7 Unique Rules For Accelerating Your Life's Purpose
I’ve been fired from my job.
I’ve been cheated on (twice).
I’ve moved across the country with just the property I could fit in my car and a few hundred dollars in my bank account (again, twice).
I’ve had the place I was working at spontaneously burn down over night.
I've had so many times in life where, wether within my control or not, I've had to press the "reset button" and start my life over. Sometimes when I've started over I've had the luxury of many resources at my disposal. A lot of the time I've been at what many would consider a disadvantage with starting resources.
As the passage of time went on, one thing remained consistent through it all.
I persevered.
Through this preservation and resilience, I have found a number of things that have kept me moving forward through the rigmarole of life's obstacles.
Here are my 7 rules for changing your life (though I’m sure, as life progresses forward, there will be more).
Understand that you’re alone.
This one was hard for me at first.
I didn’t want to accept this fact.
When I was 23 and first moving across the country (from Chicago to Boston). I was making the trip along with my father.
My father is a brilliant man.
He barely graduated high school and was forced to work in his father’s factory coming straight out of school.
To sum up his life, he didn’t have too many choices and yet made the most out of it all for himself and his family.
During our drive, he kept offering nuggets of advice. One that stood out to me and that I have kept close since is that
“You’re alone on this Earth. Your mother and I will be there for you more than anyone else. Then your brother and sister and perhaps a lover and a family of your own one day. Perhaps, though, it’s worth noting that you are the only one in that head of yours. You know your dreams, you know your desires, you know your fears. Know that you’re truly alone, and let that set you free.”
It’s decently terrifying at first. Once I let it sink in, however, it literally set me free. And not in a Nihilist sense. I
still retain the sanctity of life and all of it’s wonders and how precious a gift it truly is. It helped offer the gravity of how foolish it is to be swayed to the whim of other peoples’ thoughts and opinions and of what you are supposed to do as a human (ie what defines success).
Disciple Equals Freedom.
This is something that I borrowed from Jocko Willink.
Let’s unpack it a bit.
What is Freedom?
Most people generally know.
It could be financial freedom or perhaps Free time.
Well what does it take to get there?
- When you want financial freedom you have to make decisions generally entail high levels of discipline (i.e. watching spending, working hard, building things etc).
- When you want free time, again, discipline is involved (you need to be disciplined in getting your work done, getting up early, going to sleep on schedule etc so you can free up your time).
It seems counter-intuitive: You are rigid and follow the rules, how does that lead to freedom? Well, when you stick to a disciplined approach, it opens up new doors throughout your day and life.
When grocery shopping, only stay and purchase from the outer edge of the store.
Sometimes a better life and elements of building that rely on a physiological approach.
When shopping at a grocery store and sticking to the outer edge, you will find nothing but natural products that either come from animals or the soil of the Earth.
This is what human beings were meant to eat.
The aisles contain hydrogenated oils, processed junk, sweets and food that will generally result in the destruction of your body.
Stick to the the outer rim.
Refrain from gossip.
At all costs.
Gossip and complaining do nothing but put your life in limbo.
You engage in talking about things that only perpetuate hate and anger and offer no type of solution.
When you talk to people about the issues you are having with them, you may walk into difficult and awkward situations.
However, you may find a resolution. Generally, you will learn something from the individual. You are also practicing the ancient practice of mindfulness and keeping your ego at bay.
Acknowledge your weaknesses.
This one may be hard for a lot of people.
No one wants to uncover where they are inadequate. This is what propels human beings, however.
Think of all the advances in technology that we wouldn’t have developed if we didn’t dive into our inadequacies.
A good way of practicing this is by posing the question “how can I get better at [blank]?”
- This could be in the realm of your job.
- It could be in talking with your lover and building the relationship.
Get feedback often and watch yourself grow.
Take the first step and act.
On what ever that may be.
For me it was writing.
I was always terrified putting myself out there (and still am).
Once you put one foot in front of the other, the next few steps become easier and it gets even easier from then on out. Over the course of days and weeks and months and years you will see how far you’ve come from the first step and sometimes it may floor you.
What has been on the back of your mind that you know you need to start but haven’t?
That’s the voice you should be listening to.
Do what excites you.
- Is that collecting and trading Magic The Gathering playing cards?
- Is it making cosmic, handmade jewelry?
- Is is studying to become an astronaut?
Quite frankly, I don’t care what it is.
Find what excites you to get up and in the morning and work towards that.
Too many of us are wasting away at jobs we hate and our lives are suffering because of it.
It will take time. It will take hard work. It will take grit and grime but over the long haul, if you produce good work, the market will speak for itself.
Do what excites you!
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