I have been trying hard this month to meet certain goals, and March has seen better success in this regard than the last two months. I have been weighing myself daily and have not missed a ‘plank day’ yet. In fact, I was reintroduced to an old friend today: the 5-minute plank. Welcome back old friend!
There have been other successes too, such as my 1-sentence journal. This is a daily victory and, likewise, great therapy. My Happiness Project and Life Planning efforts remain a daily pleasure, and it is on this point that I draw inspiration for today’s blog post.
The Life Planning process had me write my own eulogy, which is a very interesting exercise. It helped me determine, weigh and prioritize the different areas in my life that I need to work on. This process forces one to take stock and consider the important question; how do i wish to be remembered?
Including an inspirational quote for each area is part of the work. Hence, I would like to share four quotes I have drawn inspiration from as part of this effort.
The first quote is the one I consider the most important. It is the one that keeps me away from the television, gets me on the floor to do my plank, and similarly, it prompts me to reach out to friends, go for walks, and try to eat right. It permeates every aspect of my day.
The man who dares to waste an hour of time has not discovered the value of life. – Charles Darwin
We will never know which hour will be our last and I, therefore, plan to live each to its fullest. Sometimes I need to force myself to slow down a little, but only because that better enables me to use the hours that follow.
This second quote links the happiness of pursuit to the joy of creativity, and my desire to live each hour like its my last.
Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
This quote doesn’t drive my day so much as the first, rather it reminds me that working towards goals and taking pleasure in the creativity it entails, is where the happiness is found. Certainly, being creative can be cathartic. Happiness can also be found in failure; if it is tied to your pursuit of achievement.
The third quote, then, flows from these first two. It focuses my daily efforts relational to my advancement, talents and progress. It ensures I am not in competition with the wrong metric.
The only person you should try to be better than, is the person that you were yesterday. – Unknown
I firmly believe in Kaizen principles of continuous improvement. Even one percent is enough; one percent a day, everyday, can make huge strides over time.
The fourth and final quote I will share here relates to action. It suggests that the only obstacles in our way is often ourselves.
If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. – Vincent Van Gogh
Follow your heart and take the risk. Work on being the best version of yourself, and never stop pursuing your dreams. Be creative, be expressive, show love, and be kind. Take life by the horns and make it the experience you know it can be; you only have the one. Above all, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do, or be something.
Have an amazing Sunday. Live each hour and do something to make yourself a better than you were yesterday. You say you did a one-minute plank yesterday. Excellent. Now do one minute and one second. Do it!
