A new year begins…
Most people take the start of a new year to mark some turning point to execute the changes they wish to make in their life.
The reality however is that execution of changes comes down to the adjustment of habits, whether breaking old ones or forming new ones.
As such there’s no way to escape the simple fact that to execute anything in life requires consistent applied effort and focus. I guess one of the habits I want to get back into is the reduction of inputs so I can increase my outputs this year.
It’s so easy to get trapped first thing in the morning into absorbing the inputs - the news, social media all of those things that I don’t actually set myself up to generate the right outputs.
As such, the habit I’ll reshape going forward is the generation of outputs first thing every morning when I get up. This simple note is one such idea and requires only a basic investment of noting down the things that run through my mind…
From daily tasks like invoicing a client or organising myself for work tasks, podcasts to more detailed memories like thinking about my dad and mum landing in Australia on the 4th January 1980 on the cruise ship Oriana.
How excited they must have been, my brother Donny, 2.5 years of age as they looked to start a new life here in Australia.
One of the thoughts I’ve been reflecting on of late as my dad passed away is how all the knowledge, experience and ideas he had go away with him. His belongings now becoming just ‘stuff’ gathering dust, without my dad to bring meaning and life to them.
There’s something to that idea - like when people talk about culture or the vibe of a place, they are often referring more so to the energy and spirit that people bring to things, without the people, the place is just a place.
Likewise, your body - flesh and bone becomes inanimate and hollow when your soul or spirit leaves it. I used the example of the body just being like a pillow when the soul has left it, it’s no different to any other object as my kids were asking me about their Grandfather passing away.
In my life, I’ve grown to enjoy having conversations with God in my own mind as a means to guide me. In that sense, having faith brings a feeling of peace to me that I couldn’t otherwise achieve.
It might seem weird for people that for a guy who loves violent combat sports the ultimate goal / state for me is to be at peace, however I have pondered on this idea for a while, that if at the end of someone’s life all we wish is that they’re R.I.P that perhaps that’s actually a solid guide to how we should conduct ourselves throughout our lives…
So a few days ago over this Christmas period and prior to my dad passing, I was feeling a little low and so asked God to guide me in what’s important.
I got an answer when my dad passed away.
I guess it brings me back to the Ecclesiastes idea that every pursuit becomes vanity at the end of the day, it all becomes hollow.
I don’t take that in the nihilistic sense of it’s not worth doing anything or you shouldn’t even try, but more so that the reasons why you pursue these things and the end goal of these pursuits should have some exchange and impact on others and yourself.
Pursue the things that can have a positive impact on yourself and other people.
That’s a means to escaping the vanity of chasing an ultimately meaningless goal, by sharking and marking those experiences with the people around you.
When we die nothing is going to be that important to us anymore. Watching my father slowly degrade from cancer and ultimately passing is a great reminder for me to keep focused on the things that really matter.
Thanks Dad for teaching me things, inspiring my love of martial arts and even giving me insights into the things I shouldn’t do by learning from some of the mistakes you made.
You weren’t great at expressing your feelings, but I know what was in your heart and even in your passing you remind me of what’s important.
