Would you wake up different if you had to wake up to a Fire Alarm every morning?
When most people wake up, it takes them a while for them to switch from walking on all fours to walking upright. They have very little zest or passion running in their veins to make them wanna leap off their beds with a triple backflip and a song.
And that’s primarily because they have switched their life expectations from “Shark mode” to “Safe mode”. The “Safe Mode” zone (also referred to as the “Comfort zone”) is a dark place surrounded by frogs and lizards with sad cinematic music playing in the background all day long.
And yet, just a few years ago they were as ambitious as Wile E Coyote was when he first set his eyes on the Roadrunner. They had a succulent dream in their hearts and were hopeful that someday…it would come to pass. But then they landed their first ever job. And after several years of sprinting wildly on that slippery treadmill, they had finally convinced themselves that this is as good as life will ever get. And that the “good life” just falls on the select few like Geese that lose control of their steering in midair.
But is that really the case?
If you take time to read a handful of the thousands of success stories that come to life every single day, you’ll notice that a huge majority of these folks actually started with nothing more than a Toothbrush, a Heart Rate Monitor (to let themselves know that they’re still alive) and a few bucks to their names. In fact, some Billionaires and Millionaires have even had their share of homelessness at some point.
So, how do these folks rise to great heights with very little going for them?
1. They had a dream. And they were hungry enough to wrestle, chew, hiss and claw at that dream until it came to pass.
2. They somehow came to the realization that success is not much different to constructing a large building with their bare paws one brick at a time. And all they needed was the knowhow to lay the cement and the bricks right way so that the whole thing didn’t come tumbling down on their heads (and possibly ruining their hairstyles).
3. They also realized that wealth is nothing more than a sweet side effect of providing a high-quality product or service that was helpful, ethical and cocaine-free, that people would be thrilled to pay for.
4. They had two “unconditionally” loving Parents by their side who loved each other just as much.
There’s nothing more rewarding to a Child than to have both their biological Parents by their side, showing them “how to live, love, dance, giggle, burp, sneeze, do headstands and just enjoy life”.
5. They didn’t have a false idol/role model imparting their “clueless” wisdom on them, making them feel “worthless”, “hopeless” and “helpless” for much of their lives.
6. They hit a series of brick walls and came to the realization that they should either stick with public transportation for the rest of their lives or they should find a way to step up and play bold
7. The closest thing they had to “living a cozy life” was spending a couple of nights in a Cave next to a hibernating Bear and several hundred bats.
Interestingly enough, there’re very few people on this Planet that check all of the boxes. So, if you’re not as prosperous (in your health, wealth, and relationships) as you deserve to be, then chances are you didn’t either (just like myself).
And that’s why the Universe came up with a “Plan B” …
Now, plan B isn’t as bad as it sounds. In fact, in the long run, it can work out be the better deal as you get to learn a great deal more and become adept in a whole plethora of invaluable and transformational subject areas such as Business, Life and more importantly… Bowling.
The Plan B route is primarily about Self-growth and Self-discovery.
So, it’s not exclusive for those who missed Plan A by any means. In fact, Self-Growth is as essential to Humans as yarn is for Kittens.
Plan B (the “I can’t believe it’s not Plan A” plan)
So, you missed the first flight through no fault of your own. Rumor has it that the Pilot saw you coming and decided to just take off…fast.
And now you’re still at the Airport trying profusely to make a full recovery with an uninterrupted supply of Donuts and Coffee. It almost feels like someone stole the whiskers right off your face, without you even realizing it.
So, is that the end of the mighty Caped Internet Surfer?
Or will there be a juicier… more action packed sequel to follow?
Well…according to the writer (i.e. myself) there is.
In fact, losing the first flight could have well been a blessing in disguise, as your second flight comes with a free upgrade, Qualified Pilots who aren’t terrified of flying, seatbelts, and a generous supply of…water.
So wipe away all that donut dust off your face, strap on your shoelaces, throw your Pet Alligator into your carryon and get ready for your comeback!
Preparing for takeoff
Wait! You can’t just hop on the Plane in your onesie and take off like that. You have to first make sure that the runway is clear of any potentially harmful debris such as popcorn, pistachio shells, chewing gum wrappers, toothpicks, cheeseballs and the occasional hairball. And that there isn’t the slightest chance of bumping into any Puppies, Kittens, Giraffes or tap-dancing Elephants during takeoff.
It also helps to have enough fuel in the tank to take you to your destination. And to maybe bring along a qualified Pilot or two, in case the steering isn’t as easy as it looks.
Then there’s the food, the beverage, the entertainment, the disco lighting, the pet-friendly sleeping quarters and a ton of safety precautions that need to be taken into consideration.
So, every journey that you plan to complete (with your limbs intact), requires some solid groundwork upfront. And the journey of success is no exception to the rule.
So, here’s what your pre-takeoff checklist should look like on a good day:
1. The minute the alarm starts buzzing, superglue a smile over that frown, kill the buzzer (without actually killing the Alarm) and then take a few minutes to thank your Wonderful Creator for all the good things he’s done in your life (however small they may seem).
If you are convinced that there’s nothing absolutely nothing to be thankful for, how about thanking him for the clean air that you breathe, the clean water that you drink, the roof over your head and the fact that you didn’t wake up on the Dinner plate of a Rhinoceros whose given up Veganism for the weekend?
Our Creator works by a freakishly simple set of rules that I commonly refer to as “Supernatural 4G”. He doesn’t care about your “brand” of religion or the lack of it. But he does have a soft spot for “sincere and consistent Gratitude” (i.e. the stuff that comes straight from your heart).
2. Hydrate yourself with 2-7 glasses of water. But sip it down slowly as you may end up looking and feeling like a Goldfish for a couple of hours otherwise.
Aside from the boost in energy and mood, this one simple ritual may prevent you from having to spend your whole workday in the Bathroom. And from walking around with a whole bunch of “stuff” that belongs elsewhere.
3. Have a couple of non-citrus fruits (preferably with some raw organic honey and cinnamon) to neutralize any acid left in your stomach from the night before.
Stomach acid can lead to all kinds of gut and heart wrenchingly painful medical conditions, of which the worst is “dreadful dancing” followed up immediately with a series of yelps and mews. By the way, these intermittent dances are so bad that you could actually end up being arrested for them in certain parts of the World.
4. Do a 15-30-minute high-intensity workout to flush out any stress, anxiety and any soap bubbles left in your system from the day before.
In addition to all the look good and feed good benefits associated with exercise, it also serves as the daily magic pill responsible for keeping out 99% of those nasty diseases at bay.
But if the longest distance you’ve run in years is between your Kitchen and the Living Room, then you may wanna start out with a slow 10-minute walk around the block. And then gradually transition into an awesome fitness program like P90X3 over the course of 6-12 months.
Take your time, though. If you go down the “overnight success” route as most people do, you’ll most likely spend half your time holding your teeth together and spend the other half looking for any teeth that may have fallen out during a previous workout.
5. Take a relaxing bath or shower to really wind down after the workout. And feel free to use some essential oils and some Dead Sea salts if you decide to go with a bath. The candles, the rose petals, and the flute music are entirely optional.
6. Meditate for 15-30 minutes each day to unleash the “force within”, but without any of that Toe chopping swordplay.
Regardless of the Brand of Meditation you go with, it allows you to disconnect yourself from the outside World and connect with yourself in a very uplifting and contently manner. And with daily practice, you could empty your mind to the point that you start feeling almost weightless, carefree and a little bit floaty.
I personally prefer the “Mindfulness of Breathing”, “The Loving Kindness Meditation”, the “Relaxation Response” and LifeFlow.
But if you’re new to the practice or prefer to take the lazy route, then just go with LifeFlow by Project Meditation, as it’s about as plug and play as it gets.
7. Eat the right stuff all day long – Much of what we call food today is actually what gets left behind, after all, the “real foods” have been stripped, shaken and squeezed out of much of their nutrients.
If that isn’t bad enough, we then spend an extra hour or two cooking the “remainder” to ensure that they have about as much energy in them as a Plush Toy.
Processed foods taste better and are highly addictive, much like drugs but with less “purification”.
On top of that, they give us an “instant high” that can last up to about an hour before the sensation eventually subsides, leaving us feeling like “flour doughs”. And if we eat that stuff long enough, we’ll even look the part.
But it doesn’t stop there. Processed foods also contribute to more than half of the diseases known to Man.
Whilst Processed Foods are busy scrumptiously killing us softly, drugs (both the legal and illegal variety) sneakily start snipping away at the remainder of the threads that have us hanging on to dear life.
And interestingly enough it’s the legal stuff that’s far more lethal (statistically) than the illegal stuff. For instance, cigarettes kill more than 6 million smokers every year and about 600,000 “innocent folks” who were just busy playing “Solitaire” next door; whilst Alcohol kills around 2.5 million people every year.
And that’s not taking into account the millions of folks out there (the ones who didn’t die) that are suffering from all kinds of medical conditions resulting from nicotine, alcohol, catnip and other drugs.
Now in case you’re wondering what real foods are, they’re basically what our Amazing Creator replenishes this planet with every single day i.e. fresh fruits, vegetables, greens, nuts, and seeds. You can throw in a few eggs and some fresh milk into the mix as well (although they’re not the best of choices given that we’re biologically designed as boring old herbivores).
So all you have to do is transition over to eating fresh produces (in the form of egg salads and delicious smoothies) for 6 full days a week, have glass of water every hour and workout for 15-30 minutes every day (even if it’s a slow/powerwalk) and neither you or the mirror will be able to recognize who you are in just 6 months…not just in the way you look, but in terms of how incredibly youthful you feel. And you can pity the fools who don’t realize how easy it is.
8. Drink a glass of water every hour – Don’t think of Water as just a “refreshing drink”. See it more as the “ultimate cleaning fluid”.
You don’t plug a keg of Beer to the Washing Machine when you want to get you get your Laundry done. You don’t rinse your mouth with Orange Juice after you get done brushing your teeth. And you certainly don’t find regular folks filling their bathtubs with Dr. Pepper.
So, the real purpose of drinking water is to “rinse the gut” from the inside out with hopes that much of what you put in gets “flushed” out the system the very next day (along with any seashells that you may have accumulated recently).
And if you don’t drink enough of it, it’s safe to assume that there’s still gonna be a donut or a few dozen getting left behind.
Now, the easiest way to know that you’re getting of this beautiful stuff is to check the “flow” from time to time. If the flow is “clear”, then it’s safe to assume that none of the pipelines on the inside are clogged and that you’re fully hydrated. And if you aim to drink one glass of water every hour, you should be able to maintain that and have your engines purring along at their optimum…all day long.
Also, keep in mind that “processed foods” and “animal proteins” don’t always get flushed out naturally because our Bodies don’t have a clue what to do with them half the time. But that’s rarely the case with Fresh Produces, which is why you’ll start losing weight at a healthy pace the minute you make the transition and step into the light.
9. Be energetic and purposeful –Our Mind listens to the Body more often than it listens to the Spouse. So, if your mind is trying to tell you that you can’t do something or that you’re exhausted (which rarely happens when you’ve been living on raw foods for a while), then you can always trick it into believing otherwise.
For instance, if you walk at a reasonably rapid pace with a spring in your step and a smile bright enough to land a Toothpaste Commercial (even though in reality you feel like a donut that just got run over by a bulldozer), then your mind will eventually start believing the reality that your Body is portraying.
Likewise, when you sit upright, talk with confidence and work like there’s a pot of Gold waiting for you at the end of the rainbow, your mind will stop bickering and just follow suit.
One of the most powerful ways of “training” your mind into thinking positive, is to flood it with images and messages of hope regularly. And to have a few inspiring images, songs and videos at hand to call upon whenever your mind even thinks about acting up.
10. Outsource all your negativity to the most pessimistic person you know – And then don’t stop saying anything negative about anyone or anything, unless the other person can “genuinely” offer a sound solution.
For instance, if you have a very wiggly nose and you go to see your Doctor about it, you can’t just tell him/her that you’re feeling absolutely fine and just wish the problem away.
Likewise, if there’s a leak in the Roof you can’t just assume that it’s a figment of your imagination and wait till the whole house turns into one giant indoor swimming pool.
But if it’s something the other person cannot help resolve, then just don’t say anything at all.
Words are like magnets. You draw in the reality that you speak about and put into action consistently. That’s why the two most effective players (regardless of the faith) are “please” and “thank you (in advance)”. But use the “please” part sparingly as nobody loves listening to a recording of a series of complaints and whimpers played on a loop. And yet, we somehow manage to make time to listen to a word “praise”.
This pre-takeoff plan might not sound like much on the surface. But it’s as important as having all the Aircraft’s wheels fitted in properly before taking off. Otherwise, it’s likely to be a very short trip.
Also take it easy with the implementation/integration part. And aim to adopt just one of these habits into your daily ritual at a time. So whenever something feels close to impossible (whatever it is), bring it down a few notches and start again. The human anatomy is designed to grow slowly, which may be why we don’t see that many 5-year-old Rocket Scientists or World Leaders.
Much like in a Marathon, the slower your start, the steadier your pace, the stronger your finish will be.
So once you have the pre-takeoff part down, you should be clear for…(drumroll)…takeoff!
The “Who’s your Daddy” comeback plan:
1. Identify all the areas that you would like to see improve –
So you have a broken relationship, a broken toenail and a broken financial plan (hypothetically).
Not a pretty sight. But, the diagnosis is half the cure.
2. Decide upon the most vital and urgent area that needs improving
Most folks would grab the most “life threatening concern” of the three and start there. And then, when they’ve resolved that they’ll move on to the next and so forth. But in real-life this strategy can backfire very badly because it’s not much different to brushing your favorite tooth every day whilst neglecting the rest. And that’s not a good thing, even in the short-term.
For instance, if you spend a couple of months nursing your toenail back to good health and don’t spend enough time to have a giggle and a tickle with your spouse every day, then it’s only a matter of time before those “seeds of neglect” turn into a full-fledged, fire-breathing, relationship rattling monster with a ferocious appetite for Chaos and Chocolates.
On the flipside, if you don’t get your finances under control, it’s just as likely to mess up your relationships, your health, your hairstyle and the psychological wellbeing of your Pets.
So what’s the solution to this extremely hair frizzing dilemma? The solution is…Balance (in your Relationships, Health, Wealth, and Spirituality).
Now, normally we would slice the Cake into four equal pieces and devote the same amount of time for each of the quadrants.
But if one or more areas require more time and attention for whatever reason, we would then adjust the time allotment for the quadrants by their level of priority.
Okay. Let’s say, you have an Alligator by your feet applying Peanut Butter on your Toes in preparation for a crunchy snack, while you’re on the phone with your spouse. Sure, you love your Spouse. But losing your Toes can dramatically affect your sex appeal and may even make it a tiny bit difficult to walk. So, you would put the phone down in order to take care of the more “pressing matter” first.
3. Come up with a 12-month growth plan
Magnificence can only be designed and sculpted over time with patience, persistence, and love. And any journey worth completing must be accompanied with some kind of roadmap.
So, if you woke up this morning from a nightmare that fully illustrated how hazardous excess Body Mass can be to your health and how it can “put those fairy lights out for good” in as little as 10 years, then you would come up with a “real” game plan to shed some pounds, without shedding an ounce off your smile.
And you would use something like the “Kaizen Fusion game plan to lasting weight loss” to bring yourself out of the darkness and into a life filled with bright sunny days, rainbows, butterflies and the occasional Porcupine.
And since “reading” and “doing” still aren’t recognized as synonyms of one another, you would grab yourself a Monthly Planner, mark down a few simple and doable milestones in there (something like one mini-goal per week/ month) and then get to work.
Also given that your Dog ate the last Monthly Planner, you would be sure to stick this somewhere visible and away from any Pets that have an insatiable “appetite for knowledge”.
4. Get to work – Err…this is the part where you start doing the work.
5. Stay at it until you get the desired result or until your toes fall off (whichever happens first)
6. Grab two more areas that you would like to see improve and repeat steps 2 to 5
7. Never stop mewing forward
