45 Things I Have Learned in 45 Years

October 6, 2012

Stop Chasing Pain Simplicity Series

I like simple. Makes life much easier and more fun. In my experience people tend to overcomplicate everything. Why? Is it a need to feel important? A need to impress with details. I can’t throw stones for I used to do the same. No more!

I read a quote once that forever changed how I look at things and it was by Leonardo DaVinci. Can’t go wrong listening to that guy I tell ya. He said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” BOOM! Let that one sink in a bit.

Okay, did your brain cells take that in all the way? Staying true to that principle I am keeping my blog posts short, sweet, simple, applicable, and to the point. Starting with this one…

45 simple observations I have come to learn in the 45 years I have been on this planet. Maybe, just maybe, they will resonate with you. Here we go…

1. More is not better. Better is better. True intent and precision of action is the secret. Don’t confuse action with accomplishment.
2. It’s not what you do, its how you do it. Anybody can figure out a what. However, it’s the way you do it that shows who YOU are.
3. A genuine smile can change a person’s life. Try it and watch ‘magic’ happen.
4. What you eat has far more influence on how you look than exercise. Nutrition is the single most powerful changer in how you look on the outside and feel on the inside. And guess what? YOU have total control.
5. X never marks the spot for chronic pain. Site of pain is a compensation. Look somewhere else to find it.
6. No risk. No nothing. Playing it safe leads to stagnation. You can’t win the game if you don’t go out on the field to play.
7. Everything in life you desire lies just outside your comfort zone. Stay inside it, life will be easy and boring. Step across, the thrill begins.
8. The 5-second rule works. When you are afraid. Count to 5 and just do it anyway. Don’t think. Just do. The world changes.
9. Your children follow what you do, not what you say. Live by example. Live a life of purpose with integrity and character.
10. Give to get. The Law of Attraction works. Take focus off of yourself and put it on others to see it transform your world.
11. Less is more with exercise. Get in..get out. Make it count. Intensity and focus doing what you love. No lollygaging .
12. Marriage is the hardest job next to parenthood and people quit too easily. How much of you do you put into marriage? Is it a 50/50 split? Try 100% Anything less won’t cut it. If the other person does not deliver 100% get out.
13. Manners matter. Open a door. Say thank you. Pull out a chair. Say excuse me. Remember what these phrases used to mean?
14. A book can transform your life. Remember what those are? Library anyone?
15. Movement is the missing link to health. We are movement creatures and yet we flip our noses at it. Want the magic pill? Get off your ass and use your body more.
16. Shock and awe change rarely lasts. Simple and applicable steps last. 180 degree changes burn out. Yet another New Year’s Resolution anyone? Nuff said.
17. The breakfast you choose dictates the day. Want to feel like crap? Eat crap. Want to feel good. Eat good. Class dismissed.
18. Setting goals works. How can you hit a target you can’t even see? All these books and self help gurus talking about goals probably means something.
19. Dancing cures sadness. Dance and try not to smile. I dare ya. Stop being self conscious and lose yourself in the true expression of joy.
20. Your five closest friends say everything about you. Show me your closest friends and I can discover how you feel about yourself and life. Choose wisely.
21. Self confidence is the secret sauce to success. Belief in yourself is the catalyst for the world around you. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Don’t give anyone that power.
22. Being a gentleman is a lost art. If you have to ask what that means then you need to work on it.
23. Walking is the best exercise. It’s easy. Everyone can do it (mostly) and it invigorates you. Plus it’s really cheap. It’s FREE.
24. Chairs are killing our body. Sit on your rear all day and your ass becomes your foot. Thanks to my mentor Dr. Mark Cheng for that phrase:) Bad things happen.
25. Reality TV is not the way to live YOUR life. I have an idea. Turn off the TV and live YOUR life, not someone else’s. Imagine that? I don’t need to know what the NJ Housewives are doing or how many houses get flipped. Perhaps I should venture out into the world myself.
26. Stop watching the news…it’s the doom and gloom circus. News will suck the life out of you. We know it sucks. So why bother. Read positive info and leave the negativity to someone else. It ain’t going anywhere.
27. A sincere compliment is sunshine for the soul. Pay a compliment to that overworked and stressed cashier and watch what happens. I bet you feel better too. I dare ya!!
28. Listening can be magic. Stop talking. Listen. Men, this is the best advice I can give you to help your relationships. I mean listen…don’t watch football out of the corner of your eye.
29. Beauty comes from within and so does ugly. You may have a nice body, but your soul is ugly. Guess what, your outside is too!!
30. Teaching my son’s respect for women. What is respect? How you make a woman feel about herself when she is around you.
31. Be the ‘No’ person. Be the naysayer. When you find yourself on the side of the majority it’s time to pause and reflect. It’s easy to follow. Be a leader.
32. Write it down. If your life is worth living it’s worth writing about. Document your day. pause and reflect.
33. Work your legs to work your body. Training your legs develops your entire body. Training legs is hard. That’s why most people don’t do it.
34. 15-minutes alone in the morning changes you. Take quiet time to reflect on yesterday and plan today. Uninterrupted time before the chaos starts. Call it meditation. Call it sanity time. Up to you. Just do it and enjoy the silence. 15 minutes feels like 15 hours.
35. Breathing is the secret to vitality. Learn to breath from your diaphragm. Google diaphragm breathing and try it. See for yourself. No explanation needed.
36. My parents were right all along. Oh yes I hated them at times. But, damn if they were not right. Having two son’s of my own puts it all in perspective.
37. Money buys emotion…not things. Think you want that new car, clothes, house because it looks awesome on you? Wrong. It’s how it makes you feel about yourself.
38. Eating after 9:00 at night is a rule for a reason. Generally speaking. Stop stuffing your face at night (except for a bodybuilder) and you lose weight. Really? YES
39. Rest is the key to progress with exercise. You grow more muscle and burn body fat outside of the gym with rest and recovery. Don’t believe me? How is that working out 7-days a week thing going for ya?
40. Nature is the natural Zoloft. Step outside and walk in the woods. Take a hike. Feel the depression lift from your soul. Forget the concrete jungle and walk in Mother Nature’s jungle for a change.
41. Mentors are a necessity. How can you get from point A to point B? How about asking someone who is already at point B how they did it? They can hold you accountable and teach you.
42. Clothes make the man and woman. Somethings may not be fair, but they are reality. People will judge you by how you dress. What are you saying to the world?
43. Be authentic. You are unique unto the Universe. There will never be another you. Be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate copy of someone else.
44. Abs are created in the kitchen. If you cant see the abs, you don’t have them. How do you see them? Diet.
45. Gratitude tops the compound effect. Be grateful for what you have. There is always someone who has less. Gratitude compounds with interest daily. What’s the interest? Happiness.
46. BONUS: Because I will be 46 on October 31. Halloween! Explains a lot I know.lol Being positive might not always work, but you will piss off enough people to make it worth the effort. Yes, you might fail even though you think positively, But you know what. If you think negatively failure is guaranteed! I like the positive thought odds better. Plus, I will be happier living that way. Keep the negativity to yourself suckas!!

Peace. And feel free to share if you enjoyed my rant.