Tunnel Vision

Do you have tunnel vision thinking? The older we get, the narrower our view of the world and what is possible for us can become, and in actuality, our view should be the exact opposite. The late George Carlin hit the nail on the head when he said we tend to view our lives and our advancing years in the following way:

"Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. But wait!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and make it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!”

Just imagine how cool it would be to live life with the exuberance of a 4-1/2 year old, no matter how old you are!

We’ve got to stop living our lives from a place of: “My life is whatever percent over. Now what do I do?” We can’t stop participating in life because our kids graduate. We can’t stop participating in life because we are retired. We can’t stop participating in life because we are unclear about, or afraid of, what’s next for us and the world as a whole. We have a responsibility not only to ourselves but to the generations behind us to lead outrageous lives, to be in committed action with a direction, and to not be stopped by anything or anyone! If we don’t show our children how to be all of these things, how will they learn how to be in action and play full-out themselves? Now more than ever we are under the microscope of our children. We are being watched and it is time to live what we speak. It is time to do what we’ve told our kids to do from the very beginning… it is time to be in committed action with a direction!

We’ve got to stop just thinking about how we want our lives to be and get present to what we are going to do to create an outrageous life that we love, have a plan and a solid direction, and go for it with the passion of a 4-1/2 year old! There are people rolling over and giving up all over the place. Overwhelm and the blahs are getting the best of them, and I’m not immune either! I have days where I’d rather pack up the camping gear and live in a cave, but I’ve got a responsibility to myself, my family, my clients, and everyone I meet to make a difference, be a positive example, and have an outrageous life. Otherwise, why have I been blessed with the life and the gifts I’ve been blessed with?

You have your gifts and blessings too – the fact we have breath is a gift in and of itself! So, if you have been slowed down for whatever reason and are ready to get restarted, what are you waiting for? All it takes to get into action is: (1) commitment, (2) solid direction (a plan), and (3) accountability.

How do you implement these steps? Get out a notepad – a napkin in a coffee shop will even do – and begin writing a plan (even a simple list) of what you want to do and dates by-when you are going to do each item. Then give that list to a friend or two (and your coach – hint, hint!) and ask them to hold you accountable for doing what you have written down. From there it is all about you being in committed action everywhere. It really is no more difficult than that!

Remember: Only you have a say in how your life turns out. No one can ruin your day — or your life — without your permission.