It’s that time of year when we look back on the past 364 days and craft a plan to make the next 365 more productive, successful, and fulfilling. Your New Year’s resolutions (and the following through of these resolutions) are in a way the arrows that we shoot forth into the unknown future in hopes of hitting our desired outcome. The only problem with resolutions is that they are simply arrows, simply yours desires in motion. A hunter with mere arrows is bound to fail without a bow the launch his weapons and a target to aim true. Without your bow and target, you too will be nothing more than a well-intentioned fool thrusting your arrow into the air by your own power and without a purpose. If you truly desire to rise victor over 2019 then you, my friend, must furnish your bow and determine your target.

 

A Christmas tradition around my place is to watch It’s A Wonderful Life at least once before Christmas Eve. What I love most about this dear story is that it holds such great truth for not only the holiday season but the entire year round. George Bailey is granted the priceless gift of discovering what the world would be like without him. Up to this point though, our star had spent his life chasing after that next big shot. He dreamed of a big house, new car, and all the luxuries money could by. All this change though when he realized that what he had in his family, friends, and his ability to help others was of far greater value.

What are you chasing after? Perhaps an expensive college degree, then an elaborate house, fancy cars, and a family with children who go on to accomplish the same success? The problem with this dream is that it is attempting to fulfill your life desires with things only money can buy. If you aim for this kind of life then your year will be focused on making that next buck so you can reach your point of happiness. I have a better alternative for you.

What if your goals for the next year (and all of life for that matter) were focused on your morals, ethics, and admired traits. For example; what if your goal was to be independent, instead of simply aiming to earn a certain dollar sign? What if you said that your desire was to live a simple relaxing life that still portrays class, instead of a certain kind of car modal. What if you decided that the ability to spend time with family and friends was of utmost importance, instead of a certain number of zeros in your checking account? If these were the kind of goals that you set then two things would be different. One, you would find satisfaction in the priceless things that money can never buy. And two, you would make chooses that improved your way of life, not just your financial status. When coming to a decision, you would look at it from the perspective of how it might impact your lifestyle instead of measuring it simply by its price tag. In many cases, you will likely choose the path that leads to greater financial security but you will have come to that conclusion because it best improves your life and not your bank account. Aim for a way of life, now a dollar sign. This is your target.

 

With your target in sight and your arrows ready, you are now only lacking one thing. The power to get from where you are to where you want to be.

There is an enormous gorge called “I need money to survive” that stands between you and your dream life. In order to cross over this canyon, you will need a power strong enough to thrust you to the other side; and that power is “value”. No matter what situation you may be in and no matter the economy, if you have a skill that creates value for others then you will be able to create financial security for yourself. The way to go about creating value is to first choose a career path and then become the best at what you do. One way of going about this is to improve your abilities in your chosen field by mastering skills that are valued in any filed.

First would be your interpersonal skills. Become a leader in your workplace by improving your public speaking skills, your ability to envision the future, market yourself, teach others, create unity, and open yourself up to new ideas. No matter what your career title may be, the ability to lead is a skill that will set you apart as someone who crates above and beyond value.

Second would be your ability to express yourself through creativity. The ability to express your ideas, beliefs, and opinions to others through writing, speaking, and designs, along with the ability to take in others ideas, beliefs and opinions, are skills that will allow you present yourself and your product in the very best light.

Third would be your ability to analyze situations and create plans. If you have the skill set to be able to analyze a situation, chart out each procedure, and then eliminate any unnecessary steps, you will be able to improve not only areas in your workplace but also your entire life.

Last would be your willpower and self-control. Exercising self-control when it comes to any form of indulgence, from food, alcohol, physical fitness, or activities that bring pleasure will vastly improve your ability to effectively make a difference in your workplace. You only have one body and one life, take care of them and treat them with respect.

 

With your target in your sights and the power of value to launch your dreams into reality, you can now face this new year and every year to follow with full confidence and certainty in your future. By investing your time, money, and abilities in improving yourself and your lifestyle, you will be banking on the only thing you have complete control over; yourself. So charge this New Year with the desire to live your life for a purpose and not a dollar sign.

 

 

 

 A huge shout out to this weeks inspiration, The Last Safe Investment by Bryan Franklin and Michael Ellsnerg, and to Praxis for including this book in their reading material. If you are interested in learning more about enhancing your ability to create value and improve your way of life, I strongly recommend this book as well as the Praxis Program.

 

 

 

 

 

Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.
– the War of Art by Steven Pressfield

An actor in his spotlight, a painter with her canvas, or a writer and their pen. These are the places were magic actually exist. The place where nothing of worth becomes something of unmeasurable value. A presentation that moves you, a work of art that speaks to you, a melody that touches your soul. This is where magic is shown forth to the world. But what happens if an artist neglects to create their work of art?

What if Micheal Angelo had kept his paintings to himself? Or perhaps Abraham Lincoln, his words of persuasion? What if Micheal Jordan never shot a hoop? What kind of world would this be if we had no music, no written or spoken words, no works of art, no physical movements such as dance and sports, performed to show forth examples of strength, determination, and beauty? What if we merely survived yet never lived. For as we have learned from the Dead Poets Society “…Medicine, Law, Business, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”

As you continue to read this article I would ask you to do one thing. Think back to a time in your life when you felt as if you had somehow shown the world who you truly were. No matter what this activity may have been, I would ask you to hold it in your mind’s eye as together we examine what your magic truly is.

Why is your “work of art” (activity that showcases who you are) significant to you? I mean for most of us our career, so it has little to no financial worth. True, it may bring relaxation and enjoyment, but so does a cold beer and a quiet evening. What makes this activity, different from anything else? My proposal is that it allows you to express yourself. You see, it’s not about the project, it’s about the effect that the project has.
This last year I took a trip to DC. During my week there I crammed in every museum, memorial, and monument I possibly could. The trip itself was amazing but the most significant thing that I took away was not a souvenir nor a better understanding of American history, but instead the meaning of a monument. Just as a work of art, these statues were not simply showcasing a person of historical significance; they were expressing ideas, options and beliefs of real people. Lincoln’s memorial was not merely a sculpture of a bearded man but the expressed belief that all men are created equal and that equality is worth fighting and even dying for. The Roosevelt Memorial was not simply water flowing at different speeds over rocks in abstract shapes; it showed the toil of a nation and the strength of our country to overcome overwhelming obstacles. The Holocaust memorial was not simply a burning flame, but a symbol of unspeakable wrong and a plague to never allow such evil to rule again. This is the power of art. This is the power of the magic within each and every one of us.

I have never spoken to Lincoln, Roosevelt, or a WW2 holocaust survivor, yet I was able to take away their ideas, options, and beliefs by the way they were expressed through art, words, presentations, and even music.

So again, why is your work of art significant to you? If you cannot answer this question then you will be unable to use your power effectively. If you do not have an idea, option, or belief that you are passionate about sharing then your activity will become nothing more than a pastime hobby, and this world will be robbed of what you could have offered it.

When you are able to say, “this is me, this is what I believe in, and this is what I stand for” then you suddenly go from being a statistic in this world to someone who actually has the power to change it.

Why is your work of art significant to you? Because it makes a better you, and it makes a better world.

I’ll admit it, I was one of those Hunger Games adits. I read the entire series in one weekend and watched the movies in a single night. I remember hating the last half of the second book though, to the point that I  had to put it down a time or two. The character of Katniss had been my hero in the first book. She fought for what she believed in and had a passion to push her forward through each and every obstacle. But once she allowed her actions to be controlled by others and lost her burning passion, she became a pathetic excuse for what had once been a true warrior. Thankfully the third book rescued my faith in my heroine as once again a reason to fight and the passion to see it through brought back the Katniss I knew.

Though we may not be contestant in the Hunger Games, we do face the same battle. When we neglect to use our reason and passion to reach our fullest potential, we to become pathetic excuses for what could have been a true artist; what could have been a true world changer. So what is stopping you?

When you are at the edge of a cliff and you know you have to jump, standing there thinking about it is the worst thing you can possibly do. As you look down at the earth below you open the door for fear to stop you in your tracks. There will never be a point in your life where you no longer face fear. Let me repeat that. There will never be a time in your life where you no longer face fear. A valiant warrior is not a soldier who has knows no fear. That is an idiot. A valiant warrior is a soldier who’s passion is greater than his fear of death. You as an artist must have a greater passion for your art than a fear of failure.

You will never make the jump; unless you just jump! Stop thinking about it, stop waiting for a better alternative, stop procrastinating and just do it. Success will never come to you. You have to go out and make it for yourself. You will never finish your book unless you force yourself to sit down, every day, and write no matter what. You will never be able to play that piece unless you put in the countless hours of practice, practice, practice. You will never be able to run that race, win that contest, or make that difference unless you start right now and never stop. You will never succeed unless you first rise above a few, or perhaps quite a few, defeats. You are the only thing that stands between you and your success.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 1 Peter 4:10

  This weeks inspiration came from the War of Art book by Steven Pressfield. I would recommend this book to anyone in search of inspiration and the kick we all need to get us moving. Also a huge thank you to Praxis for requiring this reading. For anyone interested in kick-starting their future with real-world experience and skills, I would urge you to look into their program.