Greetings from 38K feet, from one paradise to the next, I am en route back to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Happy Valentines Day!
This last week was filled with a lot of beautiful moments. One, in particular, was the center point of the week: I had a severe case of swimmers ear. For those wondering what is swimmers ear, it is when water enters your ear, doesn’t get cleared out, and causes a bacteria infection in your ear.
My ear was swollen shut. Fever visited me for most of the week along with sweaty, sleepless nights. With that said, I found the experience to be one filled with wisdom, gratitude, and perspective. Yes, I am actually glad that I went through it.
I recognized that without my health, no matter how many people I want to help and the impact I am creating in the world, nothing else mattered. There is a quote that I read a few years back that summarizes how I was feeling clearly:
“A healthy man has a million dream, an unhealthy one has but one.”
Through my fever, I recognized that I was grasping on to a process that was no longer serving me. In the midst of the pain and the heat, it hit me, “I need to have more fun with my life.” There are parts of me that are deep, philosophical, and profound that I have nurtured over the years with compounding results— I love this part of me. I see a deeper purpose in every moment. It provides me with a lens of beauty and a sense of opportunity in every situation. However, I realize that I have also been leaning heavily on that part of me and ignoring the easy-going, let’s have fun, nurturing serendipity, and let things flow with ease part of me.
Being in burrowed in my bungalow in Costa Rica for 1/2 of my adventure with Lindsey, looking back, was exactly what I needed (and asked for). Time to purify my mind, body, and spirit in so many different unexpected ways to be able to level up my talents, service, and purpose with fun and play.
It feels that to me, part of my fever was self-induced. I was holding on to expectations, deep down I was comparing myself to others, and frustrated with myself because in some of the parts of these last few weeks I have yet to see the progress I want in my finances, in my actions, and in my business.
Living through the fever (where at times reached as high as 104) helped me understand that I was judging myself in contemptuous ways which were resulting in me getting in my own way and preventing me from making progress. I was taking myself way too seriously.
I am feeling significantly better now with a renewed sense of purpose and energy.
Having spent time with Lindsey, reconnecting with old friends in ways, creating new experiences, and nurturing new lessons has made Costa Rica a remarkable experience with ripple effects to come.
I’ve heard from many of my friends who are extreme and professional athletes that when they take themselves too seriously and think too much they make mistakes, injure themselves, and/or don’t get the outcome they desire. On the contrary, it is when they get in their bodies, are relaxed, and feel the rhythm of their craft by tapping into their fun that they win.
When you find yourself in play, workflows. Your genius is tapped into all the possibilities that are the present moment. Losing yourself in your work is another way of saying “I am having fun!” Concentration, Focus, discipline, and progress are not synonyms for rigidness and seriousness. Inviting fun, joy, and play into these areas of your life seems to create lasting and impactful results. Some of the most successful people I know are all having fun, making work look like play, and make life feel simple and magical.
As you read this, I’d like to invite you to take a moment and ask yourself, “am I having fun?”
Things I Discovered
A reflection:
When you look outward the world narrows. When you look inward the world expands.
Rather than asking if there will be a life after death, live a life before it.
Life is the ultimate paradox.A Question:
Am I having Fun?
A Phrase:
I don’t need easy, I just need possible.
A Lesson:
You’ll see more by feeling your way than seeing it.
A Conviction:
Closed mouths won’t get fed.
A Quote:
“A healthy man has a million dream, an unhealthy man has one.”
A Framework:
Thank you, and more.
A Truth:
Ultimately, everything in your life comes down to YOU.
A Recommendation:
Have Fun.
An Article: This week it is a book called, The Psychology of Money. It is simple, straight to the point, and filled with actionable steps on improving your money mindset regardless of what your current circumstances are.
I am making this a mandatory read for all my Money Mindset clients.A photo:
I love this photo for many reasons. Lindsey and I celebrated our friends Nick’s birthday in our secret location in CR. Funny enough, the last time I saw Nick was another lifetime ago— maybe 3 years. We ran into each other serendipitously. We ended up hanging out for the week doing yoga, grabbing bites, and exchanging ideas. When he mentioned it was his Birthday. Lindsey and I organized a dinner to celebrate his 33 dances around the sun. Trick candles included :)
Friendship is a beautiful gift. Celebrate it.Pura Vida,
Alejandro