There is something majestic about waking up when it is still
dark out and watching the sunrise.
It is energizing yet at the same time very centering and grounding. I think it was built into our DNA. Since the beginning of time, human
beings have always woken up with the sunrise and went down to sleep shortly
after sunset. There was no
other option. Except for a little
fire, there was no other option to function in the dark, and our shelters were
minimal so it just made sense to wake up with the sunlight. Also, we did not have big fluffy
blankets, feather pillows, and blackout shades to keep us in bed sleeping until
the late hours of the morning, and for some of us, the early hours of the
afternoon. Combine that with the
need to maximize the sunlight to be able to hunt and gather our food and waking
up at sunrise was not only the norm, it was a necessity.
Now fast forward a few hundred thousand years and the things
we were once doing as a necessity have become a luxury. Time for the most part is no longer a
concern. We no longer need to
spend entire days scouring the planet in search of food and shelter. What once was spending days chasing
down large animals has turned into fighting for a few minutes over a parking
spot, or if you are feeling a bit adventurous, parking in the back and actually
taking a walk. We have traded in
waking up at sunrise ready to take on the day for long mornings sleeping in and
short drives to the market. Why?
Simply because we can. We
know we don’t have to wake up at dawn anymore or exercise because anything that
we need for survival is easily found just a short distance away. When things no
longer become a necessity and instead become a luxury, it takes a very
important mental muscle to stay on the path – commitment.
I remember years ago when I used to say there was not enough
time in the day to accomplish everything I wanted to do. Then I realized how much time in a day
I was really wasting. From waking
up late to watching too much television to spending too much time doing nothing
of importance on the internet, I was really limiting my potential through
waste. Now I am doing
exponentially more than I ever accomplished in the past with the potential for
more time being discovered everyday to do more and be more. Just this morning for example, I had
plans to sleep in a bit later than usual, but the universe had other plans for
me. Apparently those plans were to
wake me up at 5:30 in the morning on a Sunday. But in doing so I am going to be able to take care of my
laundry, straighten up my home, write a blog, read, and workout before most
people even open up their eyes.
Although this morning wasn’t a part of my plan, it was a part of the
master plan. Now, in order for me to
make this an everyday occurrence, it is going to take some flexing of the
mental muscle we talked about earlier called commitment.
Commitment does not just apply to waking up early and
exercising. Commitment applies to
every aspect of our life. If you
truly want an amazing life, you have to commit to it! You have to commit to
making every day better than the last.
You have to commit to yourself and making sure you make your health,
happiness, and fulfillment a priority and put in the work to do so. You have to commit to being the best at
your career and working everyday to reach your true potential. You have to commitment to your
relationships making everyday more exciting than the last. Are you still working on impressing and
surprising your partner 5, 10, and 15 years down the line? If not, why
not? Are you present at work, and
conscious of every moment, every action, and every project? Do you have a
whatever-it-takes attitude when it comes to making sure you exercise and eat
healthy everyday, even if that means waking up early, going to bed late, or using
your lunch time to do push ups?
Many desire a life that they would love to have but very few are truly
committed to making that happen.
It continues to be a pipe dream rather than a reality for nothing other
than they do not commit to making it happen.
Sustained, reproducible success in life does not happen by
accident. It takes an
extraordinary and unwavering commitment.
Let me give you an example.
I love what I do for a living.
I love being a chiropractor.
I love helping to transform lives and I take that responsibility very
seriously. I have built the
practice of my dreams which is full of amazing people that I get to experience
and touch every single day. When I
moved over to Singapore, there were two things that made that possible – faith
that my dream of changing the world would come true backed by an unwavering and
unshakable commitment to seeing it through until it became a reality. I commit everyday to making myself
better so I can be better for my patients. I am present and study every adjustment I give to a person
and evaluate how I can be more specific, more present, and more powerful for
the next patient. I study every
dialogue with my staff and my patients and evaluate how I can communicate more
effectively and with more passion in order to create more of a connection in
every interaction after that. This
process never stops. Seventy
thousand adjustments later, I still replay every single one and determine I how
can be better for the next one.
If you truly want success, physically, mentally,
emotionally, socially, and financially, you have to be willing to commit. You have to be willing to live your life
outside of your comfort zone and explore into an area of life called your
stretch zone. Commit to being
great, and what better day to choose to start than today?
Love,
Matt
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