Living Deliberately 28,908,000 Times

Recently, I had a birthday and my wife wanted me to say how old I was. I have never been one to attach a chronological age to myself so I was thinking how I could answer my wife in a creative way. It occurred to me to calculate how many minutes had elapsed since I was born. That’s how I came up with almost 29 million minutes. Wow, that’s a lot of minutes, and I started to think about how I had spent that time.

I’m sad to say that I have not always lived deliberately. Living deliberately means to me that I make a conscious choice on how I spend time. That’s not to say that I obsess in time management, but look to invest my gift of time that will lead me to the outcome I desire. I relate to time just like I relate to money. Both are assets, the difference being that when we spend time it can not be re-created or recaptured.

In 1988, I became acutely aware of my own mortality (time). I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was told that I would be in a wheelchair or dead within 10 years. A sobering thought for a young father. Somehow, I made the decision to live deliberately from that moment on. I want to share with you a process I developed from this experience.

First, I had to Make a Decision. That decision was to think about what the doctor said as his diagnosis, which was his opinion, and not accept it as my reality. Some people told me that I wasn’t being honest with myself; and that I needed to accept my fate. I disagreed and 21 years later, I’m still going strong! Making a decision is the critical step. In essence, you’re deciding which direction you will take. It may be in finance, a personal relationship, or any other area of your life. The key is to make a decision yourself. Allow your intuition to direct you.

Second, is to Create Your Vision. Go into your future and create a picture so vivid and real that you can see, taste, feel and smell your future outcome. Then bring that picture back to your present and allow your future to draw you to it. Napoleon Hill said “Whatever the mind of man can see and believe it can achieve.” Nothing has ever been created without first becoming real in a person’s mind.

Third, is to Take Action. Fear is the one thing that blocks this third step. Many times I asked my audience what is their definition of courage. Many of the answers involve the absence of fear. My definition of courage is “action in the presence of fear.” The first step of action can be the hardest. Don’t worry about the third, fifth or 50th step; take them one at a time. Trust yourself. You can do it.

Living Deliberately Is A Decision. Ask yourself these questions to get started: What do I want to have, be, do, go and give? Dig deep. Anything is possible. The world is waiting. Enjoy the Ride!