I don't wanna write a book.
At least not yet.
I don't yet know how to make it truly different.
Ironically, there isn't a book that is written on these topics that I don't buy ;-)
But, I don't want to write a book, because they are so wildly inefficient.
I read somewhere that there are 20,000 books per year written on "self help". (I hate that term, or at least the connotation that has been established with it.)
How many books are there written on weight loss or running a company in the "right" way? And, yet, how many people in our country are overweight, and how many companies are run uninspired and like all the rest? How many books are written about getting and living healthier and stronger? How many of them work?
I believe the issue is in the acceptance of "the moment".
We read these books and sometimes we even commit ourselves to action "over time".
This year I am going to lose 20 pounds. This year I am going to set a better strategy for our company, or create a company with values. We spend so much time as leaders, as parents, as people conceiving and preparing for what we are "going to do" over some period of time, next week, next month, next year, over the next 3 years. Don't get me wrong, setting direction is extremely important. I think to myself "I want to build and run a company that I don't want to sell." That is my DIRECTION. But, that can't be where I stop. "I want to run a 6 minute mile" this year. I do. But that is my direction only. Then the balance of the time, the other 99.99% of the time, I need to be acting on this very moment. What am I going to do today? What am I going to do right now to make that direction possible? Thinking about our direction in the actions of every moment makes them possible.
THE PROBLEM is that we cannot act on "this year". We can only act on the RIGHT HERE and the RIGHT NOW. So, not only how do we break down our dreams, our direction, into small chunks that we can act on now, but, most importantly, how do we stay in that conversation? How do we stay moment over moment in the commitment toward action toward whatever it may be we want to achieve?
I don't want to write a book. I want to create an awareness and a conversation to the concept of harmony. I want to create a conversation that starts to happen in your own mind, that focuses your want, that delivers on your dreams (and mine).
I don't want to write a book about getting stronger. I want to make you want to do push ups RIGHT now and then I want to get down on the ground and do them with you. Because it is IN the push up where the magic happens. It is IN the actual workout, in the moment, pushing yourself to the third set, or through the last rep, where we actually get stronger and where our dreams become reality.
SO, two thoughts;
1. I don't want to be the author of a book that makes you smile and appreciate a philosophy that you never spouse or apply. I want to be the author of my life, of my journey, of a conversation that keeps on going and slowly but persistently helps you achieve a level of awareness and meaning and purpose and direction in your life that makes it so much more exciting and productive and worthwhile.
2. This blog and my life and your life are the platform for our conversation. And, anything else that you want to make a part of it. Everything is relevant. Everything is inspirational. Even books ;-) You can't adopt every philosophy. You can't engage in every conversation around you. It all becomes noise at some point, and we cant tell the difference between more noise and great thought. The reason that I keep coming back to the concept of HARMONY, is because it ties EVERYTHING together. It applies to each and every aspect of my life. It helps me sort out, prioritize and move forward. When I am in this conversation with myself, my sons, my friends, my colleagues... I am IN the push up. I am getting stronger. I am moving forward!
Awareness and conversation is my goal... and the only thing that matters, the only thing we can actually affect is this very moment.
And, in this very moment, starting this blog and sharing these thoughts with you is the most important thing in my life.