life depends. As the years pass you just go from one group of potential problems to the next group etc. So, how do you define them? For me they are just another teacher in life trying to get my attention to; change, fix, eliminate, improve, or manage so I can grow and mature. How do you respond to them? Do they determine the quality of your life or are they just another life lesson? I decided many years ago that complaining, whining, blaming, etc. was a total waste of time and energy. I also learned that if I didn’t learn what I was supposed to learn from them, the same type of problems kept showing up again and again. So, I came up with a new word to replace problems – they are now projects.
“Self-love leads men of narrow minds to measure all mankind by their capacity.” Jane Porter. Know anyone who believes they are more important and/or valuable than others? There are two definitions of self-love. From my perspective, positive self-love is either when and how you believe in yourself and your basic values of self – such as; appreciation, validation, life purpose, and your reasons for being alive. Negative self-love is when you feel in some ways – superior to others.