“You alone are responsible for what you do, don’t do, or how you respond to what’s done to you.”
– Darren Hardy
it’s your own damn fault. No excuses.
This is my favorite mug. I love it. I have loved it since I got it. About 7 years ago I was feeling stuck. Life was going well, and I was grateful for the unique experiences I had already had. My expectations though, of what life should be at age 35, were not my reality. The company I was working for at the time made huge investments in its people and our development. They had partnerships with many big names in the personal development world- one of which was Darren Hardy, former publisher of SUCCESS magazine and author of The Compound Effect. He’d spent hundreds of hours through his career interviewing some of the most successful folks in various industries. I had the opportunity to hear him speak to our staff a few times, and to attend one of his leadership success workshops in San Diego. I remember he spoke about how in his work, he wanted to discover what made these ultra-successful people tick and perhaps, whether there were things they all shared in common. He’s a no-nonsense type advisor and mentor. His hard-hitting approach is not always my favorite or best motivator, but I did find this mug on his website that I loved. The message, the design, all of it.
At 35 I chose to (do my best) to quash all the expectations I had previously held about what life was “supposed” to be, and rather, chose to be grateful for the amazing adventure my life had become. It was a mental battle. Once I was getting a handle on it, I set goals for myself that I know I had more if not total control over. The biggest one was the goal that got me here writing this blog post on my website for you today: to be my own boss in my 40s. It didn’t happen overnight. I did not just jump ship blindly from a great leadership role. I hustled. I took second jobs. I joined boards. I found mentors and coaches. I spoke with financial advisors and saved strategically. I invested in myself to obtain new certifications and credentials. And I read every book, blog, and article to figure out how the hell I was going to be my own boss! And every time I scheduled intentional planning or study time with a hot cup of coffee or tea, I would grab my Darren Hardy mug to remind me that this was 99% up to me to bring this dream to reality. And whenever I felt sorry for myself that I was sacrificing my social life or my friends weren’t doing all this side hustle giving up their evenings and weekends, I would turn the mug around and focus on the other reminder. Be the exception. More about this in my August post…
What are your dreams? What are the goals or vision for your life today forward? Do you feel guilty or self-serving when you think about what you truly want for your life? Reach out if you want to chat more about this. I would love to guide you on this journey to help you live your most intentional and fulfilling life possible!