What Happens Next?

March 16, 2022 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

“There is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile. Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better.” Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen in the future. The best we can do is make educated guesses and learn from the past. The key point is that we have to try and be prepared.

We have enough information from history, human psychology, and computer models to make some reasonable estimates. We use this all the time to predict the weather, the direction of stock markets, the movement of people, and the transmission of diseases. We don’t suffer from a lack of information, in most cases.

The problem is the lack of right actions done at the appropriate time to make a difference. The best time to repair an old roof is when the sun is shining. The best way to age gracefully is to build a good foundation in youth and maintain healthy habits into middle-age life. There are so many examples where the prepared mind and physically trained body are able to deal with everything that may come, and not break. We must constantly strive to be ready and that means daily training of the mind and body for the next challenge to the system. Don’t expect a return to the old normal before the COVID pandemic. Prepare for a new “normal” where you thrive even more than you did before. Don’t look back at the old days with nostalgia. Look forward with ambition and courage towards the person you can become.

I’ll say it again, no one knows what tomorrow will bring. With some reflection and training as well as timely execution, we can handle it. We can even become better in the face of difficulties that are just around the corner. Learn to bend, stretch, recover, and grow so you don’t break the next time life throws something at you. Live Awesome!

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3 Things You Don’t Need To Do To Be Happy

March 9, 2022 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

Imagine, instead of the year 2022, you were living in the year 1722. What would your life as an average person be like living in those times?

In general, it would be safe to assume that your life would less safe and secure than it is today.

You would not have a toilet to flush, you would not have a fridge to open and eat your leftovers, you would not be able to go to a grocery store to buy fruit that is out of season, and you would not have several jobs or careers to choose from because your birth and rank in society would probably have kept you boxed or limited from partaking in the best opportunities of the time.

Life today is way better for the average person, let alone someone classified as poor, than it was a mere 200 or 300 years ago. The previous few thousand years prior to even 1822 were pretty much the same in terms of human experience. Then, it was short, nasty and brutish and would have caused you more challenge and concern than the life you live today.

It is my conclusion that life in the centuries before 1822, let alone 1722, would have required your mental resolve to get through life to be of a certain quality that we do not contemplate in these glorious times.

I could end my article here and let you noodle the point I am trying to make. Life today is pretty easy compared to a few hundred years ago, so we should all be cheerful and happy and not just go through life but grow through life!

So why is it that we don’t see it that way? Why do people not live their longer, more joyful and more effortless lives in a manner that reflects the current reality of the modern era and its progress in terms of human standards of living?

Here is what I think. Perhaps, it's because we have not progressed to understand how we experience life as quickly as we moved with scientific discovery in the areas of medicine, plumbing, automation and wireless communication.

We don't know what we should know to enjoy our life because we don't understand how we experience life.

Your life and my life is experienced by our thinking that causes our feelings. When we think light and happy thoughts, we don’t feel bad, sad or mad. Get it?

The problem is that we get instantly caught up in a thought and its immediate effect on our mood (feelings) and remain in that mental state until a new thought comes in to replace it.

So, to make the most of your life and enjoy it, start contemplating and testing the theory that your life is experienced based on your thinking which causes your feelings.

You feel what you think 100% of the time.

Based on this, you can now let go of 3 things you may not need anymore because they are techniques. You might not need techniques if you conclude that life is experienced by the quality of our thoughts and not from external issues like circumstances or people that make us happy or unhappy.

What are those three things? In no particular order: meditation, gratitude journaling, and achieving important goals.

You don’t need to do them if you understand what happens to a person that is meditative and living in the moment; is grateful for what they have and not envious of others, and is happy striving for things because they enjoy the process of learning.

So they don't necessarily need techniques because that is their way of being. They don't need techniques as a remedy to feel better because they never understood the root cause of their feelings (experience of life).

Reminder: it’s all thinking.

So the next book you should read is not Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill but rather:

Think and Grow Your Most Awesome Life by (fill in your name).

Are You Happy Even When Life Is Tough?

March 2, 2022 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

I need to make a confession.

Honestly, if I think about the news I have been following and looking at the state of the world at the moment, I feel like shutting the door on it. How about you? Is everything going “hunky dory” in your world?

Life has no guarantees, yet it is certain that curveballs will come at us individually and collectively. So the point I wish to make is that we need to be ready to respond well to the everyday issues that don't go our way, the people who don't play ball the way we want, and to be resilient for longer than we initially imagined.

Pandemic in year 3 is a case in point.

Let's test a hypothesis: it is possible to be happy even when life is challenging because we can create it from nothing. It's like experiencing a feeling we all get from time to time: being happy with no particular reason for it.

In fact, do we need a reason to be happy? Should we only be happy when a cause is present?

Are we obscuring our happiness because somehow our view is obstructed?

It is my contention and perhaps corroborated by your experience that, we can be happy by making a point of doing so.

Here are a few ideas to consider that may be helpful on a day when the stock market is down, someone stepped on your foot, and you burned dinner before your guests arrive.

Put your focus where you want it to be: don't let the 6 o’clock news or social media influence you. This negative influence happens because we get lured into scrolling or wanting to be “in the know”. If you do engage, do it for a limited daily time; at certain times, and take a break for your own sake. Do something where you focus on what you want to do, not what others are steering you to. Refuse to be one of the masses.

Understand that you can manufacture happiness. It is evident that we are happy when things are going well, but it is not so apparent that you can whip up a happy mood by making a point of it. So when things are off, and you start feeling drawn to a sullen mood, just don't go there. Instead, listen to music, visit a friend, make a nice meal. Have a list of a few things that you know are your go-to list of pick-me-ups. Make a list of your top 10 now before you read my next point, please.

Ask yourself where do my feelings come from? I have asked many people this question, and when I offer the answer, not one person has disagreed with me. So here it is, your feelings come from your thinking! Always. Knowing this can be enlightening and may lead to an insight that will help you the next time you are stuck in your head or replaying a thought over and over and over again. We all do it. I'll admit it, but when I think to myself, it is all thought; I open the door to a new thought that eventually crowds out the offending thought. So ponder this, if you please.

I hope that you feel like you are ready to live your best life based on the concept that happiness can be manufactured when it is not there.

You are only here for a limited time dear friend, so make an ideal life because the alternative is pointless!

Maybe we should open the door to the possibility. By the way, do you have any ideas and suggestions on how you build happiness on purpose in your life?

Vaccinate Your Mind!

February 23, 2022 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

For over a year now we have been hearing about the importance of vaccinations for everyone, second doses, third doses, and yearly boosters, etc. This is a good discussion and relevant to the time we live in given the global pandemic. The challenge is that we are narrowly focused on the physical body and its immunity against a fast-spreading disease. We forget that the mind needs protection too. How can we protect our mental well-being at such times and in general?

What do I mean by vaccinating your mind? I’m talking about setting up proper mental defenses to innoculate against all kinds of thought diseases like misinformation, fear, jealousy, and anger to name just a few. We do this by ‘injecting’ daily doses of empathy, critical thinking, and truth just to maintain sanity and a proper functioning life. The ‘remedy’ is not going to come from Big Pharma or the Mass Media. It’s also not going to suddenly reveal itself in the clouds or be passed into law as a new Bill or Constitutional Amendment by the government. It’s going to require work that we do each day to check the facts, understand the opposing viewpoints, and find the middle ground on hotly contested issues. Sometimes there won’t be an absolute Right or Wrong answer so we shouldn’t push for such a decision.

We also need to develop healthy mental habits such as learning more and practicing wisdom based on the experiences of the past and some kinds of modeling of a potential future. By continuously educating and improving ourselves, we train our ‘mental immune system’ to stay alert and even adapt to whatever is happening in the world. Without proper and frequent mental ‘booster’ shots, we will become badly infected and will suffer as a result.

I hope everyone’s physical is on track to becoming fully recovered from the difficult 2 years we all have had. I also hope that we take our mental fitness at least as seriously if not more so, in the coming weeks and months. It is our mind that truly determines how we see and interact with the world so it’s the mind that must not be ‘infected’ by viruses because that is the real danger to our existence. Without a healthy mind, we cannot truly be our most Awesome selves.

ALWAYS Bet On Yourself First!

February 16, 2022 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

We all place ‘bets’ of some kind all day long. Even if you don’t play the Lotto or go to the casino, you are betting on something happening. You just don’t realize it. You may be putting your big hopes and dreams on your College/University education getting you that dream job. You could be putting all your money into a certain stock hoping that it delivers a big payback in the next few years. Maybe your are betting all your time into your children growing up and taking care of you when you are older. Whatever it is, it’s a gamble against some odds and there is no certainty that any of it will pay off. There is one bet that never fails and it’s a bet on YOU!

What does it mean to risk some outcome or ‘take a bet’ on yourself? To me, it’s about believing that whatever you are doing is worth it and that you can absolutely succeed in your efforts. It’s about taking personal responsibility and having the discipline to do the hard work to WIN the bet. It’s far less risky than putting a wager on someone or something else because you can’t control anything outside of you. Bet on your ability to learn, understand and grow. Bet on yourself getting stronger and wiser through best daily habits and practices. Bet on your ability to manage your time and resources in a way that makes you happy, wealthy, and wise. Your favourite stock may suddenly become a dud and your degree may become a commodity or even a negative for the industry you want to work in. You never know what’s going to happen with the direction of the world and the actions of other people or things.

All you can do is make yourself as Awesome as you can be and shine brightly. If you are authentic and do your best in a given field, you will be noticed. If you invest time in your education and constant learning, you will gain not just knowledge but also wisdom and experience. Taking the time to feed your body and mind with the right kinds of ‘food’ will give you the energy or capacity to do great things as well as let you face whatever is happening in the world. Taking care of yourself means you are less dependent on others and don’t need to bet on someone else to be there for you.

We will have to wager some of our time and resources on things outside our control. That’s just part of living in the modern world. What we don’t have to do is make that our biggest bet or highest risk-taking adventure. When you become more internally focused and consider all the things you control about yourself, you begin to see the world differently including risk-taking. You quickly realize that the only sure thing in this world is the positive impact you want to make and the method by which you will do so. Live Awesome!

There IS Enough Time...

February 9, 2022 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

We all feel stressed by having to do so many things each day. It feels like there is so much going on and not enough hours in the day. But I’m here to tell you that you have enough time and so do I.

We need to audit our day and week to determine what we are doing and why. Next, we need to figure out what we should be doing vs. stop doing or delegate to someone else. We probably don’t have to do everything we are currently doing and that creates time to think and focus.

Organizing ourselves after we determine the essentials for each day is key. Don’t try to organize before you define what MUST be done each day and why.

Get a head start for each day by doing some planning the night before. Plan for some speed bumps and detours too. This practice will make you more resilient and less stressed in the long run. Get to bed on time and wake up a little early if that’s what it takes to tackle your MUST DO List. Don’t sleep in or waste time on your phone! There’s some available time right there.

There is a way out of being ‘too busy’ all the time. Audit yourself and make the days count!

3 Ideas For A Better Tomorrow

February 2, 2022 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

When life is going your way, everything is excellent. Don’t you just love it when your day unfolds where all the things you enjoy happen and the people around you behave in a way that you want?

When life unfolds this way, life is indeed a bowl of cherries. Sweet and juicy.

But what about the duds? You know, the cherries that have no taste or are tart? What about the pits?

When life becomes like a box of cherry chocolates, and you bite into a yucky cherry piece, you can sometimes get frustrated, even disillusioned.

And that’s why you might need the following life advice called:

3 Steps To Better

1. Silence the inner critics and doubt thoughts. Ask yourself, are my thoughts true or even helpful?

2. Build a positive environment with your surroundings. Positive people. Books. Quotes. Pictures. Prayers.

3. Take a risk. Nothing is always comfortable, but if you need a ferry to get to work, you need to get comfortable with nautical stuff. Read up on boats. Learn to swim. Do lifeboat drills. Learn how to put on a life jacket.

If others can do it, so can you.

One thing you can't do if you are not tall is play for an NBA team. Of course, you might need more height or super strong quads. But then again, you might be Muggsy Bogues (the shortest NBA player ever; 14 seasons, 4 teams. He is 5 feet, three inches tall!)

The goal of life is to enjoy it as it unfolds, even when things and people don’t go your way.

The 3 Ways To Better just mentioned are examples of wisdom that we have all experienced at one time or another.

They all contribute to a better way of being that allows us to develop a taste for cherry chocolates.

Our emotional world is lived and felt from our personal thinking. Listen to your best thoughts, not your negative thoughts. Reaffirm the affirmations that keep you positive. Be not afraid of anything. Look at what is in front of you.

That is life.

Everything else is a shadow of it.

Are You An Eternal Optimist?

January 26, 2022 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

Do you know someone who is always optimistic? Are you one of those people?

Would you like to be?

John Milton has famously said, “the mind can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”

On a scale of 1-10, where do you put yourself when it comes to being not only an optimist but an eternal optimist? Are you on the low end or high end? Are you a 9 or even a 10?

I recently asked someone who refers to himself as an eternal optimist. So naturally, I got curious and reached out by email to ask him to share with me what he meant.

Being an eternal optimist is not an ordinary condition, or is it?

Here is what he shared with me on why he is an eternal optimist:

I Trust God.
Things work out the way they should.
Tough parts of life are learning or growing experiences.
If alive and in good health, no grounds for anything but a positive attitude.
I am grateful for every day and its possibilities.
Pessimists stop at the negatives; just keep going to find the opportunities.

Honestly, I was speechless when I read his response.

True. True. True.

I know it, and so do you. The issue is to keep knowing it to become an eternal optimist.

If you are anywhere on the scale of 1-9, you are not there yet. Only a 10 gets you this accolade.

As challenging as it sounds to rate yourself a perfect 10, there are people out there who are exactly that.

Your experience of life is primarily connected to how you feel, and your feelings are linked to your thinking.

What you think is what you feel.

My final question is, "what would your life be like if you were an eternal optimist?"

The Power of Discipline And Best Practices

January 19, 2022 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

Many people don’t like the word discipline but many also agree we need some level of it in our lives. Best practices are usually thought of as good ideas and ideal ways of doing things but many people tend to ignore these for many reasons. I want to persuade you that discipline is not a bad word and that best practices should be part of your Operating System for life. It’s both your inside and your outside that are impacted by these 2 powerful ideas.

Discipline can be defined in many ways that make it seem hard and equivalent to punishment for non-compliance to something. I define discipline as the practice of living according to your own stated principles and beliefs on a consistent basis because you know it’s the right thing to do. An example could be not consuming alcohol or other mind-altering drugs for entertainment purposes or for social reasons. Another example could be to not over-consume food on a daily basis and to have specific eating times for breakfast, lunch and dinner rather than letting them vary widely by hours each day. Yet another could be not spending extravagant amounts of money you don’t have and going into debt. All of these have consequences for failing to exercise discipline so it’s not painless to ‘disobey’ these things but it’s not really about the punishment at the end of the day. Discipline is often taught at home and schools but it can be self-taught as well after some bad experiences with health, money, or relationships. Many fitness and life coaches also encourage discipline in the people they are hired by to ensure the best results at the end of some kind of program. Discipline is like a muscle that must be used daily to develop and make our lives stronger on the inside.

Best practices help you go beyond mere principles to take your efforts to a whole new level of excellence. You are not just avoiding harm and danger with best practices. Best practices are performed because you are actively seeking a way to ‘level up’ and go beyond average. Some examples could be to always have a glass of water with some lemon juice or sea salt in the morning as soon as you wake up. Another could be to prepare your schedule the night before each day and lay out your clothes and tools ahead of time so you don’t have to think about things in the morning. You’ll just be ready to take action. A third example could be to review your large bills for services and product subscriptions every 6 months to see if you can either cancel some services or at least reduce your bills by 10% or more. Best practices are those small but meaningful changes that can help you improve over time and save you both time and money as well as wasting energy on things you don’t need to be doing. These best practices are often taught by parents, teachers, or mentors as well as famous people we admire. Best Practices are like the clothes and accessories we wear to decorate ourselves on the outside for a more positive image.

I hope you have better respect for Discipline and Best Practices now and can see ways to use both to improve yourself in 2022. You don’t need someone yelling at you for non-compliance or beating you with a stick for breaking a rule. You do need to establish clear principles for how you want to live and what kind of qualify of life you want to experience. Discipline and Best Practices will help you transform the inner person into that better version of yourself if you practice both consistently. It will show on the outside just how attractive you are as a human being who is always seeking to make life better. Begin your journey to Awesome now!

What's Your Theme Song This Year?

January 12, 2022 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

“I think it's safe to say that 'manliness' was a common theme in my upbringing. It was an assumed status, but - and here's the important bit - it was the Rudyard Kipling kind. The emphasis was on gentlemanly conduct, sportsmanship, fairness, and stoicism.” Ian Watson

Every great idea, movie, and company has a theme. It’s an underlying story or key idea that binds the people together in an easy-to-understand way. Whether you are an individual human being or a large corporation, or something in between, you need a theme as well. To make it memorable and powerful in your mind, you could use a theme song and own it like the lead singer of the band.

So, how do you come up with yours? You could look at your life story so far and see if you are continuing that direction in the future. You could also take your most recent challenges like this lockdown caused by the pandemic, and choose a song that will define what you do next. Maybe you had a life-changing event like a marriage or the birth of a child recently and that is your new theme for life. Examine your own life and determine what this year means to you in that context. How are you going to make the personal development you need to and be satisfied by your progress in December this year?

Use a popular song or a poem that ties in with your main theme. Say the words every day. If it’s a song, make sure you listen to it first thing in the morning at least once if not a few times. Make it part of your morning ritual to remind you what your motivation is for the day. It will help you face all the challenges and low points of the day. Be sure to develop a theme for yourself and sing it loudly through everything you think, say, and do this year!

New Year But The Same You in 2022!

January 5, 2022 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

The calendar says a new year has started as it often does when January 1 is celebrated. Congratulations! Happy New Year! What changed? How did you change in the last year? Was it expected and did you become the person you were hoping you would become or did time just fly by again and you simply aged another year…or more this time?

Whatever happens this year or any year depends on your perspective and your choices. You can treat this as just another trip around the sun or, you can choose to make life changes and grow into that person you were meant to be. You need to focus on what you need in your life that you don’t have or, what you need more of so that you are truly fulfilled. When you figure out what makes you happy, healthy, and satisfied, you can establish a plan to achieve the desired state.

It’s too common to just make a bunch of goals at the start of each year because everyone else is doing the same. Guess what? Most people will fail to accomplish their goals, yet again. Don’t be like sheep in a herd that is going in a predictable way because all the rest are doing so. Customize your 2022 plan by determining what you want and then map action steps and strategies to achieve these things. It’s good to have 2-3 milestones as an upper limit since most people don’t have time or energy to achieve any more than this in a given year without dropping some key responsibilities or hurting the quality of their life. There is no point in ‘overachieving’ on a large set of goals only to feel bad about what you had to sacrifice at the end of the day.

So, make sure you do the right things for your life and your Life’s purpose in 2022. The following steps can guide you:

1) Figure out what you want in your life and tailor an action plan for the year.

2) Make some specific milestones to check in on your progress such as every month. Correct course where needed so you stay on track.

3) Share your 2022 Plan with a trusted friend to keep you accountable.

4) Enjoy the process of following through on your custom plan and the person you are becoming rather than focusing on what needs to be achieved by December 31’st.

We sincerely hope each and every one of you considers the above and takes action on your 2022 Life Plan. It’s beyond simple goals and it’s something you must not give up on once you have begun this custom journey to become a more Awesome version of yourself. Happy New You!

Resolve To Be Better Than Last Year

December 29, 2021 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

The close of 2021 is upon us. Another year is winding down and this one was the second strange year in a row. Some of the social disturbances in 2020 carried over to this year and other new challenges also blended in with the old. Whether we like it or not, this year is ending rapidly and another calendar year is coming to replace it. What happens next is uncertain but you do have some control over how you deal with things and what you personally do each day.

If you felt overwhelmed and anxious this year, you are not alone. If you thought things would instantly return to normal once we had mass vaccinations, you are probably disappointed right now. What we thought would fix and restore our lives to the familiar pre-pandemic routine, didn’t happen. So now our only real choice is to make ourselves better going forward. To be more resilient and anticipate change. To always be training for better health in mind, body, and soul. This is the way forward in the short term and the long run. There is no easy answer to “How do we get back to normal?”. We’re not even sure if it’s possible so we have to accept a new and hopefully better kind of normal. One where we appreciate our lives more by taking care of our health and family’s health. We need to take better care of our local environment and help support local businesses more since their success is tied to our well-being as well. Our faith groups and social clubs need us to show up and participate for the public good. The local charities and volunteer groups need some of your attention as well. Getting outside in the sun and being in nature cannot be overstated as something else that is calling you to relieve your stress and recharge your batteries. So many things have been put off or forgotten in the past 2 years. Let’s find ways to revive and grow what we miss. It’s not gone but it may need a little dusting off and warming up. We all have more time to think about and act on all the possible goodness in the world and how we can do our part.

The calendar will soon say, January 1’s, 2022 but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t recognize our place and responsibilities in this time. It’s just another day that will melt away like all the rest if we don’t put more meaning into this new date and every new day from now on. Choose to become a better you and make things around you better too. That’s how we all have an Awesome New Year!

Don't Be A Self-Actualized Caterpillar

December 22, 2021 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

As individuals, we try to improve ourselves and learn many techniques for achieving our goals.

For example, we hear about better ways to single-task or de-clutter our desks to be more productive.

Generally, all these ideas work and are helpful, but there is a problem in following techniques compared to understanding the more important principle behind such great ideas.

Know The Principle

In the case of de-cluttering and single-tasking, we should look at the principle of how our mind focuses on one thing more efficiently and thereby creating an environment of concentration. More incredible concentration results in the efficient use of time for a task. This gives us some better results. So we benefit from the greater principle of "focus your mind" to be efficient rather than getting robotic about hacks and tips. Robotically following tips and hacks makes us better caterpillars. Unfortunately, we are still just improved caterpillars and nothing more.

Emerge As A Butterfly. Literally, a transformed creature that is more capable and brilliant in its later state than the former one.

What is the end goal of a caterpillar?

Why, of course, it is to change into a butterfly. A caterpillar is destined to emerge as its fulfilled potential in the truest sense and to have wings to fly. The same opportunity is there for us.

We can all try to understand the principle behind a great tip, hack, or bit of advice so that we use the principle in more ways than the original tip or hack we try.

How do you prove that you are a butterfly? How will you know that you have emerged from the cocoon of mediocrity to being the bombastic new version of yourself?

Two pieces of evidence will testify in your favour. One is that you instinctively do your tip/hack without thinking about it. In the case of our example, you settle down to work without distractions and do so in an uncluttered environment.

The second and more remarkable indicator of your transformation will be from a new and original application of the principle that you self-discovered and made part of your way of doing things.

Perhaps you use the principle of "focus the mind" in your weight training where you really feel the muscle extending and contracting, or you have better conversations with your loved ones because you listen to them and hear what they are saying with full presence.

We all have a choice in life to become better caterpillars or bombastic butterflies.

All the best for the New Year and the excellent work you do to create a more Awesome Life.

Why Quality over Quantity Always Wins

December 15, 2021 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

We live in a world of excess. So much is about having MORE and BIGGER. We seem to have lost sight of having Better things which doesn’t always mean bigger or more expensive. Something like a nice sweater made from quality wool is better than one that is made from polyester and rayon. The quality wool sweater will last longer and wear better over time. it will be enjoyable to get into and have in your wardrobe. You may have paid more for it initially but will not have the desire to own more cheap sweaters to wear just for the sake of variety because a few quality clothing items will meet your needs.

in the same way, a reliable car or comfortable and efficient home will make you feel a lot happier in the long run compared to having a big mansion with a lot of maintenance or an exotic sports car with expensive repairs. Take the same approach with your health and food. More is NOT always better. Some quality food and movement each day that keeps you fit and lets you savour each bite is better than multiple buffets each night that require you to workout 7 days a week doing exercises you absolutely hate just to maintain your current weight.

Make QUALITY your focus in life. You can’t take your assets or money with you. Use whatever resources you do have to make things last longer as they continue to provide you with joy. You’ll have less stress and more time to really enjoy living. That’s how you achieve an Awesome Life.

Why Reaching Your Goals Can Backfire!

December 8, 2021 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

Have you ever heard of someone famous, wealthy, and influential who was not happy?

It’s almost predictable that successful people who are put in the spotlight will at some point implode or have an inciting event that causes them to change their philosophy about life and all the goals they achieved.

Achieving your goals is not the most crucial thing in life, and it will most certainly not make you happier.

I am sure you have said to yourself things like, "If I get into that university or get that job, I will be so happy," or something like, "If I earn that much money or live in that kind of house or marry that type of person, I will be so happy."

Don't get me wrong. Setting goals and achieving them is one of the best things you can do to create an exciting life. Just don't bank on being happy when you reach them.

As Steve Perry from the band Journey says, “Don’t stop believing. Hold on to that feeling."

To me, that song was all about achieving your dreams and staying in the right frame of mind regardless of the obstacles along the way.

Why is it then that reaching goals do not necessarily make us happy?

Think about it this way. We live in a society that sets us up to think that if we are rich, famous, or loved, we will be happy. All of these conditions are external causes of supposed happiness. This is why you can reach the top, feel exhilarated for a while, and then feel nothing special soon after.

It’s not that you are being ungrateful for your blessings or that you are neurotic. It is simply because you are looking at the external world to make you happy.

What should you do instead? You know the answer!

Start from the inside out. Look internal. Be inner-focused. Get deeper knowledge of yourself and start from there.

But wait, you say, isn't that getting a bit too "out there" and "woo-woo?"

Yes, it is, and if you think about it more, you might agree that you need to start from the inside out and not the outside in.

I will not lay out a technique for you to follow. Instead, what I will point out is a few truths for you to consider:

All happiness is a thought that you create and then feel. In other words, you feel your thinking.

That is how it works.

So, if you set a goal and achieve it and have fleeting happiness, you can examine your thinking.

Let’s say you set a goal for being successful in your career or business. Let’s say you become President of your division or finally hit 7 figure business revenues and then realize you are not as happy as you thought you would be. Here is what you might do:

Focus on the person you became while you worked on achieving your goals. You could focus on the internal feeling of growth and pat yourself on the back for how far you have come and all the things you learned along the way.

You could focus on an internal feeling of security, knowing that your abilities and mindset are a source of riches more than your bank balance.

It's all internal, not external.

When you look at it this way, you might conclude that you are better off without goals.

I am not saying we don't need goals, just don't hitch your happiness wagon to achieving them to feel fulfilled internally.

We should have goals so we have a reason to get out of bed every day. Striving and working on your goals is healthy and gives us purpose. In a way, whether you achieve your goals as you pictured or not doesn’t matter.

Keep striving towards your goals; accept the results but look inward for your reward.

“Don’t stop believing!” “Hold on to that internal feeling!”

Why Good Health Always Matters

December 1, 2021 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

We all know that it’s important to stay in good physical and mental shape. We’ve heard for many years about the benefits of a good diet and regular exercise as well as positive mental practices. Good sleep and meditation are increasingly popular along with going out in nature. But WHY should you really care about this frequently mentioned advice coming to us for thousands of years? WHY does it matter in the modern world where we deal with technology and information and less directly with people?

It matters because we do still deal with people and taking care of our health is one of the signs of capability and indirectly, a sign of competence to do something. It’s just natural that we pay more attention to the fit person who is also well dressed and has the qualifications for a job or task. The human mind is definitely biased towards strength, youth, and energy levels in another human being just like we favour general appearance as attractive. I would argue that strength, energy, and a positive attitude are PART of the overall package of attractiveness that our minds seek and we do prefer these qualities compared to someone who doesn’t exercise, eat healthy, or who lacks confidence in their speech. We can’t easily change our appearance to be something like a fashion model or movie star but we can all improve our fitness levels which benefit our confidence, energy, and the aging process. This is how we demonstrate ‘fitness for the task’ being considered. Our health is visible to others all the time and it needs to be as best as we can make it so we maximize our opportunities in life.

If you truly want to succeed in life and be seen as a capable person for any career or business opportunity, or even a significant volunteer effort, you need to take care of your health. Most people are not going to trust an important job or even volunteer task to someone who looks like they might get injured, get sick or generally be incapable of handling the responsibility. Don’t you personally think better of someone who is fit and healthy compared to someone who is not? Don’t you want the people you deal with to show some kind of discipline in their lives? Being healthy takes a certain amount of consistent discipline which indicates something about a person’s competence in other aspects of life. Someone who is regularly taking care of their mind and body will show it in the way they move and speak and will always have the advantage over someone who doesn’t even though they may be the same age and have the same qualifications. It’s unfortunate that our minds are biased this way but we can use this knowledge to our advantage. Take care of yourself and demonstrate that you are the right person for any task because you DO HAVE WHAT IT TAKES! Live Awesome!

Why Your Cup Should Be Half Empty!

November 24, 2021 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

“Life can be hard. Life can be unkind. Life can be unfair.”

That is looking at life with the glass half-empty.

We all have heard that you are better off seeing life with a glass half full, but what if this idea leaves out something more important to know?

There is a story about a spiritual seeker sitting with his teacher to learn more about the secrets to a happy life.

The teacher tells his student that he will explain everything, but first, they must drink a glass of water.

The teacher put the glass on the table and started pouring the water into the glass. The student was about to reach for the glass as it was almost full, but the teacher kept pouring the water, which then began spilling out of the glass and onto the table. The student hesitated to say anything out of respect but then requested his teacher to stop pouring water as the glass was full.

It was then that the teacher stopped and said to the student that if he wanted to learn anything new, he would need to empty the contents of his mind to make room for some new ideas. A full glass of water is just like a full mind.

A good many of us know everything there is to know. And the rest of us are rarely open to new ideas.

If we willingly make some mental space, we just might learn what we need to know. And then we might benefit and see a better path to a happy life. A life that avoids unnecessary meandering and frustration.

Here is an idea that might be new to you.

If you want to increase your happiness, just think less.

Remember the days of being a child in grade school. Recall your summer break and how you spent your days. I bet you remember them as moving slowly and full of fond memories like going for a bike ride with friends and staying out until the street lights came on and getting into mischief in between. You were not thinking about the past, you were not living a hectic present, and you were not looking at a frantic future. You were just enjoying the ride!

Am I making sense? Once you grow up, you think a lot. You think about all the things you have to get done by 5 pm; all the emails and projects and text messages that need your attention; what you will make for dinner; who and what bothers you from yesterday and ten years ago and all the unknowns of tomorrow.

When you do this, you are not enjoying the ride or enjoying the incredible sweet taste of a banana-flavored popsicle dripping on your fingers and the laughter of your friends as you ride your bike through the park.

All the extra thinking is like a log that begins a jam in a narrowing river. Before long, the flow of water is affected as the initial log creates catches more debris flowing down the river. Until the log jam is dislodged, the water flow is altered and generates overflows and floods on the banks of the river.

Thinking less can lead to fewer logs and mental debris from entering the mental river in the first place. An unobstructed river lets the water flow into the lake and from there to the sea where it naturally should be.

When you think less, you enable your mind to have a natural flow of just being. No mile-a-minute thinking. It's like being on vacation; you enjoy the sun more, enjoying the taste of your food, and you enjoy conversations more too. All because you are thinking less.

Be still. Be chill and continue to climb every hill.

What you think about is your reality. What you think about puts you into a state of mind and feeling. If you want to change your state of mind and emotions, become aware of your thoughts.

The Overlooked Power Of One Thought

November 17, 2021 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

To be or not to be. Said someone famous. What did he mean? That is the question.

Here is what I think William Shakespeare meant when he wrote those famous words. I personally believe he was referring to happiness.

To be happy or not to be happy!

That is a good question because being happy is something we all fall in and out of. When we are happy, we know it, and when we are not, we wish we were. But how and why do we become happy, especially when we are not?

The principle of happiness lies in one thing. Perhaps you will agree that it’s thought.

Your experience of life is felt through the filter of your thoughts!

You don't become happy because things are going your way; instead, you are happy because your thoughts about things are causing you to be happy or not.

To bolster my point, I want to first discuss that thoughts are the seed that gives birth to things in the real world, including your genuine feelings.

Thoughts become things. This is evident when we see that every invention began as a thought before it was brought into practical form.

That is why Steve Jobs will be remembered, for better or worse, as the one responsible for making humanity addicted to their cell phones. It doesn’t matter if those smartphones are made by Apple or Samsung or someone else.

So, not understanding that thoughts create feelings is to ignore a magic bullet that hits the target of happiness every time.

You are only one thought away from happiness or sadness. You are only one thought away from experiencing life in a better way.

If you are feeling blue, try to identify your thoughts and isolate them so you can look at them as an observer. Then, try to give yourself an alternative way of looking at your situation, whether it's circumstances or people that have got you down.

Sometimes we "snap out of it" when we see or hear something that makes our issues look more manageable than they initially feel or appear to be.

For example, if you were to see a homeless mother sitting on a dusty sidewalk of a third-world country playing with her toddler and seeing them giggle, you would likely and instantly appreciate all the abundance and so-called problems you have.

Have you ever heard the expression, "catch that thought"? It comes from the phenomenon that our thoughts are too numerous to quantify, and any one of them can instantly set us off on a chain reaction of other thoughts without us noticing it.

That is why some learned psychologists refer to catching your thoughts as the pause between stimulus and response.

Well, what more can I say about thinking and being happy? A lot I imagine, but for now, remember this:

One thought can make a difference. And here is an excellent idea for you to consider.

What you think about is your reality. What you think about puts you into a state of mind and feeling. If you want to change your state of mind and emotions, become aware of your thoughts.

YOU Are The Best Investment You Will Ever Make!

November 10, 2021 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

“You are essentially who you create yourself to be, and all that occurs in your life is the result of your own making.” Stephen Richards

LeBron James, the basketball superstar, is doing it. So are many successful business people, artists, and students of all ages. I’m talking about consistently investing their time, attention, and money in their overall health. Whether you are a star NBA player or wealthy business person, or just an average human being trying to make the most of life, you have to work on yourself constantly. You need to invest your resources on yourself! This includes your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This is what separates the average and just “good” performers from the GREATS.

“Beginning today, set an intention and a relentless focus on living your life as the greatest person you can be, in all situations.” Brendon Burchard

Champions, Legends in the making, and Successful people in the world of Business and Art all know that they have so much potential which needs to be nurtured. They also know that skill and even performance declines over time if we sit idle. It’s hard enough to become a Gold Medal Athlete or Award Winning Author in the first place. To maintain a series of WINS and successes in life takes more than just hard work and talent. It involves discipline and training. Constant learning and refining of your skills with the best coaches, technology, and mindset that you can develop. It means spending some of your hard-earned money on becoming better, stronger, and more resilient to the stress of aging while you perform at your peak capacity over time. It’s difficult and it can even get expensive for someone like LeBron James but it’s worth it in the end as you can see from his stellar performance on the court! He spent about $1 Million USD on his health last year and similarly in years past. That’s not a lot of money for him given his overall income from the game and sponsorships but it is still a lot of money. He’s very smart for putting his money into his overall well-being like so many other successful people have done. Surely, the rest of us can spend some time investing in better nutrition, online courses, a career coach or personal mentorship program, or some time volunteering for an organization we believe in. We can probably do all of these in the same year with just a small amount of time and money invested wisely. It may not help win a sports contest or be a rockstar but it will help you stand out in your own circle of friends and peers. Those people who are consistently investing time and money into their own well-being get noticed. They tend to be healthier, happier, and more respected because of this key desire for constant improvement with your own resources. Just think about it for a moment. If you are not willing to spend time, effort, and some money on yourself on a regular basis, why should anyone else do the same for you?

“What we face may look insurmountable. But I learned something from all those years of training and competing. I learned something from all those sets and reps when I didn’t think I could lift another ounce of weight. What I learned is that we are always stronger than we know.” Arnold Schwarzenegger

What are you doing with the resources you have gathered with all your WINS in life? If you don’t have enough of the desired money, fame, or time you want, perhaps you aren’t spending enough time investing in yourself. If you have sufficient quantities of these resources in the bank, congratulations! Now, what are you doing to maintain your success in life with these resources so that you can become an even more Awesome human being?

The Difference Between Simple and Easy

November 1, 2021 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

Life can be complicated, confusing, and chaotic for some people. For others, it’s simple and very clear. This is not the same thing as being “Easy” because that would imply there is no effort required and everything just happens automagically by itself. A cup of rich black coffee, a slightly hard-boiled egg, or neatly folded bed sheets are all examples of simple tasks for most people, but can still be challenging to execute properly for various reasons. I propose we all try to live a simpler life while recognizing that it will have challenges that are worth it in the end.

The opposite of Hard, Tiresome, Gruelling work is Effortless, or Easy work. Human beings love and even need good challenges throughout their lives because it makes life more interesting and provides opportunities for growth. That growth in our minds and bodies lets us become better human beings. What we don’t need is to have complexity, lots of randomness, or mystery in our daily lives. These kinds of things create a negative stress loop if they continue for days or weeks…or even longer. That will wear us down in the end and even cause chronic disease.

So, figure out how to simplify your day and your month so you are super clear on the following things:

What’s your purpose in the family or community you live in? How do you carry out your responsibilities in the best way?
What is unnecessary in your daily routine and could be made simpler by help from someone or, handing over to someone else to do for you like your taxes, oil changes on your car, or installing a new security camera system?
After taking out as much complexity and confusion in your routine, plan to double down on what’s left. It should be significant things that make you fulfilled but will still challenge you at times.

I wish for you to all have better lives through Simple Living and all the Awesomeness that will bring.