Bit by bit I've been reading Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" (the sudden shift of the ideology I've been working at was first caused by reading a piece of it at amazon.com) and in one chapter of it he discusses the importance of your life's center. Before I begin, write down or think of what your life is really centered around. What really determines how you live every day?
First example, work-centered person:
WCP gets up everyday early in the morning, arrives to work on time. He goes to tons of meetings and appointments, comes home late to his wife where he eats dinner with his family and explains his day at the office. 30 minutes later the boss calls and tells him he needs him there in 15 minutes. In a rush he tells his wife and is out the door. He comes home at 11:00 PM where everyone is asleep and goes to bed. All of WCPs daily decisions depend on his job and/or financial situation.
Second Example, girl/spouse-centered person:
GCP gets up everyday and spends 2 hours getting ready. GCP goes to work/school and calls or meets his signifigant other at least once. He does something "important" or "special" for her and when he gets home he calls her. He finds out she just lost her dog and is very sad, so he goes to the petstore and buys her another dog with the money he was saving for the trip he was going to go on with his buddies, telling himself/them that it was all worth it and how sad this girl was.
Third Example, DJ principle-centered person:
DJPCP gets up everyday with goals. He has long term goals, mid term goals, and short term goals. He doesn't react to the moment. He makes the moment. He gets ready and goes to work/school and upon encountering different situations, thinks "Whats the best decision I can make that will get me closer to my goal(s)?" An attractive girl walks by and one goal is that he defeats his fear of leaving the comfort zone. He approaches her and sticks to his principles of honesty, balanced social activity, determination. He stumbles a bit and does a few things that he would not have normally accepted, but he reviews them and feels like he has come one step closer to his goal. He resumes his day and enjoys every last bit of it...
These are all examples, and there are many more. But the truth is, if your life is centered on your spouse, what if she becomes terminally ill? Your life has lost its meaning. If your life is centered on your work, what happens if you lose your job? Your life has lost its meaning. If your life center is playing a particular sport, what if you become permanently injured? Your life has lost its meaning.
What if your life is centered on principles (anyone that has read this book will know exactly what I'm talking about)? What can make your life lose its meaning? What can make you lose your direction? YOU are the one that affects it, you can change the principles and values that affect your decisions, but you can't control your girlfriend's actions. You can't control the complete security of your buisiness.
Many people in the military are at the mercy of the military. My father is a pilot and all the time he tells me that so-and-so is joining the airlines because he has no where else to go, nothing else to do. Where are this guy's goals? Where is his direction? Wherever his work takes him? What kind of life is that?
Do not react to the world. Make your own decisions. Make things happen. Don't wait for opportunities. Make them.
Just stopping in for a weekend. Tomorrow I'm off again for another 7 weeks. I hope you take this to heart.
First example, work-centered person:
WCP gets up everyday early in the morning, arrives to work on time. He goes to tons of meetings and appointments, comes home late to his wife where he eats dinner with his family and explains his day at the office. 30 minutes later the boss calls and tells him he needs him there in 15 minutes. In a rush he tells his wife and is out the door. He comes home at 11:00 PM where everyone is asleep and goes to bed. All of WCPs daily decisions depend on his job and/or financial situation.
Second Example, girl/spouse-centered person:
GCP gets up everyday and spends 2 hours getting ready. GCP goes to work/school and calls or meets his signifigant other at least once. He does something "important" or "special" for her and when he gets home he calls her. He finds out she just lost her dog and is very sad, so he goes to the petstore and buys her another dog with the money he was saving for the trip he was going to go on with his buddies, telling himself/them that it was all worth it and how sad this girl was.
Third Example, DJ principle-centered person:
DJPCP gets up everyday with goals. He has long term goals, mid term goals, and short term goals. He doesn't react to the moment. He makes the moment. He gets ready and goes to work/school and upon encountering different situations, thinks "Whats the best decision I can make that will get me closer to my goal(s)?" An attractive girl walks by and one goal is that he defeats his fear of leaving the comfort zone. He approaches her and sticks to his principles of honesty, balanced social activity, determination. He stumbles a bit and does a few things that he would not have normally accepted, but he reviews them and feels like he has come one step closer to his goal. He resumes his day and enjoys every last bit of it...
These are all examples, and there are many more. But the truth is, if your life is centered on your spouse, what if she becomes terminally ill? Your life has lost its meaning. If your life is centered on your work, what happens if you lose your job? Your life has lost its meaning. If your life center is playing a particular sport, what if you become permanently injured? Your life has lost its meaning.
What if your life is centered on principles (anyone that has read this book will know exactly what I'm talking about)? What can make your life lose its meaning? What can make you lose your direction? YOU are the one that affects it, you can change the principles and values that affect your decisions, but you can't control your girlfriend's actions. You can't control the complete security of your buisiness.
Many people in the military are at the mercy of the military. My father is a pilot and all the time he tells me that so-and-so is joining the airlines because he has no where else to go, nothing else to do. Where are this guy's goals? Where is his direction? Wherever his work takes him? What kind of life is that?
Do not react to the world. Make your own decisions. Make things happen. Don't wait for opportunities. Make them.
Just stopping in for a weekend. Tomorrow I'm off again for another 7 weeks. I hope you take this to heart.
