Mainly Void Thoughts

A New Year has passed and people are starting to try and get back into things after a first work week. All these sad faces. But, tell you what, the year has only started. Don’t discount it just yet, just because you don’t like to do what you need to do. I know, I know, staying in bed in the morning is nice, but it sure won’t pay the bills!

Here’s the nice thing about it. It can only get better, right? What’s the point in feeling sad? Why don’t you start something right now? Something you always wanted to do? Or set something in motion, to get to do that thing you always wanted to do? Get yourself something to look forward to at the end of the day. Start planning that trip to Bali. Start saving the money you’ll need for it. Look up that new bike you want to get. What’s the point in being miserable? Life’s to bloody short to be miserable. Ain’t that right, Mr. Grumpy?

And smile.

Whatever you do, smile.

Me? I’ll be back training next week, sod the aching knees. Sure, I’ll take it easy (promise, only one shiner per session, alright?). To me, it’s a really positive thing, looking forward to getting on the mats again. Me knees have been aching for the last several months, haven’t been able to train very much, but I’ve been smiling the whole way through it and I keep looking forward to get back doing it all again. That’s what’s keeping me happy, and I don’t mean that in a way that says “it’s all keeping me happy”, because that isn’t true either. But it is one major thing for me.

I hope you have something like that in your life. Something other than either your work or even your family, that keeps you happy. Something just for you. Let’s face it, we all need something we can call our own. Something we do once in a while, just for ourselves. Something that makes us smile out of pure joy.

So, why not keep smiling for the rest of the year? Might make you remember it as one of the best years you’ve had, and only you can make it that great.

Smile.

The End of 2010 that is. It’s been some year too!

It all started in January. Myself and the missus were going to head off for a vacation in Austria, going skiing. Anticipiation has, as usual, built up and we’re itching to go! Waking up in the morning, thinking, it’s a tad chilly in here, isn’t it? Yep, 14 Celsius when we usually have no less than 18 when we wake up. Hmm, what’s up here? Hop in the clothes and walk downstairs to check if the schedule had been screwed up on the timer or what .. No, schedule is fine. We’ve got gas in the cooker (the house heating is also gas, both getting delivered through the same pipes) so that isn’t the problem. Pop on out on the balcony.. Cold.. Right, it’s -10 Celsius out .. Should have put on something more than a t-shirt! Ah well, now that I’m here anyway … Opening the door to where the boiler is and …. Yup … It has developed a sudden bout of ice-in-the-pipes and burst … Feck!

We have 2 hours left until we have to be at the airport! Luckily we found a plumber who could come out and replace our boiler, but not until the next day! Crap! Ah well, we have his number, so let’s just give him the keys to the house and pray it won’t be emptied when we get back. Thankfully, he was not just an honest fella, he was fine with waiting for payment until we got back too… All €2500 worth …

Our vacation was great though. We had a blast in the slopes and Nush was loving getting on a snowboard.

Once back I was on track to start changing my life. At the time I was working for Amazon, you know “the book people” .. Must say, I enjoyed working there, but at the same time, it was time to move on. I had at this point realized it’s not just Amazon I want to move away from, but it is the IT work as well. I was starting to get miserable to be honest. I had looked around for other things to do with my life and trying to figure out what I’d be happy doing, while it could still pay the bills. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always enjoy computers and what one can do with them, but I have realized that a hobby that I turned into a career has started to lose its lustre. You know, the very thing that makes it fun and interesting isn’t quite there any longer. Too much work and not enough play I guess is one way to sum it all up.

I’ve always enjoyed talking with people. Just having a chat, seeing how they are, you know? One thing I got to hear a lot in Amazon was that I was talking too much. Hey, it’s who I am. Having a quiet office with nobody to talk to, for me, makes the day very boring, dull and drags it out. So, talking to people was a must for anything I’d take on.

I also realized that I do take a lot of enjoyment out of helping others. I sometimes even go out of my way to help others. Sometimes even way too much out of my way. But, hey, it’s me. I like doing that, so helping others was another must to be in there. But what the heck should I do then? Didn’t really fancy looking at becoming a doctor or anything like that. I’m not one to sit in school and study. I tend to enjoy a quicker pace than most others, so sitting in school has always been way too boring for me. (I did 3 terms worth of maths in 1 term at one stage, because I was bored …)

Alternative medicine however has always seemed interesting to me. So, I started looking at what is happening in that area. You’ve got your Homeopaths, your Acupuncturists, Massage Therapists, Chiropractors and so on .. None of those felt to be something for me … But then .. I stumbled upon something …

Hypnotherapy. But, what the heck is it? You hypnotize someone and then what? Well, I decided I should look closer. It seemed very interesting, lots of different things you could help people with. The whole concept started mesmerizing me. (Funny that!)

So, I went for an introductory course. I was hooked after the first day. Amazing, absolutely amazing. So, I went and took the full course as well and I’m now RC Hyp, Dip Hyp (or in English: Registered and Certified Hypnotherapist, Diploma Hypnotherapist).

In between starting my course and finishing it, I decided I needed to move along with the rest of my life as well and resigned from Amazon. I needed some change of scenery. So I started working for an Investment Bank down in the IFSC (International Financial district in Dublin). Well, not much to say there other than I decided to not continue the whole probation period. SIG and myself went separate ways after 5 months.

Good news there is, more vacation time was had! While I had just quit from Amazon, we decided to go on another ski trip, this time to Arinsal in Andorra. Very nice spot!

Was also over in Sweden over the summer to see my dad and the kids. As always, way too short a stay.

Once I got my Diploma in Hypnotherapy I started looking around to see how I can get my own clinic up and running. Seemingly, this is quite easy here in Ireland. Setting up a clinic that is. It’s getting the clients that’s the crux of the matter. Most clients one would get is through referrals, and how do you get referrals? By treating someone. So, friends and colleagues have been in and the odd client has started popping in. It’s a slow trickle, but it’s getting there.

While the clinic is slowly spinning up I have started working at a company called National Instruments. It’s a really nice company with offices all over the world. Sure, I am still in IT, but I am now working for a company who puts their employees at the forefront. Couldn’t be happier.

First thing they asked as I started was if I could go to the US for two weeks. Of course I can! Excellent! Two weeks in Austin Texas, just as the snow had started coming down over Dublin! -10 Celsius here in Dublin while I enjoyed 24 Celsius in Texas.

I got to meet the team over there, got a much better understanding of the environment, had storage training and squeezed in as many meetings as I could.

Not to mention, I got a chance to train while I was over there as well! Brilliant! So I not only made some new friends at work, I made some new friends outside of work as well.

I’ve learn’t a lot this year. Not just by getting my Diploma, but also about myself, about Martial Arts and so many other things it’s almost scary to sit here and reminisce.

Now, there’s only a few days left of this year. So few one could just count the hours if one wanted. But why sit here and reminisce over what is ending? As with anything else in life, your perceptions will constantly guide you. Instead, look forward to the new beginnings that are about to form. Most people see the New Year as a new start. A way to kick start things. A start for that thing that you really should do. Quit smoking for example. Or perhaps you’re looking to start exercising more? Perhaps a new job is waiting for you? A New Year holds many promises for the future.

But, here’s the kicker … Why don’t you make every day just like that? I found new beginnings several times over the last year. All weren’t good, but some will stay with me for a very long time.

Here’s to new beginnings! Cheers folks!

What makes someone a hero? Going to a foreign land, gun in hand, fighting a cause determined by his superiors? What cause is worth fighting for? Who’s cause? Why should you  fight for someone else? What is so important you have to go to a foreign land?

Media is filled these days with news about “terrorists”. Someone trying to make a living is a terrorist? Someone fighting for food and their own survival is a terrorist? What truly makes a terrorist a terrorist? Because someone labels them as such or because of the actions they take? What makes a soldier different to a terrorist?

On this time of the year, I am always thinking of those less fortunate than myself. Those without a big ham on their table. Those without heating. Those without a roof over their heads or even shelter. Those are the people to fight for. The rights of those people as well as the rights of myself. My rights as a human being are worth no more than a home less person. Worth no less.

So, what really makes a hero? Is a hero someone that stands guard over the vast opium fields in Afghanistan, because some government told them to? Is a hero someone that hands out food to the homeless? Which do you think is the bigger hero of the two?

Is a hero someone that convinces this lonely, tired, desperate person not to take their own life this Christmas? Is it someone that helps an elderly person across the street? Is a hero someone that aims a weapon at a religious gathering and fires rockets across borders, killing indiscriminately?

Typing this out, it seems obvious who are the real heroes. Watching the news bites however, I do not see heroes. I see soldiers carrying out orders from people who do not care who dies, as long as their objectives are carried out.

Where is your battle field? Who and what are you fighting for?

Personally, I find that guarding an opium field is just wrong. Burn the thing down instead!

A 5 year old, fighting cancer is much more heroic. Pick your battles in life and pick them well, they are what defines you and what you stand for. Let’s make a better world. Help your neighbour dig their car from under the snow. Spend an hour handing out food in a shelter. This is Christmas! Opium fields have never helped anyone but those making money out of them. Look after your family instead and your much more the hero. Help someone get home to see their family.

Being a hero starts every day you wake up. Every time you can make someones day better, you’re a hero. Every time you can help someone pack their grocery bags, you’re a hero.

To me, a fire fighter is a hero. An ambulance driver. A nurse. Those are heroes.

People guarding opium fields are just guards. People fighting over the opium fields are just thieves and thugs. People firing rockets into weddings, over borders, into civilian population, these are not heroes.

The police and rescue services who tried saving lives at a disaster are heroes. If you’ve ever helped anyone to get to a hospital or get medical attention, you’re a hero.

In other words, looking after your fellow man makes you a hero. Standing up for what is right makes you a hero. Disobeying an order to fire at innocents while you are wearing a uniform makes you a hero.

Be a hero this Christmas. It is not that hard. You just have to do something with love towards someone you love, or someone you have just met. You don’t even need to know their name. You just have to show compassion, and isn’t that what Christmas really is about?

Christmas isn’t really about getting lots of presents. It’s about becoming a hero to someone. Someone who needs you.

First time I’m writing a book review, so I’ll start off with a caveat actually. Similar to the one the author gives himself, funnily enough!

When it comes to your own security or the security of those you hold dear, do not take any advise at face value. Make sure it actually works when you do need to use it. Everything that is written or that you see is not necessarily true. Just because it is in a book or on TV doesn’t mean it is half as good as they make it out to be. Don’t hazard your own or others lives on something you haven’t tested!

Having said that, I find this book to give a very interesting insight into the minds and behaviours of various types of personas that may want to try to take your worldly possessions (or life) off your hands.

Here we have a book written by Sgt. Rory Miller, a guy who has worked, and still is, in high security prisons as a security guard. His resume is impressive, but it is already in the book so if you’re curious, read the book. Let’s just say, I personally think he has the qualifications to speak on the subject.

There is a big discrepancy to what is taught in a regular dojo versus what you may encounter outside the dojo. Firstly, in the dojo, you are training with your mates. They usually won’t try to hurt you, at least not too badly. Even if they do swing a sharp blade at you, their behaviour is slightly different to how they would swing at someone unknown to them, who they do mean to harm. It would be highly unusual if they actually tried to do you physical harm in the dojo. This difference is what underpins the entire book and goes through, in high detail why this is, what you will found “on the outside” and what you really need to consider when you run into the really nasty people who have zero regard for your (and others) life.

Believe what you will about your fellow man, but do remember, you are quite possibly entirely wrong when you place any assumptions on how someone will behave when faced with a life threatening situation. Including your own self. There is no substitute for experiencing a situation where your life depends on your immediate, accurate and correct response. Not even training in a dojo where you’ll have a whole bunch of others (usually friends) who attack you.

This is highlighted very much throughout the book, and one assumption after another is torn to shreds. I especially find the chapter on predators a big eye opener. I mean, you try to think the best of people, but there is some seriously screwed up people out there too. It reminded me why I do train, and it will make me train both slightly differently as well as harder.

In any case, if you do train in a dojo and you have never really been in a fight on the streets, then you should really read this book. If you train for competition and think you can stand on your own two feet in a fight, you should really read this. There is nothing like deceiving yourself into believing you can take on anyone, anytime, anywhere. Reality is, you may not even see them coming.

So, read this, as it definitely has opened my eyes. It has given me some ideas and has certainly changed my training.

You can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Violence-Comparison-Martial-Training/dp/1594391181/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292788459&sr=1-1

One thing that people usually forget is that everything you have learnt and will learn in life can be applied not just to the subject matter in which is was learnt, but in any other subject matter you encounter in life. You can learn something about cars and use that same principle in lots of other areas too, if you just listen to the lesson and grasp the principle behind it.

As you probably know, I train in a Martial Art. How can principles learnt while fighting someone be applied to anything else in life? It’s quite simple really. All you really need is a little bit of imagination. I will here touch on three completely different subject areas, but I will take one principle and apply it appropriately to each area. Let’s pick a lesson from Martial Arts, then apply some imagination and then I’ll let you use your own imagination as we take that same lesson into something every human thinks about, sex.

Yes, you read that right! I’m sure you’re now thinking that this will end up being some sado-masocisthic blog post, right? Not at all. Quite on the contrary actually! The subject areas could really be anything, but this may show you some contrasts and commonalities and how your own imagination can transform your life.

When you start training in a Martial Art, you’ll be shown basics and you’ll likely be told that the basics are the most important techniques you’ll learn. Practice your basics and higher level techniques will then also become better. I can tell, your imagination is already skipping forward. So, hang in there and we’ll get to that in a moment.

So, let’s use our imagination a bit and consider the above fact. If you really think of it, the above statement holds true in anything you want to get better in. It could be some topic at work, some sport you train or compete in, even cooking. Take each component in whatever subject matter you wish and you will see that if you can get the basics right and improve your skills the end result will also be so much better, right?

Take this into the context of being with your partner then. Remember your first kiss? It was probably shit if you think of it objectively. But through the years, hopefully, you get more chances to practice that technique and eventually your skills in kissing someone improves. Should you stop trying to get better? Nah, why should you? That’s no fun right?

Next thing that your Martial Arts instructor will probably tell you a lot is to slow it down. This is so you can more easily see, feel and understand what the technique itself has to teach you. You’ll find openings in yourself where you are vulnerable, openings in your opponent where you can strike, weird or interesting angles that changes what opportunities you have or not have. It’ll show you at what points you’re doing something right, but more importantly where you are doing something wrong.

Using your imagination next, let’s consider something that a lot of people do. At a certain age you can start driving a car. You’ll be driving in lots of different road conditions and weather conditions. On a dry road it is very easy to keep high speeds and still be in control. Driving fast is not necessarily a mark on you being a good driver. As adverse weather rolls in controlling the car safely becomes harder as it may lose traction a lot sooner and easier. Roads that has water on them are not as safe as a dry road. Roads with icy spots are yet again not as safe as a wet road. Roads with thick ice and a bit of snow on top is less safe again. The key then to drive safely is not to be driving fast, but to drive at a speed where you can safely control your vehicle. Look at Ireland recently. Slow down and you’ll much sooner notice when the road becomes unsafe or when the car is starting to lose traction. If you slow down, you can then control the car and take yourself out of a potentially lethal situation. Driving fast will more than likely get you injured or killed.

Now, if we take this into the realm of sex, I’m sure you can already see direct correlations here. Lads, how many times have you had a woman tell you to slow it down and not just jump in there? Again, slowing things down will make it much easier for you to figure out what makes your partner tick, sigh, squirm and enjoy what you’re doing.

Everyone that starts in a Martial Art will at some stage be told to relax. In the dojo you will find someone that is very rigid and really goes at it with lots of force and strength. Also known as “being martial”. Doing this will probably hold you back eventually and eventually you’ll not progress and get any better at what you do. Your techniques may look good, but you may find yourself getting beaten when ending up sparring or worst case on the streets in a real fight.

Let’s consider a punch, aimed at your belly. Your natural reaction is to tense up as you receive the punch and more than likely you’ll get winded. All because you’re tensing up, you lock up your entire body. Once the air rushes out of your lungs, that fight is over. If you instead relax your abdomen a bit you can absorb a lot of the force and thereby not get winded. As you haven’t locked up your body you can also move out of the way to a much safer position, leading to you staying in the fight or surviving a potentially lethal situation.

Again, taking this into the context of sex, what can you learn here? Well, if you tense up you’re also losing control of your body in this situation as well! It becomes harder to breathe for example. If you relax, you could enjoy the moment for longer and thereby have more stamina and definitely a much nicer experience.

Another thing that is said to us in the dojo is that soke never does the same technique twice. Soke is the japanese word for Grand Master. He is the person who decides what direction the Martial Art is taking and so on. He is therefore a very important person in any Martial Art. But why doesn’t he do the same technique twice? Well, no two situations are the same. Not even if you practice the same technique over and over again. Each time a strike or kick is making its way towards you, there will always be slight differences. Learning to use those differences to ones advantage is a key factor. If you end up on the street in a fight and you expect your opponent to behave in some specific pattern, you’ll end up on the ground bleeding. No person reacts exactly the same as any other person. Not even if the same thing happens twice in a row as they have learnt something from the first time it happened to them.

Let’s consider something that Einstein once said: “The height of insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting a different outcome.” He mean this in the context of science and expecting different test results from the same tests. Science is very absolute in this regard, but so is expectations, which is a very relative term. In order for you to get a different test result, you have to change the test in some way. Could be simply slightly different mix of ingredients or perhaps adding or removing some component. What is important to understand here is that the second time you do the same thing, the result is already known and can be expected to be just what it was the first time. You should expect this, because others will expect this as well. Something needs to change for it to be different.

Again, this also holds true when it comes to sex. Keep on doing the same thing over and over again become boring. Really boring. Eventually you may even have a schedule when you’ll have sex. Does this sound like fun? Does this sound like something you’ll want to have for the rest of your life? Nah, not only change what you do, but when, how and where. You’ll have lots more fun that way, right?

So, to those of you training in Martial Arts, what other lessons and principles can you apply to your daily life that you learn in the dojo? What lessons from your every day life can you apply to Martial Arts?

Those of you not training Martial Arts, what lessons have you learnt at work that you can use at home?

To all of you, remember this, your imagination is the most powerful force you have at your disposal. You can imagine anything you want and if you work towards that imagined goal, eventually you’ll get there, and as I showed above, there might be some fun along the way too!

Never forget, everything you have learnt so far you can use any way you see fit. All you need to do is being open to new ideas. Both your own and others.

Hopefully this learnt you something, but more importantly I hope this may open new doors in your life and shine a light on that something you want to have improved and given you some ideas on what you can do to get it resolved.

You want to be successful in what you do? You want to “be the best”? You want to have all your dreams come true? Most people tend to answer yes to these questions.

Are you willing to do what it takes to achieve those goals? Are you willing to put in the effort required to get there? Again, most people say yes here too. Only one problem, people generally do not realise the effort they may have to go through and how hard that road might become.

If you take a look at those that are really successful in what they do, no matter what it is they do, you’ll find a few select things they all have in common. First and foremost is the fact that they just never quit, never give up, no matter what they are faced with. They get knocked on the head and fall down, they’ll be right up on their feet again, getting back in there again, again and again.

I’ve heard a couple of quotes which fit very well in here, and I’ll also add a video, which actually is the reason I’m posting this in the first place. Take these quotes and remember them, saying them to yourself when you’re starting to falter. Because you will falter. We all do at some stage.

“There is no failure, only feedback.” – Milton H Erickson

“It’s not how many time you fall down, it’s how many times you get back up again.” – Unknown, references appreciated!
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” ~Japanese Proverb

“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender [...]” – Winston Churchill [Full speech]

“Do it with a smile!” – Sensei (you know who you are, Domo arigato)

Now, here’s the video.

You have probably been told, and likely still believe, that your brain was only allotted a certain number of “brain cells” and that once gone that your brain would never be able to recoup those lost entities.

Scientific studies have revealed over the last decade this simply isn’t true. You can actually not only regain “lost” brain cells, but you can also change different parts of the brain. Simply put, your brain adapts to the excercises you put it through. For example, if you are studying for an exam, the parts of your brain that are involved in learning and memory retention grow and become more dense, effectively making you more adept at learning and retaining new skills and knowledge.

But, when does these new parts of the brain form and can you do anything to help it along?

In an average person, the brain “regenerates” or “grows” when you’re asleep. In other words, when your conscious mind has gone to bed and your subconscious mind is at its peak of its working day. So, this in turn tells us something else, if you let your conscious mind “go to sleep” and you simply let your subconscious mind do what it needs, you can then allow this to happen, even when you are not asleep.

But how can you get into such a state then? Well, you could consider the notion of day dreaming, meditation, self-hypnosis etc. which could also be called by the term “trance state”. No, I do not mean in the sense of doing a seanse looking for dead people, but rather a very common state which an average person actually enters, normally, several times through the day.

If you consider those times you’ve driven to work, but can’t remember anything of the drive, apart from going into and getting out of the vehicle, this is what I am talking about. You’ve simply let your subconcious mind drift away processing whatever it needs to process.

You can, as noted above, also use meditation or self-hypnosis for the same purposes. In actual fact, some research has claimed that from a 20 minute meditation session, your brain has then created a new synapse, a complete neural pathway representing a specific “thing” (emotional connection, memory association, etc. etc.)…

If you’re curious about reading more about this, I found a decent starting place, which includes further references. It is a student paper, so itself is an introduction for those who want the scientific references and data.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/3932

Here we have a nice little topic that can stretch on forever and contain so many “don’t do this or that” finger wagging “lessons”. However, this is not my goal at all with this post. Instead I’d like to try to convey a few things I’ve learnt on this but mostly what I still have to learn. (Isn’t it great to know the path ahead?)

I often find myself thinking, saying or even writing not so, should we say, favourable things about something (or even someone). Let’s be honest here shall we, at one point or another in life, we all think, say or do something not too nice about or to someone else. We’ve all called someone a “complete and utter waste of the air he breathes”. If you haven’t you’re either a saint or have lived an extremely sheltered life. That or you are just lying to yourself.

I try to be balanced and objective as much as I can. However, even such an exercise can lead me down the path of not being very polite. On one end of the spectrum something nice is said. Try to be objective, one also should highlight the negatives right? The “problem space” here isn’t about highlighting something negative, but how and what is highlighted.

Example: “He’s a complete and utter arsehole, but he sure knows a thing or two about this subject!”

In one sense I am here saying just what I feel, “he’s an arsehole”, which isn’t very nice of me is it? It may be as true as it wants, but the arse here is actually me. On the other side of the spectrum is me applauding this persons skills in something. That’s a heck of a lot nicer of me, but really shows more of the value this person holds.

This is where humility comes in. Which is the more important point here? That this person I am talking about is an arse, or that he knows something valuable? Quite simple isn’t it? But the above example easily demonstrates thought patterns and emotions that are quite easily stirred when one meets someone that may not be someone you take an instant liking to. From here it becomes very easy to just attach your own emotions to the negative. How come? What’s the point really?

Do you recognise yourself here? If you do, remember this: THIS IS A TRAP! Fall into this hole and if you “ventilate” these thoughts to anyone else all you accomplish is to dig a nice deep hole for yourself. Perhaps deep enough you can’t crawl back out again. Trust me, I’ve done this on a few occassions and neither of those have been pretty and certainly haven’t helped me in any way.

My suggestions here is quite simple. You have a couple of choices at this point.

1. If you have no use for the skills this person possess, simply ignore him/her. If you can gain no benefit, all you will gain is detrimental to your own success in life.
2. If you can gain or have use of this persons skills, feel free to utilize those skills as appropriate. Just make damn sure to remember to simply ignore the personality differences. In some cases you may even be able to express and agree with the individual you do not like each other, but that you can still work together on something. This latter usually only works if there is benefit for both parties.
3. Never, ever, let your emotional dilemma become an anchor around your own neck. Turn any negatives away and lift up the positives instead! You can truly achieve some amazing feats in life and only you are the one that can achieve them. You have absolutely nothing to gain through pursuing negative emotions or thoughts.

To me, this is what humility really is: a vessel that let’s you overcome obstacles in life and let’s you persevere through anything life throws at you.

No, I’m not saying you should become a monk or a nun. Sure, religion advocates humility, but it is not necessarily something that is possible to attain just for religious people.

I consider this “spiritual”, which you can be without being religious. To be more precise, I consider this “being of your spirit”. This is how I use the term “spiritual”, in reference to my own “spirit” and not in terms of religion.

I find this a very interesting question. Mostly because, for me, the answer has changed over time, and it keeps on changing. How come? Is it because I just think about it and keep redefining what is important in life? Is it because there’s things that affect my outlook, or am I just getting older and therefore my priorities are changing?

Whatever it is, something is changing, and to be honest I really don’t care what it is. I care much more about the answer to the question than the underlying reasons. Because the answer to the question is the important piece here. The answer to that one question shapes the rest of your personal little world, and what you’ll be doing with your life.

For me, especially over the last couple of years, this answer has changed, quite significantly. I’ve discovered and rediscovered a lot of things about myself. Those discoveries in turn have then changed how I look upon myself, people around me and in some cases some of my very core values have been re-evaluated and redefined.

Because I have done this, my life has slowly changed and it is now getting to a point where I’ll be standing at a major cross road where I’ll have to make a decision. A fairly big one which will change my life, yet again, in a big way. In a sense I have already made up my mind and all that is left is timing. That and the slight shiver down my spine in making such a big jump.

What has gotten me to this place in my life then? Well, in a way, I’ve already told you. I’ve re-evaluated what is important to me in my life. I just didn’t say what that is yet.

There’s actually a couple of things which has always been something I have enjoyed and gotten much gratification from. It has been studying people and how they behave along with the gratification you get from helping someone else.

Imagine the things you can do with your life and how happy it can make you feel if you could combine the things you truly enjoy and incorporate those into your everyday. How liberating would that be for you?

For myself, I already know this: if I can do what truly means something to me and which I also truly get happiness from doing, I’ll take that chance if I can go and grab it.

So, ask yourself: “What drives me? What motivates me? What makes me truly happy?”