#she's still alive dude like to what end ms bryant

[mystacoceti]

this is what all celebrities are like more or less. like they're all just so many variations on the clickhole meghan trainor article

[mubal4]

Embrace where we’ve come from!

Not sure why I titled this entry the way I did but that is what came to my head as I reflected.  Over this weekend I received an email from a dear friend and member of my Mastermind Group. She wants to write, and we encourage her to do so; I really believe she has an amazing story to share with the world and, by sharing it, that will set her free.  Her emailed referenced a conversation she was having with a co-worked about the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling.  There are many of us that know of Harry Potter and that story, but I am not sure how many know about J.K. Rowling and her story on how she got to be what we know of her today.  If you don’t, I encourage you to research it, it is very powerful and heartwarming.  Once again, this universe works in amazing ways because before I received the email from my friend I came across this paragraph in the ending of “The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brene’ Brown.  Ironically, or coincidentally, about J.K. Rowling.  

 “Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was and began to direct all my energy to finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one area where I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter, and a big idea. And so rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” – J.K. Rowling

 Wow.  Let that sink in a bit.  Reread it, and again!!  What a profound and empowering way to look at things.  If you know her story, her outlook on it is wonderful.  She was in an abusive marriage, had the courage to leave it with her baby daughter, live with her family, was poor, and destitute. However, as she looks back on her life now, after going through that, she stayed true to her mission, what she believed was her gifts and treasures and shared them with the world.  She kept moving forward and stayed committed to, what she believed was her purpose, and has made a tremendous impact on millions of people around the world.  I will be honest, I never read one of her Harry Potter books; my wife and kids have. However, I have become well aware of her life story and, at least for me, that has made much more of an impact on me than the Harry Potter books and movies.  She, in my opinion, is an incredible human being and to continue to have this outlook on her life, her journey, as she reflects on it, she was truly in love with her process in becoming great.  Even knowing what she knows now, she wouldn’t change it.  She had to go through those moments, those circumstances, to become the person she was meant to be.  That is a gift.

 A few weeks ago I wrote about knowing then what we know now and reading the passage above got me thinking about that again.  How many times have you said, “I wish I could have…………. insert your comment??” I know I’ve thought about things from my past and how “I wish I could have done that, had that, experienced that, won that, dated that girl, had that car, won the lottery, made a million dollars.” Sorry, I guess you get my point 😊.  We’ve done it and I am sure there are times that Ms. Rowling has had those thoughts along her journey.  However, deep down, she believes, and I agree with her 100% that those dark moments along her journey were what she needed to endure to become what we know of her today.  The linked article above expresses that a bit from my own experiences.  I really wanted to play major league baseball when I was a kid. Hell, didn’t most boys the age of 8-13 want to play major league baseball back in the late 70’s early 80’s? Over time, I thought I got pretty good, but the dream died around freshman year of high school and life went on.  As Ms. Rowling outlines in the paragraph, who would I be if that “success” happened?  I wouldn’t have Robin, Isabella or Alaina.  I would not have the friends that I have (more to come on that later this week 😊).  I am pretty positive I wouldn’t be writing a blog, producing a podcast, or sharing my story as I have been the last few years.  Sure, I would have had other things that would be brining me joy in my life, but I know, sitting here typing this, I would not trade my life with anyone. It is not perfect.  Far from it. It is not easy. Sometimes, it is not fun, and it sucks.  I think life should be at moments – ask J.K. Rowling.  But, we get to take those circumstances, good and bad, and chose how they will shape our life.  

 I was listening to a Lewis Howes’ podcast today with Kobe Bryant.  I am not much of a fan of basketball, specially the NBA, and not too keen on Kobe.  I do like March Madness, come on, I am not that much against bball!! However, much of the dislike, if you want to call it that, for him was mostly because of what I saw, read, and became to believe about him via the media.  Over the last few years I’ve gotten to hear and read about other areas in his life, more about his work effort that got him to be “Kobe Bryant” but how he continues to put that mindset into his family, businesses, coaching, and life.  There was one thing he said that caught my attention.  Lewis Howes asked him about how he felt about losing.  Kobe’s response was, “it’s exciting.”  He went on to explain about what he learned from losing and how much that motivated to be better.  A better, player, and a better teammate.  I thought that was great.  J.K. Rowling, at least in my opinion, reflects that in the above passage. You can call it losing, failure, making mistakes…...LIFE!  All part of this incredible ride called life.  

 It is a wild, lonely & crowded, fun, crazy, exciting, hard, sucky, tough, sad, amazing, colorful, confusing, frustrating, and a whole bunch of other words that will continue to come to my mind, but I will stop now, ride!!  I am learning more and more how much less and less I can control on this ride.  For some reason the vision of riding a roller coaster came to mind.  We get excited to get on and when our turn comes to strap in we are excited but there is that little fear of the unknown, “ah, what did I just agree to do.” You saw the people that just got off, they are in good spirits; except that one dude that is about your age that looks like either his heart is hurting, or he is going to spew in the garbage when he exits. Oh well, you start out and begin climbing that first hill and all these thoughts start going through your mind about what is to come from that first free fall? How many hills? Are their loops? We fear that unknown and are trying to figure out what is to come!!  Oh shit, where is my cell phone and wallet? Are they secure? Is someone stealing my bag that is in the cubby? Then, you are dropping down this hill, your stomach and possibly male organs if you have them are in your throat, you are screaming “oooooohhhhhh ssssshhhiiiittttt,” then the smiles ensue, you are laughing uncontrollably, your stomach is still going up and down, you are uncomfortable, but when you pull into to stop, you are whipping tears from your cheek because you were laughing your ass off.   Then, you are standing back in line to do it again; despite the uncertainty; despite the fear; despite the only control you had was committing to the ride.  And, you figured it out and had a blast doing it.

 Let’s commit to the ride of life.  Keep showing up and working to figure it out.  At the end, as we continue to move forward, we will look back at it whipping happy tears from our cheeks.