You ever have one of those experiences where you stumble across something that totally changes your life? There is a quote that I really like that says, “We are here to teach what it is that we need to learn ourselves”. I would like to share with you how that quote played a part in the creation of my first book Brian’s List – 26 ½ Easy to Use Ideas on How to Live a Fun, Balanced, Healthy Life!
It was in early 2008 as I was struggling with the decision to leave the family business. Now for those that know me, I am a very driven person and this driven nature has served me well through the years (cross country bicycle ride, triathlons, etc.). And being the driven person that I was, I wanted to do a couple of things to figure out why I was feeling out of balance and not myself. After some contemplation I realized that I was burned out from my job. I wasn’t fulfilled there, nor was I growing anymore. I knew it was time for a change. The second thing that I did, I thought it would be a good idea to come up with a handful of ideas that I knew would keep me balanced and centered while I was going through this potential transition in my life. So I put on my self-awareness cap and wrote down 5 things on a piece of paper. From that day forward every time I began to feel out of balance or out of center, I would refer to my list and read it.
Number #1 Make sure I was drinking enough water daily.
Number #2 Make sure that I was getting some daily exercise.
Number #3 Make sure that I was getting enough sleep each night.
Number #4 Allow some time each day to have some alone time so that I could re-energize my system.
Number #5 Allow some time each day to be creative. For me being creative means to write or play my guitar.
My little plan helped me out so much as I worked through my transition that I thought hey, why don’t I expand the list and make it into a book to help others in the same way that I helped myself. So that it was I did! And boy, am I glad that I did. I learned a lot about myself in the process, I have met some amazing people at book signings and workshops, the book won a couple of awards (which I am still pinching myself) and most importantly I know that the book has helped others in the same way that I was able to help myself. And for that I am very proud. And not only that, but as I learned how to find balance in my life I began to truly realize why It is so critical to have it in our lives for many different reasons, most importantly because it gives us a solid base from which to operate. Without a solid base, it is very difficult to stay focused and move forward toward our goals and dreams. Without balance it can also be a struggle to listen to our intuition and guidance, which is crucial as we learn how to follow our hearts and move forward on our path. Another reason it is important to have balance in our everyday life is because balance makes it possible to be fully alive and to live by making choices in the moment. In balance we have the energy, attention and space in our lives to seize new opportunities. We can live proactively, not reactively.
So I think you can see how the quote “We are here to teach what it is that we need to learn ourselves” played a part in the creation of Brian’s List. As I worked on and learned how to stay in balance, my path has led me to help others do the same thing.
Where is your growth taking you? And how will you be able to help others from what you have learned about yourself?
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