Feel like having a break from the concrete world? Watch this film. In just 3 minutes and 8 seconds it will clear your mind. The film is called The Mountain. It displays just awesome and peaceful images of the ‘El Teide’, a volcano on Tenerife, Canary Islands. Its 3718m summit is the highest point in Spain, the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic, and it is the third highest volcano in the world measured from its base on the ocean floor. Not only the mountain itself, also the stars in the sky above are breathtaking. The film is made by Terje Sørgjerd who also made this film.
So simple, yet so true. Well, I don’t know if it’s exactly 80%, but the point is: showing up is an essential, unmissable part of the road to success. I mean, no matter how talented you are, how well prepared you come, even when you’re like no one else made for the job… if you choose to stay in bed, if you choose to not show up, you will certainly fail. So yes, let’s say 80% of success is showing up. Now, keep this in mind the next time you are about to embark on some mission, not quite sure of how to get the job done – just by showing up, you’re already at 80% of the success you’re after! So, hello, good morning and go out there!
You’ll enjoy this video, especially when you are familiar with Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now and like Jim Carrey. As it turns out, the famous Hollywood movie star is a friend of Tolle. In this video we see Carrey at the opening of the 2009 GATE Event, introducing his friend to the audience. But before doing so, he shares his own experience with what’s called ‘Awakening’ (in The Power of Now) and also he’s openly discussing his pursuit for meaning and purpose. Oh, and he’s funny too.
“If you do what you always do, you get what you always get”. I love this Einstein quote. He challenges us to try new things, to be curious and stay flexible. Imagine someone playing chess, with the exact same strategy every game, making the exact same moves. What do you think would happen? He will be beaten the exact same way every time. So – especially when you’re not succeeding in what you want to achieve – changing your approach is the key. Because if you change, everything changes.
Falling in love is great. Just like getting the new iPhone 5. Winning the lottery is grant. Just like a bright sunny day. Coming home to your children after a long day at work is magic. Just like your favorite sports team winning the national title. But only you can bring peace to yourself.
When you are in the dark, it seems impossible to get into the light. When you’re down and out, it seems impossible to be up and about. But impossible only means that you haven’t found the solution yet. There’s a solution for everything. Impossible? Boxing legend Muhammad Ali once spoke some amazing words about what impossible is. He said: “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
In most cultures you need a brand new day in order to start over with a clean sheet. That’s understandable I guess. But it’s actually not very handy. I mean at one point in human history, it was decided that a brand new day only begins when the sun comes up. Later it was decided that ‘technically’ a brand new day begins 0.00 AM. That means, in order to start over, we’ll have to wait A) for the sun to come up or B) stay awake until it’s 0.00 AM. We lose a great deal of time here! So I decided to make my own rule. Instead of being dependent on nature or the clock, I’d like to think a brand new day begins every second of the day. I mean every second a new 24hr cycle, a brand new day, begins. So now I can start a brand new day any time of the day. And so can you.