Security is a Myth — Multiply the World

You’re on a deserted island.  No ship, no city, no person in sight.  As far as you can tell, you are the only person on the island and it’s been that way for a long time.  You woke up on this island with no physical possession except for the clothes on your body.  You have absolutely nothing left.

Is this the end of your days?  Are you doomed without anything to call your own or use?  Or maybe there is a chance, but you just need to figure out a way?

Nothing in the physical world is secure or permanent.  There is always something that can bring an end to any worldly thing.

Have a nice house?  BAAM.  Hello, tornado.
Have a hefty 401(k)?  BAAM.  Howdy, global recession.
Have a nice job?  BAAM.  Thanks a lot, corporate downsizing.

There are three things that will determine your survival.  (1) Your drive to get stuff done, (2) your knowledge, and (3) your experience with the situation.  Your drive, thoughts, and experience – the only things that you can’t pack in a suitcase.  The only things you can never lose.

Putting your efforts and faith into worldly things will only disappoint.  Maybe not today and maybe not anytime soon.  But, until you focus yourself on things which are untouchable by externals, you are setting yourself up for road bumps.

If you figure out how to handle the things life throws at you, then it doesn’t matter what island you’re on.

Paycheck to Paycheck and Minute to Minute

I’ve fallen victim to this a few times before.  Oh woe is me when it comes to making the money beasts happy!  The lights, the car, the home, the food, the fun.  How will I ever make a difference in the world and my life if I can’t get away from the bills?!

The same way you put on a shirt.  One button at a time.

And it’s not just the money that pounds you down.  It’s the time.  Your time is valuable and there just isn’t enough of it.  60 minutes to an hour, 24 hours a day, 168 hours a week – where is the available free-time?

Right before your eyes.  The average person in America watches a little over three hours of television per day.  That’s 21 hours per week.  That’s a little more than half of the time you spend working at your job.  Are you absolutely sure you couldn’t trade some of that time to getting other stuff done?  100% sure?  Double-dog dare swear sure?

Here is a small list of things you can get done in less than 1 hour:

• research 1 new job on a job board
• take an online strengths assessment test
• apply for 1 new job on a company website
• write a letter to 1 mentor for advice
• find and follow 15 influential people on Twitter
• have a short “future planning” pow-wow with your spouse
• grab 1 book on an interesting subject at the library
• read 1 chapter of that interesting book
• write 1,000 words of a blog post, book, or short story

Still not interesting enough?  What happens if you keep this up for a week?

• research 7 new jobs on a job board
• take 7 online strengths assessment tests
• apply for 7 new jobs on company websites
• write a letter to 7 mentors for advice
• find and follow 105 influential people on Twitter
• have 7 short “future planning” pow-wows with your spouse
• read 7 chapters of that interesting book
• write 7 separate 1,000 word blog posts
• write 1 full short-story of 7,000 words
• write 7,000 words of a book, which is about 10% of a novel

Starting to see the benefit here?  Find or make time for an extra 1 hour a day and you can have tremendous results soon.  In one month, for the average American, you can watch 84 hours of TV.  Or, you can watch 63 hours of TV and have the following accomplishments under your belt:

• research and apply for 30 new jobs
• write a letter to 30 mentors for advice
• find and follow 450 influential people on Twitter
• read 30 chapters of that interesting book, which is probably 2 short books or 1 decent length book
• write 30 separate 1,000 word blog posts, or 60 different 500 word blog posts
• write 4 full short-stories of 7,500 words
• Have roughly half of a novel written

How would any of this help you above and beyond your normal life?  You can start doing the things you want and living the life you want: one hour at a time.  Put in the extra effort now, and reap the rewards later.

Break free of what holds you down and start multiplying the world.