Hello Everyone,
Happy holidays! I usually do not start with my life experience but this quarter I’ve switched a couple of things up. However, before I share I would like to express my gratitude for taking the time to continually read my newsletter by offering the first person who leaves a comment on the Tim Ferriss interview a signed copy of his latest book The 4-Hour Chef (be the 1st to leave a comment and I will email you directly for your mailing address). I finally was able to break a nine-minute mile in a half marathon this quarter. It happened at this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose 1/2 Marathon.
Sometimes people can get in the way of themselves… I certainly can. Over the years I’ve gotten some great advice through the interviewees in this regard. Jeff Atkinson stated one of the most important aspects of achievement is switching motivation from a goal-obtainment mindset, to one of enjoying the process of achieving a goal, in other words, the process should be the goal. Mike Gervais stated, “posture of being open to change and a continual passion for rich experiences,” is the secret sauce, and in this quarter’s encounter with Tim Ferriss he indicated he is more impressed by a person with an extraordinary history of progress when compared to someone with an extraordinary tally of accomplishments.
So it has finally sunk in; improving sustainable achievement is about enjoying, trusting, iterating, and improving the process. The traditional goal – albeit admirable – is an endpoint, a destination, and often fleeting. Concerning yourself more with the goal than enjoying the process is missing the point. On a personal level, I’ve recently focused on switching to this paradigm and can report considerable improvement in most aspects of my life. For the fear of pontificating or boring you with how this new approach allowed me to finally break the 9-minute mile barrier I share with you this video created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker based on the work of Alan Watts, it conveys the sentiment of this quarter’s message better than I can do with words alone.
Although I never plan on breaking from the five-question format of the Live Life Love project for these quarterly interviews, my normal one-to-one interview process was modified this quarter when I got a chance to sit down with Tim Ferriss (famous author of The 4-Hour Workweek
Around the holidays most of us try to count our blessings and personally I’m grateful for many things. As a result of donating to Public Enemy (circa Newsletter 11) I recently got a mention in their latest compact disc.
As a result of not giving up on the goal I set up in Newsletter 16 I am able to relish in the success of the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose 1/2 Marathon. As a result of humbling myself at the beginning of 2011 (circa Newsletter 14) I can now report I will be speaking as an expert in biometrics at next year’s IHRSA convention.
For contribution this quarter I donated to a few charities, one being the United Way who is orchestrating aid for those affected by the tragedy in Newtown, CT. I will end by sharing something that was shared with me because of my prior contribution to Caine’s Arcade (circa Newsletter 19)… in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy Caine and his entourage wanted to remind us that for all the bad that is being reported, there is a wealth of good in this world that gets little exposure… they shared this link 26 Moments That Restored Our Faith In Humanity This Year which I think is pretty cool. If you need a pick me up I recommend you check it out.
Wishing you joy, fulfillment, and flourishing for you and yours during this holiday season and in the New Year ahead.
Warm regards,
Michael
