💎 Friday Gems #39 (Sentenced to Life, Life Task, Insights Game)

Do something to make your life the best you possibly can.

Photo by Ü Lõ on Unsplash

I used to fall into the same pattern around new years and tell myself, “This is the year I will finally get back on track!” and “This year will be different!”

But right on cue, a few weeks into the new year, I would fall back into the same old routines and habits that I vowed to change.

However, the last few years have been quite different. Ever since I realized the value of each moment as an opportunity to begin again, waiting for some arbitrary point in time has lost its appeal.

Whatever you have been wanting to accomplish, this very moment is the best time to start, not tomorrow, not next week once your schedule clears up, and certainly not when the new year begins.

Now is the time to start.

Now is the time to make the change.

Now is the time to begin again.

On to the gems!

💎 Sentenced to life

Cancer sucks. My father battled cancer for many years with patience and determination to live fully until the very end of his short life.

As I read Adam Bornstein’s post about how his dad chose to live life to its fullest after having been given the death sentence of cancer and just a few months to live. It was inspiring to learn how Adam’s father chose to face the sea of negativity around him with a positive determination to make the best of his situation.

My dad heard all the negativity, and he chose not to listen. Instead of waiting for death, my dad leaned into optimism and got busy living.

Suffering is part of life, but it doesn’t have to define who we are and how we show up for life. By being flexible and adjusting to life, we can make the best use of our time.

We are not bystanders in our lives; we have agency, and we can take action toward the life we want to live.

This line summed it up nicely,

And for him, that meant a simple choice: either feel bad for yourself or do something to make your life the best you possibly can.

May we all choose to live our lives the best we possibly can!

⚡️ Action Tip: Bet on yourself! Think of one activity/hobby that you love doing that lights you up and brings you joy, or maybe it’s something that you have been thinking of doing but never given it much thought. Own it and commit to enjoying the activity for a few minutes each day. 

Life is short, so let’s make the best of it!

Source: Arnold’s Pump Club

💎 Find the life task

There are moments in our lives when we are unsure, indecisive, unmotivated, or just unclear about what direction we need to move toward. For example, should you finally leave the job in which you feel stagnant but are comfortable or put in the effort to get your portfolio in order and start applying to a job that will help you grow?

Ask yourself, “What is the life task here?” helps to cut through the indecisiveness and helps you realize the option you need to pursue.

How will you know what is the right life task to pursue? Oliver Burkeman recommends,

For a start, a life task will be something you can accomplish "only by effort and with difficulty," as Jung puts it – and specifically, I'd say, with that feeling of "good difficulty" that comes from pushing back against your conditioned preferences for comfort and security.

and

you can be certain that a life task is always something that is possible. It will be something you can do.

Getting back to the example of deciding to change jobs, you could realize that your life task is to learn and grow, so even though you will need to put effort into preparing to find a better job and you will face difficulty along the way, you are able to pursue this life task with all your focus.

⚡️ Action Tip: The next time you’re faced with a decision that is taking a lot of time or you are indecisive, ask yourself, “What's the life task here?"

Source: The Imperfectionist

💎 The Insights Game

The Friday Gems issue is all about sharing insights to help us live an examined and fulfilling life aligned with our valuesvwhich is why the Insights Game caught my eye. This fun game helps you gather the insights you come across every day and reflect upon them to make the most of them.

The rules of the game are easy.

1. You get one point for each insight.

2. You need to have at least one new insight a day; if not, it is Game Over, and you have to start over with 0 points.

3. You get extra points for insights that change your previous view on a subject.

⚡️ Action Tip: Write down the insight as soon as you come across it in your notes app on your phone and reflect on it to make the new insight stick. 

Source: Project of How

💎 A gem of a quote

Forget the failures of the past.

Drop the habits you hate but can’t and the habits you love but don’t do you any good.

Avoid the distractions.

Question your beliefs.

Face your fears.

Begin again.

Give up the shit that weighs you down!

💎 Little Gems

• Share five objects that tell the story of you! What brings you alive and inspires you?

• On the fence about whether to invest in yourself? Choose the thought, “I AM WORTH IT”

• 17 Life-Learnings from 17 Years of The Marginalian

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Have a fantastic weekend!

Rizwan

P.S. 💜 I’m thankful that you read this far.