An old friend of mine told me that if a person’s life starts at 6 in the morning, and ends at 6 in the evening, expecting around 72 years to live, then he’d be at around 4 in the afternoon.
Time is the important resource we have. He shared so many stories, lessons, regrets, hopes that he had in his life, all under the light of the moon and the taste of beer. Stories of risk, fear, love, gratitude, happiness, and growth played all evening, punctuated by the occasional joke or two, or three.
While he was telling his stories, he felt so happy and grateful for all that he’s been through, and I just had to ask him how he got to where he was. Of course that didn’t come out the way I expected:
“How do you stay so suave and handsome after all these years?”
He shared that he’s able to be so energetic, happy, grateful, as well as suave, and handsome, because he makes efforts to minimize what he calls “clouds” the clouds in his life, which block the sun’s light and heat.
Very true, very profound, and very applicable, no matter what stage of life you are in right now.
Clear Skies, not Clouds or Rain
At 4 in the afternoon, the sun can still be seen shining, and can be bright and hot enough to still give you a sunburn. This is only possible if the sun is not covered by clouds and rain, with almost nothing blocking the light.
Life is all about stress management, and the better you avoid and cope with stress, the more energy and space you will have in your life to grow and better yourself.
It’s also about gaining clarity in your life. As you get older, it can get harder and harder to get clear with what’s important and what matters due to the many things that tend to pile up on our plates.
And as a metaphor, the light we have that can be called our life, grows weaker as we age. If I wanted to be as energetic and happy as my friend, I would have to make it so that there are few obstacles, clouds, as possible that might block my light from shining through.
Get Healthy
How we feel physically affects our performance and how we relate to others. A healthy body and mind translates into better ideas, more energy, deeper connections, and more confidence in yourself.
If we aren’t healthy, we can’t devote to the things we want, dreams we hold, and people we love. It can even get to the point where we are forced to lie in bed all day, or we can’t walk, stand, jump, or run. It can get to the point where we can be physically incapable to live life happily, and do the things we want.
As early as possible, learn to take care of your own body. Exercise regularly, making sure to do so at least 4 times a week. Simple exercises like push-ups and squats can be surprisingly effective, and initially challenging if you haven’t been doing them. Some other activities include walking, or running. If you have access to a pool or the beach, swimming can also be very effective exercise.
Also, don’t forget to watch what you eat. I’m no nutritionist, but it’ s also very clear to me that what you put in also correspond to the result that you get. Food is fuel, and you want high-performance, sustaining, and renewing fuel. Avoid junk foods and sodas, which are empty calories, provide little to no nutritional value, and have a ton of sugar which can be harmful to your health. Everything in moderation, and eat as much whole foods as possible, not processed foods.
Let Go of Negativity and Worrying
We also need to take care of our mind and heart as well. Life can be stressful, and there are a lot of things we can’t control. Learning to cope and let go of negative emotions and worrying will help a lot in gaining clarity, as well as maintaining a happy and grateful outlook on life. Worrying about something never changed it for the better, so why waste energy and emotions on that?
One practice that can help with this is meditation and breathing. Taking deep breaths along to a count helps to regain control of your breath, and this will in turn help you to regain control of your mind and body, which usually feel panicked and under attack when under negativity and worrying.
Face what you Fear
This is a big one. Many times we have that deep-seated, unresolved issue that holds us back and tell us we can’t do it. I’ll never get a girlfriend, I’ll never be rich, I can’t have what I want, and all that.
I feared not having enough money. I feared running our of money and ending up on the street. I still feel that fear to this day, at times. It was something I picked up along the years, maybe from my family, my environment growing up, my parents, or my school. Whatever, that doesn’t matter now. What matters is recognizing that It’s a fear I have that’s holding me back. Pointing fingers at the cause won’t help me overcome that, I’ve got to do something about it.
And it was tough, to risk my money, in the hopes of succeeding, but no one ever succeeded without risk. I haven’t been thrown out onto the street so far, thank God.
If I always gave in to fear, I wouldn’t be happy, I would never have went for the opportunities that helped shape who I am today.
Feel the fear, and do it anyway.
Stay young even when you’re not young, and don’t grow old even as you grow old.
What a life. What a life you’ll have.
Don’t look back with regret, look back with joy.
Make a lot of friends along the way. People may forget what you’ve done, but they’ll never forget what you made them feel.
And a sunset can also look like a sunrise.
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