PERCEPTIVE INSIGHTS ON MEANINGFUL LIVING

Recently I came across something very interesting.

It’s about motivational speakers (and speaking).

There are actually people who are surprised that, if they bring in such a speaker to present to their company, it doesn’t have a big impact on their employees/salespeople/customers—especially, in the long run.

Why? Well, it’s simple.

Motivation not only has to be sparked—it must be sustained.

Plus, it isn’t the beginning.

It doesn’t start with you being motivated out of the blue, and then taking action is the consequence. It’s the other way around; to get motivated you need to take action.

As the late Zig Ziglar used to say:

People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.

Translated:

Take action every single day toward something that’s meaningful to you.

Let’s get started there.

I hated being part of most groups, and had little to—at some point—no friends at all. Society at large was putting enormous pressure on me.

And here lies the issue.

People are forced into an ideal.

You got to be this way, that way.

If not, you’re labeled unattractive, weird, fake, nerd, faggot, (and in case you’re lucky) lone wolf or arrogant.

You ought to behave like this, you got to have these interest, etc.

No wonder life loses its magic!

If you’re constantly told you’re shy, sensitive, weak, slim, quiet…

I was told all these things.

(Luckily) I was always strong-willed and introverted enough to rely on myself and not be concerned about peer pressure…

…But I lacked a support group of like-minded people.

And, thus, I felt nervous around others and like a weirdo.

I was literally like the meme goes:

Too weird for the cool kids. Too cool for the weird kids.

That was exactly me.

Then things changes and I met amazing people from all walks of life.

Traveling abroad has definitely changed my whole life forever and for the better.

The results I got are proof enough.

You know this feeling when you just want to give up (because you’re so exhausted)? Like you can’t do it anymore…

As if throwing in the towel was the best thing you can do?

Don’t give in this temptation.

Winners never quit and quitters never win.

Right now, I feel like giving up on my daily writing…

…But I won’t let it happen. Why?

Because I have a strong enough WHY.

I have a mission, a purpose, a reason why I’m writing these lines to you—it’s to help you improve your own life (as well as my writing skills at the same time). While I was working today in the Vodafone store, I made it hard on myself however. In other words, I put unnecessary pressure on myself by not being present and focused.

And we had an awful lot of customers today on a Thursday.

It was weird.

Anyhow, want to know what keeps me going (besides the two motivations I mentioned above)? Besides skill mastery and personal development and meaningful contribution, what has kept me going ever since is this.

Consistency.

I simply don’t want to break the habit of writing blog posts and daily emails now for 3 months in a row. Plus, I know that emotions come, and they go. So why should I let myself be guided by them? Clear in advance I set out to write every single day—no matter what happens, no matter how frustrating it is, no matter what’s the end result, or where it will lead me.

How about you?

Are you clear on where you’re going in life, and what you want to accomplish?

Do you have a strong WHY that keeps you going?

If not, start there.

Start today.

Although I get it that some TV series are intended to be funny being unfunny (or however you want to call it)…

…I experienced stuff like this on a daily basis for years.

Stuff like people making bad jokes. Stuff like people only talking about how drunk they got the weekend before. Stuff like how cool they were. Stuff like… you know what I’m talking about. You’ve experienced it yourself.

The good thing?

You’re now free to do whatever you want to do.

(And if you’re still in high school …I hope my story serves as a motivational reminder/example for you to keep your head down and push through.)

My advice?

Stop taking part in stupid activities solely to be seen as cool or to not offend others—in case you back out of it. Simply don’t give a shit.

Well, easier said than done.

Anyway, you can do it.

I believe in you.

What do a lot of meetings have in common?

Yep.

They are boring.

They are too long.

They are lacking crystal-clear focus.

And afterwards everyone is still confused as hell.

Today it was different. Well, it has been different for the past few months since I joined Vodafone Germany back in Jan 2017. That’s what I like about bigger companies; they don’t only have the budget to host meetings at their own HQ…

…But they also get things done (and they do make the meetings enjoyable).

By following certain guidelines.

Now to you.

What guidelines do you have in your own life that help you enjoy life (even if it’s just for short moments)?

What habits do you have in place that support you in improving your life long term?

If your answer is none—as many people do—wake up for your own sake. Why? Because no one, no one ever, will do the work for you. Whether it’s becoming more confident, making more money, getting to know great people, building a routine, transforming your life in general…

…No one’s gonna do it but you.

So what’s your plan?

Just giving out business cards hoping people will reply or recommend you.

It happened to me 3 times in a row when I was new in Berlin last year. Mind you, these were no business meetups. These were normal, social gatherings (with the only concept being that one of meeting international people—so why pitch your business in the first place?).

I was in charge.

I could decide whether I want to continue the relationship.

Or I could decide otherwise.

Is this the way you want to build meaningful relationships?

It’s on me now, even worse: he (a guy I met there who handed me his biz card) didn’t reply though I mentioned a great resource, a book called Traction, to him because we talked about startups and how to grow them from scratch.

Anyway, his decision.

And I respect that.

I do, however, know that you’re wiser.

You’re willing to learn how to followup and follow through on what you set out to achieve. Be it to learn social skills, relationship skills, sales, marketing, business related stuff, or whatever.

You will do what it takes.

In short, you have my full respect and support.

Tomorrow’s the day.

Actually today.

What?

This.

I am scheduling this post in advance. Right….

Because my parents come to Berlin and we’ll catch up on Sunday, 03/25/2018, I don’t want to bore you with some private details.

At the same time, I don’t have the time to create a well thought out post for you that you deserve to receive from moi. So, I give it to you straight.

Listen.

No matter where you are right now, it’s you who decides where your journey leads you. Your life. No one else is responsible for your actions. Get that! It’s crucial. It’s vital for your overall success. I’ll probably publish more on this topic of responsibility in the future coz it’s that important.

And it doesn’t matter whether I use elaborate terms or plain colloquial terms.

You need to take action.

Scratch that.

You must take action.

End of story.

Talk soon!