THRiViNG! Life Maps

From Essential Rumi

According to some belief systems we get many lives here on this earth. The problem I find, even if I were to believe this myself, is that we don’t necessarily recall the nuances of those many lives in the present one. And most likely we won’t recall the nuances of this present life in any future ones.

What we have is now. Right. Now. And I for one want to live this life as if it’s my only one. Which is why I’ve been experimenting – with time no less.

Now I don’t have any hard and fast statistics on this but I am certain a large percentage of the population in the world uses alarm clocks.  In today’s digital smart phone world, we carry our alarm clock with us. And we use them, religiously.

I contend that 1) we have external commitments and obligations for which we unnaturally force ourselves awake before our body has time to fully rejuvenate and 2) our internal body clock is completely trustworthy when we choose to trust it and live our reason why.

The little experiment I did recently proves to me anyway that alarm clocks only need to exist for specific situations. They are not necessary for daily use.

You will have to prove it for yourself, if you so choose.

First a little background though.

When I worked a regular job I used an alarm clock, like most people do. And it felt as though every time it went off, I’d only just fallen asleep. But it did it’s job. I was awake.

Then one summer during my first year in college a friend and I agreed to start lifting weights together. The only time convenient for both of us was 5:30 AM. The first thought was oh man what are we doing, lifting weights at that time of morning. He agreed it was an odd time, but we were both pretty scrawny and felt the need to bulk up.

The first weeks were tough, but we did them. Then we got into a schedule and I found myself waking up minutes before the alarm went off. I found myself awake, getting out of the bed enthused, excited even because I was doing something I enjoyed. I was calling the shots.

That lasted until the fall, when both our schedules changed. Now instead of getting up to go lift weights, I was getting up to go the class, then work and finally at the end of the day, if it wasn’t too late, we’d lift weights.

It became difficult to get out of the bed in the mornings. I blamed it on the change in seasons, the weight lifting in the evenings and everything else. Yet it was really the change in motivations and in my reasons why.

Before long this morning grogginess, alarm clock hatred became a conditioned expectation. I expected the alarm clock to go off. I expected my response to the alarm to be grumpy and groggy. I expected to get up and need coffee to get me going. And for the most part, that’s what 90% of the world does.

Whether we are or aren’t morning people, we have effectively conformed to  time constraints set by someone else and external forces.

So what does this have to do with a time experiment?

What I realized then but didn’t have the wisdom or knowledge to act on at the time, is that the motivation necessary to wake up naturally had to be mine.

This is my life. If I want it to be what I want it to be and if experimenting with  time will help me find out what that is, am I willing to experiment?

Once I decided, yes I want my THRiViNG Life, things just seem to happen.

First I attended a four day conference. I shared a room with someone who got up every morning just before 6:00 AM.

While she was considerate by not turning on lights or blasting loud music, I still woke up slightly.

The first day I turned over and slept for another hour. The second and third days I only slept another 30 minutes.

The fourth day I got up within 15 minutes.

None of this was intentional yetsomething was changing.

Then later on the fourth day, I talked with someone who was considering getting up at 6:30 for a week to 10 days to see if she could get more done and she was looking for an accountability partner.

For 10 days she and I spoke for a few minutes each morning via phone.

She decided it wasn’t for her but I noticed something entirely different for myself. I was waking up again before the alarm clock went off, although I wasn’t getting up.

I decided to stay with the plan and get up at 6:30 AM for the entire month of February.

The original experiment had been about getting more done, yet I was finding the natural awakening much more fascinating, even though I didn’t actually get out of the bed.

The original experiment lasted a month and was mostly a success for me. And it led me back to the Rumi poem above and now I’m enthused and excited to hear the secrets on the breeze.

Now the question is, “Do the reasons why and the motivations help us remove the conditioning?”

I’m just starting Phase II and will keep you informed.

What about you? Have you experimented with time before? What is/was your experience?

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

‘Oh, you’re such a good boy’, she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, ‘Could you drive through downtown?’

‘Oh, I don’t mind,’ she said. ‘I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice’.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. ‘I don’t have any family left,’ she continued. ‘The doctor says I don’t have very long.’

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

‘What route would you like me to take?’ I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, ‘I’m tired. Let’s go now’

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

‘How much do I owe you?’ she asked, reaching into her purse.

‘Nothing,’ I said

‘You have to make a living,’ she answered.

‘There are other passengers,’ I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.

She held onto me tightly.

‘You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,’ she said, ‘Thank you.’

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.

What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

I found the Michael Senoff’s Hard To Find Seminars in 2005. There’s a link at the end of the article.

More than 4 years later, I’m still exploring the site, listening to inspirational, business and mindset audios completely free.

Today he shared this via email:

Subject: They’re watching…

Email Body: Here’s an incredibly cool little story for anyone that’s around kids.

It has nothing to do with marketing, interviews or making money.

There’s this brat little kid we’ve seen at our park the last few weeks.

His name is Jeremy.

He wears a patch on his left eye.

Must be about 5.

There’s been several incidences with this kid’s behavior.

For example..

He dumped water on my kid’s shirt up at the water fountain.

He told my older son Joe his hair looked like a grandmother.

He hit my younger son in the face with a tree branch.

( Don’t worry he’s ok )

He flinged sand in Jackson’s face.

(Jackson’s a dog.)

I reasoned to my sons that Jeremy’s behavior was poor because he was not getting enough attention at home.

Or because of the patch on his eye.

Or because his Dad has not taught him about how to get along with other people.

So this time at the park, my boys were both sitting on the swings.

And Jeremy runs over my kid’s sandals with his bike.

And Jeremy’s mother saw what happened and brought Jeremy over and she said . . .

“Jeremy . .. do you want to say something to the boys”..

Silence

“Jeremy – - YOU neeeed to say your are sorry to the boys.”

And he finally meeks out an insincere sorry.

And then my son Joe says in a loud voice.

( with attitude and expression )

“Sorry for what ?”

Jeremy eye’s perk open ..

But he says nothing.

Joe says again..

“Sorry for what Jeremy ?”

And Jeremy can’t remember.

So Joseph reminds him exactly what he needs to be sorry for.

You need to say you are …

* Sorry for dumping water on my brother at the fountain

* Sorry for hitting him in the face with a branch

* Sorry for dissing my hair and saying it looks like a grandmother

( and it does NOT look like a grandmother. Hmm-pph )

* Sorry for flinging sand in Jackson’s face and

* Sorry for running over our sandals – - with your BIKE.

Jeremy finally got the point and apologized.

I was never so proud of my son.

He stood up for himself.

He stood up for his younger brother and . .

He stood up for the dog, Jackson.

We had to go home because it was time for dinner.

And as we were walking home, I told my boys how proud I was of them.

And I asked . . where in the world did you learn this sorry for what thing.

I said “that was a classic.”

And he said, Dad ….

I learned it form you . .

Michael Senoff

About the Author

Michael Senoff is the CEO and publisher of http://www.myfirsthmaclient.com

The world’s leading free digital consulting audio business library.

Michael is an experienced Internet marketer and talk show host and a popular professional interviewer. Michael has taught 100% online around the country & around the world to more than 50,000 students.

His over-the-top online audio interview web site
http://www.hardtofindseminars.com is listed in the top 1% of most visited web sites in the world.

Michael has also worked as a coach and adviser to other famous marketing consultants.

Michael is a husband and father of two young boys in Southern California. He has a successful audio publishing business. Michael is originally from Atlanta Georgia and is now based in San Diego, California. Michael works with small to medium sized companies on four different continents.

He is the author of the book: “TALK YOURSELF RICH”: (86 of the most revealing, proprietary secrets on the subject of how to make more money with audio interviews and the soon to be released sequel: AUDIO MARKETING SECRETS. How To Make Your Own Information Product Using Audio Interviews.

If you don’t think the youngsters around you are learning about how to deal with life from you, think again.

You deserve your THRiViNG! Life and so do the children watching you.

LaShae