Pinch Me!

It seems that there are three points during each year which allow me to reflect on my life: Fourth of July and Christmas because of their proximity to the middle and end of the year. Those are my ideal time to set and review my goals in-depth. The third is my birthday…today.

Given many challenges I’ve faced over 33 years, I always feel like my life is constantly getting better. Or it could be that I keep facing new changes which end up keeping me entertained. Either way, my life is pretty much amazing and I wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate that (instead of just another number).
I’m not posting this to brag, but rather to help you have an awesome life too. I’m a big believer in the law of attraction. If you want it bad enough then it will come to you, but it does takes a lot of hard work. I’ve noticed a few things have helped me capitalize on the quality of my life and I want to share them with you. I’m curious if you agree or have others to add.

First is my family and friends. My immediate family is 17 and growing (but this applies to even those with small families). I’ve also got an even larger extended family that manages to do a great job of staying together. In addition, I have some very dear friends and a wide circle of ‘close acquaintances.’ The key here is not only are these people fun to be with, but I invest in them when they need me. This can be hard at times, but sometimes it’s just being a person to lend an ear or extend an arm for comfort. You’ve got to determine what sort of support network you need. In preparation for our next chapter, Kim and I have decided to move to the east coast so our future children can grow up closer to our amazing families. We are sad to leave behind our wonderful west coast friends, but we know the connections we’ve made with them will make it very easy to stay in touch. Even if you don’t come from a large family, you’ve got to ID your support network and continuously invest in them.

Next, Kim and I are in a constant pursuit to love our jobs. Thankfully, I’m on edge daily trying not to become a workaholic because I enjoy my job so much. I’m lucky because so many people are not happy in their jobs. Fifty percent of Americans admit they don’t like their jobs and another 20% say they show up just to collect a paycheck. It’s for this reason that we made the decision for Kim to leave her job. The passion was gone for her. I realize unemployment is through the roof, but you cannot put a price tag on happiness. It’s not that we’re fortunate enough to pull it off, it’s that we worked our butts off to be ahead. You’re committing 40 hours (or more) to work each week, so do a self check to see that you love it. If not, you’ll need a plan to get to that point.

Finally, it’s about having priorities and knowing what ‘awesome’ looks like. It’s important to have good perspective on things. I always struggle watching those kids on “American Idol” who truly don’t know they suck. Ferris Bueller really sets us up for success when he says, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I stop and look around at the most random times: the top of a ski lift, when sitting in front of a fire place, or every morning when I wake up. I also do this at the worst of times. I reflect and look at my situation. Did I put myself here? Is it just part of life? Is it really that bad or am I overreacting? This allows me to know that right now, even with a lot of stress in my life and more coming, that things are awesome. Have you paused lately to make a comparison?

So tell me, am I on the mark or are these three things not enough for you to position yourself for a great life? You only get one shot, so leave the regrets and the sense of feeling bitter at the door.