There is power in your pen, friend, but only if you are willing to not overthink or attempt to make it pretty. The best writing, the writing that brings crystal clarity, feels like you felt when you threw up literally – it kinda sucks when it’s coming up but man do you feel so much better when it’s out. So, this morning, I decided to give you a primer from an anonymous client of mine. Write more like this. Throw it up…
This is an update from my journal. What I am learning. The difference may sound small. But in my head, my perspective, it is a big difference.
I used to see life as a marathon.
A marathon is a pre-set course, pre-set distance. I control my time. I have never DNF’ed (Did Not Finish). My victory is always certain. I may lose time on up-hills, but make it up on the down-hills. Worst case I miss my time goal… but I always finish, and get the medal. I control the time, on a course and distance that is predetermined. I can push harder or slower. I own the time. But life is the opposite. In life, it is the course that I control. The direction, distance, turns. Those are mine.
It is the time that is pre-set.
In life, it is my responsibility to discover and find my own course. To conquer that course. The time I have is out of my control. The time moves at the same pace. Without change. Then, at some unknown point, my time will end.
In life, my victory is not certain. The finish unknown. It all depends on my action. My choices. My turns. My path. Time cannot be wasted, saved, or lost. It just keeps moving. Unchanging. Unconcerned. Oblivious to me and my goals. I may make a wrong turn. I may need more time. But time doesn’t give a shit. It will give me Nothing.
A marathon is a race to see how much time you take to cover the distance. Life is a race to see how much distance you cover in time. I am understanding it is a big difference. So how much distance did I cover today? Did I earn the day? Did I respect the day? If I do not honor the time, if I do not respect time, I will fail to achieve the distance today. And time is unforgiving. And time will not change. And if I ignore time, in the end, time will fuc$ me.
My life is defined by the course I choose, the hills I attack, the obstacles I endure and the ones I choose to bypass. There is no map. And the crowded path is never the right one. The course and distance are mine. But the time is not.
“I looked up and before me was a pale horse! It’s rider was named Death, and Hell was following close behind.” – Rev 6:8
Slow down. Reflect. Write. Throw it up. Maybe it’s time for you to change the way you think about this gift called the present. I mean c’mon man, you do believe life is a gift, right?
Live hard. LOVE harder…
BUILT TO LEAD 