A couple weeks ago I bought a new car and as a part of that process traded in my old car.
The last few years I have had ongoing back problems which has limited a lot of the things I enjoy doing physically.
For the last year I have been pulling the magnifying glass out and looking at day to day behaviors in an attempt to asses where I can reduce certain movements and the toll they take.
One of the more taxing movements was getting in and out of my car.
Realizing this I began the process, about six months ago, to look for a new car.
I say "began the process," because I was not overly motivated to look. I still liked my car enough and it still had plenty of miles left in it, but as time went on it became more evident of what I was giving up by not moving forward.
Have you ever felt like that? Felt like you were giving something up by not moving forward? Felt like your unwillingness to change was keeping you from something more?
I did my research and when it finally came time to make a decision I began to feel sad at the prospect of saying goodbye to my "Little Car," (a name I have affectionately called it for the last eight years).
When I signed the papers for my new car, I walked outside to look through my "Little Car" to make sure I had got all my possessions and say goodbye. As I did this I began to cry. In that moment I was flooded with this deep feeling of gratitude I had for my Little Car.
I looked at it and saw so many memories in the 109,000 miles we had traveled together.
My Little Car was home to 1000's of laughs and tears. It was the vehicle that took me to so many amazing sunrise's and sunset's. It always got me safely from point A, B, C - Z and back again. It was what carried me to my Mom's house, in silence, after learning my Dad had died. It was where countless heart to heart's happened. My Little Car had so much good news shared within it's interior as well as housed a number of heartbreaks too.
All this and more came rushing back to me as I said goodbye to my Little Car - a Gratitude for it I had never felt before.
When I finally drove away from it, my heart was so filled with love and appreciation for it that I found myself thinking: "I want to feel this level of gratitude all the time."
Gratitude adds a deeper level of meaning in life and when you live your life from a place of gratitude you will find that there just isn't a lot of room for the "other stuff."
I am grateful for all the amazing moments experienced in my Little Car. I am extra grateful for the final amazing moment we shared together and the valuable life lesson that was contained within it: the importance of living each day from a place of love and gratitude.
Carpe Diem,
Jesse
http://www.jessebrisendine.com
http://www.facebook.com/1year1000challenge
Showing posts with label joy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label joy. Show all posts
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Honoring Those You Have Lost
If you live you will lose - as they say two things you can be certain about are death and taxes.
Loss can be one of the most devastating and life altering events you will ever go through. It can rock you to your core and the aftermath of it could derail your life, permanently, if you do not deliberately take steps to get back on track and move forward after your loss.
The challenge of course is "how." How do you do that after you have lost someone you love so deeply.
How?
In the last few years I have lost three very important people in my life: one of my best friends to suicide, my Dad unexpectedly two weeks after being declared cancer free (you can read those stories here) and my best friend to a car crash.
Each of these deaths came with additional life struggles... relationships ending, struggling to "fit in," unmotivated, uninspired, etc...
Through all this, I kept coming back to the question of "how?" How do you move forward after loss? How do you move forward to not merely exist, but to truly live? How do you move forward to live a happy and fulfilling life?
Having gone through the challenge of loss myself, as well as with numerous clients from all over the world what I have found to be most effective in doing the above is deciding on a path that honors your loved one and traveling it.
When we allow ourselves to begin to live a life to honor those we have lost, it can give our lives a renewed sense of meaning and purpose. Two vital ingredients to a fulfilling life.
Recently I shared a video of an event I have hosted for the last three years... it is part of an ongoing mission to live my life in a way that honors my best friend. Every year, on his birthday, people take a photo of a sunrise and/or sunset and share it on social media. I take several of the photos and put them together in a video which you can see below.
If you are reading this and you are at a time in your life where you find yourself struggling with loss, I encourage you to look within and ask yourself, "how can I begin to live my life to honor who I have lost?"
Your answer may present the meaning and purpose you seek.
Carpe Diem and with Love,
Jesse
P.S. I also lovingly invite you to check out my "Healing from Loss" program You can learn all about it by clicking here.
http://www.jessebrisendine.com
http://www.facebook.com/1year1000challenge
Loss can be one of the most devastating and life altering events you will ever go through. It can rock you to your core and the aftermath of it could derail your life, permanently, if you do not deliberately take steps to get back on track and move forward after your loss.
The challenge of course is "how." How do you do that after you have lost someone you love so deeply.
How?
In the last few years I have lost three very important people in my life: one of my best friends to suicide, my Dad unexpectedly two weeks after being declared cancer free (you can read those stories here) and my best friend to a car crash.
Each of these deaths came with additional life struggles... relationships ending, struggling to "fit in," unmotivated, uninspired, etc...
Through all this, I kept coming back to the question of "how?" How do you move forward after loss? How do you move forward to not merely exist, but to truly live? How do you move forward to live a happy and fulfilling life?
Having gone through the challenge of loss myself, as well as with numerous clients from all over the world what I have found to be most effective in doing the above is deciding on a path that honors your loved one and traveling it.
When we allow ourselves to begin to live a life to honor those we have lost, it can give our lives a renewed sense of meaning and purpose. Two vital ingredients to a fulfilling life.
Recently I shared a video of an event I have hosted for the last three years... it is part of an ongoing mission to live my life in a way that honors my best friend. Every year, on his birthday, people take a photo of a sunrise and/or sunset and share it on social media. I take several of the photos and put them together in a video which you can see below.
If you are reading this and you are at a time in your life where you find yourself struggling with loss, I encourage you to look within and ask yourself, "how can I begin to live my life to honor who I have lost?"
Your answer may present the meaning and purpose you seek.
Carpe Diem and with Love,
Jesse
P.S. I also lovingly invite you to check out my "Healing from Loss" program You can learn all about it by clicking here.
http://www.jessebrisendine.com
http://www.facebook.com/1year1000challenge
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Lessons Learned from 9 Years of Entrepreneurship
Hi!
Recently I hit a milestone professionally and I as I was reflecting back on it, I thought there were a few insight worth sharing.
September 3rd marked my ninth year of becoming an entrepreneur and making the decision to work for myself. Nine years, I cannot believe that! I still vividly remember the day I walked out of my job as an employee for the last time. It was feeling that was both scary and liberating at the same time.
I remember waking up the next day and one of my first thoughts was: "Now what?"
In the nine years since my career has been filled with ups, downs, lefts, and rights. I have traveled the world and have spent many a long days/nights/weeks/months in my bedroom or office trying to push things forward.
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, but I promise you this, if you heart is filled with a message to share with the world, and you are willing to be bold and ride the waves of uncertainty, there is nothing better, in my opinion, than calling your own shots, setting your own schedule, being your own boss, and walking your own path through life.
Lessons learned
Do it because you are passionate about it:
Life is way to short to do it for any other reason. No matter how long my days are or how much frustration may enter into them (yes I get frustrated and even pissed off at times) there is nothing else I would rather do. Ask yourself this: at the end of your life would you rather sit on a mountain of money, but feel empty inside, or would you rather sit on a couple coins, but be filled with happiness, joy, and a ton of amazing memories? Pursue your passion and life will deliver.
It ain't easy:
As the saying goes, "If it were everyone would do it." Lots of long days that meld into long nights. You often learn that just because you think you have a great idea doesn't mean everyone else does. Restless nights, take out, paperwork scattered everywhere, odd hours, saying "no" to going out and hanging with friends, and instead saying yes to waking up early (7 days a week). But heck, the time will pass anyways, right, so why not invest that time in the pursuit of what you truly want.
Make sure you have a strong stomach and are prepared for the swings:
I silly-ly (when you walk your own path you get to make up your own words) thought that I was going to be running the "Field of Dreams" of Personal Training (when I first started out) and Life Coaching Services. "If I built it they would come," welllllll it doesn't always happen exactly like that. At first you are often playing for an empty ball park, and while it may not be the most desirable outcome at the time, you know what, something magical happens when your customers do start showing up. You learn to appreciate them that much more. Not every season will be a winning season, the loses make you much more appreciative of the wins.
Put yourself out there:
One thing is for sure, nothing will happen if you do not share your gift with the world. I long ago had the idea in my mind that I wanted to become a speaker and use my voice to share my message with the world. The problem: I never had really spoken publicly or on video. When my first website was set up (the original http://www.jessebrisendine.com ) I decided no better way to kick off my quest to become a speaker than to slap a video on my website for the whole world to see. I have now dug this video up (see below) to share with you. We all start somewhere...
Believe in yourself:
In anything you do there will likely be skeptics and critics. Something I learned early on is to always ask myself: "Does this person (the person who is doubting me) have everything in their life they want in this particular area?" 99.999999% of the time the answer was NO. Often people will cast shade on what you are pursuing because you have the courage to pursue something they want, but are too scared to go after. There will be doubters and naysayers along any path worth traveling. Listen to them, you will never get to where you want to go. Listen to your internal compass and it will lead you to your destination.
Learn to embrace people telling you "No."
We all are in "sales." Some of us may not directly negotiate a price, ask for a fee, or shake hands over a deal, but we are all "selling" ourselves all the time. I'm on the side where I offer services and for people to utilize those services they pay a fee to me. In those exchanges (a customer has the opportunity to invest money in a service I provide) I have been told No far more than I have been told Yes. I won't lie, the initial No's hurt, but if you allow them to, they get exciting really fast because every "No," brings you one step closer to a "Yes." Keep pushing forward in-spite of the "No's," the "Yes's" need you!
Celebrate the little wins:
Often when we begin something new we want to hit a home run right out of the gate and given the choice between a home run and a single, who wouldn't choose the home run? The home run is what brings the crowd to their feet, it is what makes the highlight reel on Sportscenter. Life isn't always a home run, sometimes it is just stepping up the plate and giving your best effort. You won't always be at a 100%, but you can always give 100% of whatever you got that day. When you step up to the plate don't swing for the fences every time, step up with the intention to give your best. When you do that, celebrate the effort, take a breath, and evaluate how you can improve.
Life is to short not to go after what you want:
See above about Passion. We have all heard it before and it is worth hearing again "Life is to short to be miserable." If the work you do does not fulfill you, if the relationship you are in leaves feeling empty, if you go to bed a night dreading the alarm clock in the morning, something needs to change. Your life is precious, you would not be here if that wasn't the case. Treat your life like the treasure it is and you will find a world of wonder waiting for you. Make the changes you know you need to make, life is to short not to.
Have a plan, but most importantly be prepared to work hard:
When I began working for myself I had a vague (at best) plan. The plan consisted of crunching a few numbers and me showing up. What I have learned is the best laid plans will often encounter challenges and no well laid plan will ever be a substitute for a relentless work ethic. Plans help with efficiency and give you guidance as to how to best focus your efforts, but at the end of the day nothing gets things done like an unbreakable work ethic. When things get dirty, be prepared to roll up your sleeves and dive in.
Even as I type, I have more memories, ideas, and thoughts I could share with you, but I think I will save those for later and instead leave you with this:
Time will continue to pass, life will move forward, things will always change, 7+billion people are responsible for living their lives, and you are responsible for living yours. If you do not like how things are going right now, be courageous enough to change it. An amazing life is not given, it is created.
Carpe Diem and thank you for being a part of my first nine years,
Jesse
http://www.jessebrisendine.com
http://www.facebook.com/1year1000challenge
P.S.
If you need help on your journey, and you would like me to be your guide to help you get what your heart desires, you can contact me here. Note, this is only for those of you who are committed to living your greatest life. If you are content to settle and keep things as they are, please do not click on this link.
.
Recently I hit a milestone professionally and I as I was reflecting back on it, I thought there were a few insight worth sharing.
September 3rd marked my ninth year of becoming an entrepreneur and making the decision to work for myself. Nine years, I cannot believe that! I still vividly remember the day I walked out of my job as an employee for the last time. It was feeling that was both scary and liberating at the same time.
I remember waking up the next day and one of my first thoughts was: "Now what?"
In the nine years since my career has been filled with ups, downs, lefts, and rights. I have traveled the world and have spent many a long days/nights/weeks/months in my bedroom or office trying to push things forward.
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, but I promise you this, if you heart is filled with a message to share with the world, and you are willing to be bold and ride the waves of uncertainty, there is nothing better, in my opinion, than calling your own shots, setting your own schedule, being your own boss, and walking your own path through life.
Lessons learned
Do it because you are passionate about it:
Life is way to short to do it for any other reason. No matter how long my days are or how much frustration may enter into them (yes I get frustrated and even pissed off at times) there is nothing else I would rather do. Ask yourself this: at the end of your life would you rather sit on a mountain of money, but feel empty inside, or would you rather sit on a couple coins, but be filled with happiness, joy, and a ton of amazing memories? Pursue your passion and life will deliver.
It ain't easy:
As the saying goes, "If it were everyone would do it." Lots of long days that meld into long nights. You often learn that just because you think you have a great idea doesn't mean everyone else does. Restless nights, take out, paperwork scattered everywhere, odd hours, saying "no" to going out and hanging with friends, and instead saying yes to waking up early (7 days a week). But heck, the time will pass anyways, right, so why not invest that time in the pursuit of what you truly want.
Make sure you have a strong stomach and are prepared for the swings:
I silly-ly (when you walk your own path you get to make up your own words) thought that I was going to be running the "Field of Dreams" of Personal Training (when I first started out) and Life Coaching Services. "If I built it they would come," welllllll it doesn't always happen exactly like that. At first you are often playing for an empty ball park, and while it may not be the most desirable outcome at the time, you know what, something magical happens when your customers do start showing up. You learn to appreciate them that much more. Not every season will be a winning season, the loses make you much more appreciative of the wins.
Put yourself out there:
One thing is for sure, nothing will happen if you do not share your gift with the world. I long ago had the idea in my mind that I wanted to become a speaker and use my voice to share my message with the world. The problem: I never had really spoken publicly or on video. When my first website was set up (the original http://www.jessebrisendine.com ) I decided no better way to kick off my quest to become a speaker than to slap a video on my website for the whole world to see. I have now dug this video up (see below) to share with you. We all start somewhere...
Believe in yourself:
In anything you do there will likely be skeptics and critics. Something I learned early on is to always ask myself: "Does this person (the person who is doubting me) have everything in their life they want in this particular area?" 99.999999% of the time the answer was NO. Often people will cast shade on what you are pursuing because you have the courage to pursue something they want, but are too scared to go after. There will be doubters and naysayers along any path worth traveling. Listen to them, you will never get to where you want to go. Listen to your internal compass and it will lead you to your destination.
Learn to embrace people telling you "No."
We all are in "sales." Some of us may not directly negotiate a price, ask for a fee, or shake hands over a deal, but we are all "selling" ourselves all the time. I'm on the side where I offer services and for people to utilize those services they pay a fee to me. In those exchanges (a customer has the opportunity to invest money in a service I provide) I have been told No far more than I have been told Yes. I won't lie, the initial No's hurt, but if you allow them to, they get exciting really fast because every "No," brings you one step closer to a "Yes." Keep pushing forward in-spite of the "No's," the "Yes's" need you!
Celebrate the little wins:
Often when we begin something new we want to hit a home run right out of the gate and given the choice between a home run and a single, who wouldn't choose the home run? The home run is what brings the crowd to their feet, it is what makes the highlight reel on Sportscenter. Life isn't always a home run, sometimes it is just stepping up the plate and giving your best effort. You won't always be at a 100%, but you can always give 100% of whatever you got that day. When you step up to the plate don't swing for the fences every time, step up with the intention to give your best. When you do that, celebrate the effort, take a breath, and evaluate how you can improve.
Life is to short not to go after what you want:
See above about Passion. We have all heard it before and it is worth hearing again "Life is to short to be miserable." If the work you do does not fulfill you, if the relationship you are in leaves feeling empty, if you go to bed a night dreading the alarm clock in the morning, something needs to change. Your life is precious, you would not be here if that wasn't the case. Treat your life like the treasure it is and you will find a world of wonder waiting for you. Make the changes you know you need to make, life is to short not to.
Have a plan, but most importantly be prepared to work hard:
When I began working for myself I had a vague (at best) plan. The plan consisted of crunching a few numbers and me showing up. What I have learned is the best laid plans will often encounter challenges and no well laid plan will ever be a substitute for a relentless work ethic. Plans help with efficiency and give you guidance as to how to best focus your efforts, but at the end of the day nothing gets things done like an unbreakable work ethic. When things get dirty, be prepared to roll up your sleeves and dive in.
Even as I type, I have more memories, ideas, and thoughts I could share with you, but I think I will save those for later and instead leave you with this:
Time will continue to pass, life will move forward, things will always change, 7+billion people are responsible for living their lives, and you are responsible for living yours. If you do not like how things are going right now, be courageous enough to change it. An amazing life is not given, it is created.
Carpe Diem and thank you for being a part of my first nine years,
Jesse
http://www.jessebrisendine.com
http://www.facebook.com/1year1000challenge
P.S.
If you need help on your journey, and you would like me to be your guide to help you get what your heart desires, you can contact me here. Note, this is only for those of you who are committed to living your greatest life. If you are content to settle and keep things as they are, please do not click on this link.
.
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Your Time is a Gift
I have been thinking a great deal about "time" the last few weeks.
I find it amazing that so many of us, myself included, repeatedly
squander this most precious of resources.
It is one of the great ironies of our existence - when we are alive we always seem to be in a hurry; always wanting the time to pass. We future pace ourselves so we can get to the next item on our agenda, the next vacation, the next day off from work, the next big event, and so on.
Yet when we are at the end of our lives we inevitably wish we had more time. Why?
If only we could adopt that end of life perspective now, in the present, so that we can truly treasure each moment for the gift that it is.
How much would that perspective shift change our lives?
It is one of the great ironies of our existence - when we are alive we always seem to be in a hurry; always wanting the time to pass. We future pace ourselves so we can get to the next item on our agenda, the next vacation, the next day off from work, the next big event, and so on.
Yet when we are at the end of our lives we inevitably wish we had more time. Why?
If only we could adopt that end of life perspective now, in the present, so that we can truly treasure each moment for the gift that it is.
How much would that perspective shift change our lives?
I once gave a speech for a Toastmasters competition. My speech
was on time. The below is a recording of one of my practice sessions.
I share this video with you in hopes that the message contained within connects with you and inspires you to make the most of your time.
Carpe Diem,
Jesse
Jesse
P.S.
If after watching this video you find yourself with wanting to make better use of your time and eliminate some of the things that are holding you back in life, you and I must talk!
.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Value Comes from Within
What is the value of a car, a purse, a home, a vacation, a pencil? Did you answer with a dollar amount?
How about your happiness, what is the value of that? Can you answer that with a dollar amount?
How do we quantify things like happiness when they do not necessarily have the tangibleness of something like a car?
How do we quantify things like happiness when they do not necessarily have the tangibleness of something like a car?
This presents the challenge that so many people face: placing a higher value on things vs their own happiness and fulfillment.
We all know someone who bought the car they could not afford because they said it would "make them happy." And we all see that same person experiencing more stress from the car (payments, maintenance, worrying about it getting any scratches on it, etc...), rather than the happiness they thought it would bring.
We all know someone who bought the car they could not afford because they said it would "make them happy." And we all see that same person experiencing more stress from the car (payments, maintenance, worrying about it getting any scratches on it, etc...), rather than the happiness they thought it would bring.
Where does value come from and how do we go about determining something's value?
In the below video I talk all about this and how you have the power to decide what is truly valuable to you.
What do you place a high value on? Does value factor into your day to day decision making process when it comes to things like happiness, joy and fulfillment in life?
You only have one life to live and it is your opportunity to make the most of it. If you are wanting to place a hire value on yourself - your quality of life than you have before, I can help. Click here to schedule a time for us to chat about creating a greater level of value in your life.
You only have one life to live and it is your opportunity to make the most of it. If you are wanting to place a hire value on yourself - your quality of life than you have before, I can help. Click here to schedule a time for us to chat about creating a greater level of value in your life.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
What Makes You Happy?
"I wish I was happier...," "If only I was happier, then____ (fill in the blank)"
Do either of the above sound familiar? Have you ever heard friends, family, co-workers, or yourself say either of these phrases or something similar?
I know I sure have!
Happiness is something we all want yet it seems to be so elusive for so many.
The ironic part of happiness is that it is available anywhere, at anytime, and is unlimited in the amount of it you can have.
How is that so?
Well, put simply, happiness isn't a thing, it is a state of mind. Things can stimulate our brain to produce "happy chemical's," things like images of puppies playing, little kids trying to walk, old people in love; are some universal images that conjure up the happy thoughts inside of us all.
We have the ability to be happy all the time. We really do! We just have to make it a point to train our mind to focus on and look for thoughts, things, ideas that make us feel happy vs. the opposite.
What makes you happy?
In the video below I discuss happiness and how to create it.
I hope it helps you bring more happiness into your life.
Do either of the above sound familiar? Have you ever heard friends, family, co-workers, or yourself say either of these phrases or something similar?
I know I sure have!
Happiness is something we all want yet it seems to be so elusive for so many.
The ironic part of happiness is that it is available anywhere, at anytime, and is unlimited in the amount of it you can have.
How is that so?
Well, put simply, happiness isn't a thing, it is a state of mind. Things can stimulate our brain to produce "happy chemical's," things like images of puppies playing, little kids trying to walk, old people in love; are some universal images that conjure up the happy thoughts inside of us all.
We have the ability to be happy all the time. We really do! We just have to make it a point to train our mind to focus on and look for thoughts, things, ideas that make us feel happy vs. the opposite.
What makes you happy?
In the video below I discuss happiness and how to create it.
I hope it helps you bring more happiness into your life.
Carpe Diem,
Jesse
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Growing Patience and Making Decisions
Hi,
Without fail, two areas I consistently see people struggle in are: Decision Making and Exercising Patience.
At first I was hesitant to record a video addressing decision making and patience at the same time because sometimes excuses about being "patient" are used to justify indecision.
The reality is indecision is almost never due to being patient and collecting more info, indecision is most often born from a fear to act.
A lack of patience can be costly - think of how much time you lose to stress and anxiety... getting worked up over things you cannot control, like traffic, simply because you do not have the patience to negotiate the situation.
If you exercised patience, perhaps your experience would be a little different.
I hope you find value in this short video. In it I share some strategies I use for exercising a greater level of patience and making decisions.
Looking forward to reading your comment.
Carpe Diem,
Jesse
http://www.jessebrisendine.com
http://www.facebook.com/1year1000challenge
Without fail, two areas I consistently see people struggle in are: Decision Making and Exercising Patience.
At first I was hesitant to record a video addressing decision making and patience at the same time because sometimes excuses about being "patient" are used to justify indecision.
The reality is indecision is almost never due to being patient and collecting more info, indecision is most often born from a fear to act.
A lack of patience can be costly - think of how much time you lose to stress and anxiety... getting worked up over things you cannot control, like traffic, simply because you do not have the patience to negotiate the situation.
If you exercised patience, perhaps your experience would be a little different.
I hope you find value in this short video. In it I share some strategies I use for exercising a greater level of patience and making decisions.
Looking forward to reading your comment.
Carpe Diem,
Jesse
http://www.jessebrisendine.com
http://www.facebook.com/1year1000challenge
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)