Running out of Gas??

I was thinking this past week (while recovering from altitude sickness) how easy it is to simply run out of the fuel so often needed in life. I looked back over the past month and realized some great things had been happening but as great as they were I let them take charge more than I remained in charge. As I go back in time and look forward at the month I just lived, my schedule was packed!! I had meeting after meeting, task after task and all types of masterminds and conferences to attend and then after three weeks of hosting events I would be traveling to Southern California for a conference full of new people and opportunities followed by a week in Colorado with friends and colleagues. 

Now do not get me wrong I am not at all complaining about my agenda. I am the one who is creating it in advance doing the things I love to do but there is still a challenge in maintaining control of my schedule and and not letting it control me. There has been so much change lately in life while still doing all that I try to pack into a week that it made me think of the difference between these two phrases;

Letting my schedule run my life.

Deciding for my life to run my schedule.

This just like all things is still a decision and I am the only determining factor. Each of us always are  the determining factor if we understand it. We are never bound by any circumstance unless we allow it to bind us. I think back over the past 4 weeks and realize that as good as my intent may have been and even as great as the outcome of the events may have been, that there were many days that just took over. I have found the more I let my purposely chosen life lead the way of my schedule that my energy and potency is dependent upon certain routines to feed me. My exercise, My meditation, My journaling, My reading, My affirmations, My listening to great speakers and just finding time to make me better. The stronger I am in these routines the more developed I am when I am called upon to play the role I play in my scheduled activities for "giving to others". 

I just used a term that could have been interchanged with "doing business" "building a company" "managing employees" and many other "things" that keep most people going while they are doing their "work". I purposely chose the phrase "giving to others" in order to remind myself (and hopefully a few of you) that in order for me to do great things I must be filled with purpose and accomplishing tasks does not meet that objective in my life.

I digress so to return, it's my schedule that started taking over the past 4 weeks but I am here to declare that I am back! Regardless of the chosen activity I am committing to I must remain steadfast to that which feeds me and makes me more effective when called upon to meet my opportunities. The realization I have now that I did not always have is that I can show up and be 110% ready to make change or I can show up and be 50% ready to make change. If spending one, two three or four hours per day building me is what it takes then I can actually be ahead of the game. Do the math!! If my "duties require 8 hours of my day and I am 50% effective then it will take 16 hours to do the work I needed to get done. If I spend 2 hours a day building me up to make sure I am fully present then I can, by my example above exceed all expectations in less time while still giving to me. 

It's up to us!! Whatever we want we can have if we do just one thing....

Realize we are in charge of determining our lives and the way we want to spend them. This is such a liberating thought that I wanted to share it with you today. I am sitting on a plane while writing these thoughts. I am on my way home right now. I have a friend visiting from Europe this week while he is training for the olympics this summer and I want to spend some time with him. I have an event tomorrow night I want to attend in Dallas. I have a flip house that I need to put a little thought in this week and choose some contractors. I have an incredible amount of work to do from being so out of pocket the last month. I have teleconferences, reviews, phone meetings, contracts, structural meetings, annual super conference to work on and the list could go on forever then I remember I leave town on Thursday again!!

I am excited as I write this because I know that the first ting I am doing when I get home is going on  a bike ride (exercise) afterwards a chill evening cooking some dinner and I will read, listen to some audio clips from one of my favorite speakers, journal and prepare my schedule for this week. First thing tomorrow will be to exercise, affirmation, read and start the week off by making me a better me. I will give 110% to every activity this week and I will be more effective, more potent, more determined and more successful in all I choose to do. I will do so well that when I leave on Thursday I will feel appreciative of what an awesome week this was and I hope you find the same space in your life to be who I know you want to be. 

And finally you choose for you..........

Are you?

Letting your schedule run your life?

or 

Deciding for your life to run my schedule?

Make you vocation your vacation by doing what you love and loving what you do! - Dr. John Demartini