Be like a sandcastle!

I think that we should all be like sandcastles.

You've been to the beach, right.  You're laying there getting all golden because it's sunny and relaxing.  You are having a great day!   Then your kids ask you to build a sandcastle with them.  Little did they know that you've been waiting for them to ask (you packed a "pro" sandcastle kit in your beach bag)!  The tide is out and everyone is having fun as you start to build something magical.  But you aren't paying attention, you're just building away.  Everyone is getting into the "build" and, in fact, you are probably building the greatest sandcastle of your lives!  You're proud of yourself and you know that your kids couldn't be more impressed ... 'cuz you got some mad sandcastle skills!

Fast forward one hour ...

You're still not paying attention, the tide has come in and all of a sudden ...Crash! An unexpected and giant wave comes in, soaking you, washing away your sandcastle and some of your professional grade sandcastle building tools.

What do you do? Do you pack up and go home?  Maybe.  Do you never go back to the beach again? Unlikely, you love the beach.  Do you NEVER build another sandcastle as long as you live?  NO ... that would be stupid.

YOU BEGIN AGAIN!  It may not be until next weekend (surely you need time to literally lick the salt from your proverbial wounds).  But you DO COME BACK to the beach and you DO START OVER!  You've now got experience, you now know about tides, you're now thinking of ways to better protect your creation (Portland cement maybe?).

I've heard the expression "life is a beach" ... but I prefer to think of life as the ocean.  There are waves, some of them pretty big and they will knock you down.  But you need to be like a sandcastle.  Even after the waves (life) has washed the sandcastle (you) away ... everything and more is still there!  All the sand and rocks are still there, PLUS, you now have experience!.  Be a sandcastle!

The Great Equalizer

Are we are all different or are are all the same?  Depending on your philosophy or what is called "conventional wisdom" ... the answer to both is YES!

We are all very different.  In our habits, in our likes, in our dislikes.  No two of us are exactly alike, even if you are a twin. And we are all very similar.  We need food, water, air, challenges and we need to grow.  We all have hearts, blood, brains. It just depends how deep you want to look for the similarities or the differences.  You will find many of each if you are looking hard enough.

But we each have at least 86,400 things in common.  WOW! That is a lot of things ... what are they?  They are the seconds in a day.  We each have 86,400 seconds in a day.  But each of us differ in how we use them. This is the great equalizer!  Regardless of your current situation, who your parents are, how much is in your bank account, we each still have 86,400 seconds in our day and we each get to choose how to spend them!

Some of us, like the seeds of a dandelion, will float aimlessly through life, land and 'plant' ourselves wherever the wind (a.k.a. life) takes us.  Others, will be purposeful and careful with how we spend these precious moments.  We will be more like a ship on the ocean.  With a sail and a compass, regardless of which way the wind is blowing we will keep our eyes on our destination.  We will tack and adjust until we ultimately reach our destination.

Which type of person are you?  Will you choose to be purposeful with your time today?  Or, will you choose to be the dandelion and see where 'life' blows you?

"Dream as if you will live forever; Live as if you will die today." ~ James Dean (Cultural Icon, Actor: "Rebel without a Cause")

Our struggles make us stronger, they help us grow!

Don't regret your struggles!  We all face challenges, some that are tougher than others ... but we all have them!

Death, Divorce, Debt, Disease ... we all have challenges, we all have struggles.  As my mentor Jim Rohn would say ... these things happen to all of us, it's what we do about them that matters.  Or as Bob Proctor would put it:  E + R = O.  The Event plus your Reaction equals your Outcome.

How you react to the things that life throws at you will determine where you end up tomorrow.  Whether you become stronger, smarter and more courageous ... or you become weaker, dumber, more afraid!  Face your challenges head on; react in ways that you will gain or grow from your challenges.

Whether you choose action or inaction you won't be the same person tomorrow that you are today.  If you rise to the challenge you will grow stronger, your life and all aspects of it will get better.  If you run from your challenges you will shrink, grow weaker ... you will be less tomorrow than you are today.

Here's the irony ... if you do nothing (meaning don't face your challenges, but don't run) ... the effect on you is the same as if you ran away from your challenges.  Doing nothing will cause atrophy in your mind, your will, your heart, your muscles ... your being.

Choose to face your challenges!  Choose to face your struggles!  Choose to grow!  And if you don't have challenges get some!