#PositiveVibes - What I Believe is True

By John R. Nocero

The VIBE: Straight up truth

 Niklas Goeke wrote an amazing piece that I read yesterday, titled, “Everything I know to be true.” Take a moment and read it. It is amazing work.  He said that up until 2012, he was dead. It is not like he was not living, but he was trying his best and most of the time, he was happy, but he didn’t realize it and so was unable to appreciate the vastness of this incredible experience called life. I, like he, didn’t know who I was. How much I could change. That I could shape life as much as it could shape me. So when I read something that hinted at these things for the first time, I began a lifelong journey: the quest to know myself. Seneca said it takes a lifetime to learn how to live, just like it takes a lifetime to learn how to die. But with each new piece of the ever-changing puzzle you find, you get a little closer to your true self. To being alive and knowing it. I am 43 but feel like I have only just begun too. There is infinitely more to discover but here are some things I know to be true right now:

 1. When I focus on being a good person and improving me, everything in my life gets better. When I focus on being a better worker, I don’t necessarily get to be a better person. So the focus should always go into becoming a better version of you.

 2. Who you were, is not who you are now. I used to be a disaster. I am not now. My past does not define my future. My choices now do.

 3. I can’t do it alone. I need to say, I don’t know and ask for help. If I have no one to ask, I have to be resourceful if I don’t have anyone to ask.

 4. I have a tremendous inner circle who loves me, and I love them. You know who you are. I am grateful for all of you.

 5. Making memories does a lot more than donating money. Take more pictures. Write love letters. Smile more. Hug more. Laugh more. Connect with people more.

 6. Do what works for you. Don’t do what works for anyone else. If you want to try it, do that, but if you find it doesn’t work, don’t just blindly follow along and hope it will mysteriously change. It won’t. Like Bruce Lee said, absorb what is useful. Discard what isn’t.

7. Self-improvement is a weekly, hourly, daily fight against laziness, and doing things you don’t want to do. Be disciplined. Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life. I want hard choices so my life is easy.

 8. Love your spouse and your children. This is maybe the most important. You married your spouse. Don’t EVER disrespect them, degrade them, talk down to them, or make them feel inferior. Treat them with respect. They decided to walk this path of life with you. Who else did? No one? Right. So treat them like gold. Same with your kids. Give them lessons, nurture them, love them, help them grow. Reach back with a helping hand and move them forward.

9. Walk away from anyone who doesn’t want to be in your life. You know who your people are. Don’t chase those who aren’t.

10. Do something to connect with your inner-child every day. Never forget the little boy or little girl inside who still dreams big and is in awe of the world.

11. Don’t be arrogant, conceited or stuck on yourself. That’s needless. Treat people kindly and with respect.

If you have any more you want to add, please do.

I will close like Goeke did.

12. If we act accordingly, life is long enough for most of us.

#dreamteam

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