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7 Principles of Life
Are You Really Living Each Day?
You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?
I am now 54. How many more years? How many more days? To live. To matter. To dream. To do. If I am average, I have just 10,000 more days!
When I was in my 20s and 30s, I thought I had lots of time. Now, I think I have about five projects I can do with strength and vigour. I am more aware of why Warren Buffet reserved ten slots to invest well. He said he envisioned a punch card with ten slots, and every time he invested, there would be one less slot. Quentin Tarantino only planned to make ten movies. He has made nine thus far. One more left. Wow. I can't wait for his 10th and final film.
I have many dreams, but I have narrowed my list to the following: a Broadway musical, an AI company, a health and wellness retreat at Camp Howdy, publishing a series of books, three movies, and Gospel Media Network… Which ones shall I do first?
Life is short, but there is enough time to do what you are uniquely positioned to do, that only you can do. I have thought a lot about the principles of life. There are many, but if I had to boil it down to just seven, these would be the top for me.
1. You are a miracle—a unique miracle who will never walk this earth again.
The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.
Out of the tens of millions of sperm cells from your father and one of the half a million egg cells, you are the unique genetic and environmental combination that will never exist again.
You are truly unique.
You seek to belong, to have purpose and meaning. That which we seek will eventually be found, but you must ask, seek and knock with all your heart, all your mind and all your strength. The world is waiting for you to reveal your heart. Someone is waiting for you. That has always been my philosophy, even when I was in despair or felt invisible. But after decades of seeking, I am discovering myself, finding my tribe, and voicing my heart. It may be one person (me) or some others who feel similarly or aspire to a greater vision and version of themselves, but I know each of us is here for a reason. Just like your chair, your table, your bed.
2. You are born upside down. You need to be born upright.
Being born again means becoming who you were always meant to be.
My first child, Jessi, was about to be born, but she wasn't coming out. She was feet first—a footling breech. We had an emergency C-section. She was fine, and it was one of the most glorious days of my life to hold her in my arms.
The natural way to be born is head first. This means almost everyone in the world is born upside down. I believe that while we walk this earth, we must be reborn "right side up" (upright). We all wish to be upright before a Creator and our fellow man. Sometimes, we lose our way and feel like we are tumbling around all over the place, stuck in sin and in guilt. We honour those who have integrity, who admit their faults, who are humble, who sacrifice, who serve, who are trustworthy, who are good and kind. We do so because they are being upright.
Plant your feet firmly on the ground and stand upright, stand tall, and be who you are meant to be.
3. Your days are numbered, but you believe you are immortal.
Teach us to number our days so we may have a heart of wisdom.
We say things like 'Friends forever' and 'Love always.' We have eternity in our hearts, and yet we know that just as we have a birthday, we will also have a death day. Most do not think about this latter day. We see it on tombstones. In my quotes, I reference the year of the quoter's birth and their death. It reminds us that we are mortal and should be wise enough to spend each day as if it were our last. Memento mori - 'Remember death' is wise. It seems sombre and grim, but it reminds us to be grateful for each moment, each breath, each person, whether good or bad, for everything is a tutor for us, if we have the eyes and ears to sense.
Steve Jobs never believed in an 'off' button because he believed life persisted forever. His products tried to eliminate this on/off button. We will one day have an off button, but our souls and spirits will persist. That is forever in our hearts.
Don’t count the days; make the days count.
4. You are just water, dust and air. But you have a soul and spirit too.
The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear.
We are 70% water, just like the earth. Why water? We are but recycled dust for the remainder of our bodies. We have iron. Why? We have metals like Selenium and magnesium. We breathe air, but why? 80% of our cells are red blood cells. 20-30 trillion red blood cells (rbc). Each RBC has 270 million hemoglobin! Each hemoglobin can hold eight oxygen molecules. This blood must flow to supply this oxygen to the rest of our cells- to produce energy (ATP) in the mitochondria in our cells. It's complex, but we don't even have to think about it. Just breathe, and life happens. We can then use our thoughts, minds and spirits to create amazing things that nourish and inspire one another. This is the gift, our creations, our innovations. We have become like gods, creating and destructively innovating to the heavens above. Our bodies are temporary vehicles for our souls and spirits that long to live forever.
5. What separates you from life and death is just a breath. But that breath of life has more power than anything in this universe when combined with love.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
We breathe 12 times a minute all the time. The minute we stop breathing (try holding your breath for a minute), we start to suffer. Four minutes without oxygen, our brain stops working. After five minutes, we are no longer alive. Just 5 minutes separates us from the living to the dead. Grim. How are we so fragile?
While we have breath, we desire to share this breath with others. With some, it is a deep and lasting love. Others, a seasonal love. And sometimes heartbreak, when our breath ceases, we part from loved ones.
When breath combines with love, it is the most potent force in the universe. There is nothing more powerful. This is the most important principle in the universe and is contained in one word: LOVE.
When the breath is unsteady, all is unsteady. When the breath is still, all is still.
Read on for the following two principles of life and my life lessons then and now (only a few minutes more, but I hope I will help you in your life).