No Excuses = New Experiences

Today would have been the perfect day to get off track. I laced up my running shoes to knock out my last fundamental to jump start a great day (exercise), stepped outside, and… it’s raining.

Here’s the thing about the commitments we make to ourselves. When you drill into those key things that you know you must do on a daily basis that will (overtime) improve the quality of your life, you cannot let anything stop you.

Not even a little rain.

Today is another part of your masterpiece. Do what you know you must, but most importantly, have fun while you’re at it.

You’re probably thinking…yo Theresa, running in the rain first thing in the morning does not sound like fun at all.

My response: Don’t knock it until you try it, and if you need a little boost…don’t dodge that first puddle, jump right into it like the child you know you are. Fearless and excited for the next obstacle. Because with each new obstacle comes a new experience and every new experiences reminds you that you’re alive.

MAKE TODAY COUNT!

 

 

Embrace Frustration

It’s that moment when you’re stretching to make sense out of something and you’re coming up short. You may not know exactly how to proceed, but you know something is not right. You want a resolution and it can’t come fast enough. You’re frustrated. This is good.

Embrace the frustration. Get pissed off if you have too. Huff and puff, drag your hands down your face and grumble. Vent to a friend, pray, cry if you have to. Do whatever it takes to not only acknowledge the frustration, but honor it.

Don’t hide it, dismiss it or pretend it’s not there. Embrace it. Appreciate it.

Lean in…

Your breakthrough is waiting for you on the other side.

Making the Most

Yesterday I received the news that someone close to a member of my family was just told that they have 12 hours left to live.

This morning I was reminded by my devotional to, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”  – Ephesians 5: 15-16

The sad news, plus this timely devotional reminder has me examining exactly how I am spending my time. I am now left pondering one simple question: am I making the most of this opportunity?

Am I prepared to make the most of this day…this full 24 hours?

What if I only had 12 hours?

So often we say things like, “there’s not enough hours in the day.” We say this because we’re frustrated that we can’t seem to fit in everything that we have to do, and everything that we want to do into those short 24 hours.

Something deep inside of me knows…that if I had less than a day left to do what I wanted to do and  say what I needed to say (I love you), I’d find a way to make it happen. But why don’t I live with that conviction every day?

The professor who changed my life signs his e-mails saying, “Make Today Count!” I’ve adopted this saying and conclude my e-mail messages the same; but today, and my prayer is that everyday, going forward it’s not just something I say, but something that I do.

So go on, make the most of today; but most importantly…

Make Today Count!

Go Big or Go Home?

Life is too short to live up to the expectations of someone else, or even worse, another person’s definition of success.

It doesn’t take a therapist to figure out if you’re happy or not.

We say we feel like _________ because that emotion, has manifested itself into a sensation inside our body that we actually do experience.

Oftentimes we  experience unhappiness, because we feel like we no longer have control. We start playing the blame game as to why we don’t have nor are we who or what we thought we would be at this stage of our lives. We think we don’t have any control over our current situation, when in fact, that is not true at all.

It is at this point of self-awareness where people make one of two choices: they either A) Go home and continue playing the blame game with their friends and family, because that’s a hell of a lot easier than facing their demons and creating the life they were destined to live or B) they put their game face on and GO BIG. I’m talkin’ crazy big. The kind of big where your friends and family (out of love) caution you and suggest that you harness that ambition and be “realistic.”

The kind of big with choice B) is the kind where your dream actually scares you.

Those who GO BIG do this  knowing that if they fail, at least when they look in the mirror, they know that they did everything in their power to create their destiny.

I know my choice.

Why I went dark

A 30 day yotherescampbell.com sabbatical…what gives?

You’re probably thinking…I thought you were all about “honoring your commitments” and finishing out that video challenge. Where’s the honor in that?

Here’s the deal.

I went dark because I needed to retreat to a quiet place so that I could really focus. I needed to turn off everything and search within to determine how I would approach not just the last 30 days of my life but the remainder going forward.

The video challenge taught me two very important things about myself. I really do enjoy creating videos; however, I have no desire to edit them. And while I am a disciplined person, I wasn’t feeling fired up to create a video every single day for 30 days.

For me, this year has been all about living my calling (using my signature strengths on a daily basis) while being guided by my personal values.

What are my core values?

1. God
2. Authenticity
3. Integrity
4. Love
5. Inspiration

By saying, you know what?…this video challenge really isn’t working out for me right now, at this point in my life, was actually a form of me staying in integrity and being true to myself. Talk about authenticity. Truth is…I needed to focus on my passion project by continuing to work my calling and my career.

I spent the last 30 days intensely focused on doing the work and while I am tired, I am fulfilled. While I am confident, I am calculated. While I am bound…I am free.

It feels good to be back.