How is someone contributing to your life?

how-is-someone-contributing-to-your-lifeEvery now and again, this blog gets personal. Very personal.

Today is one of those days. Not because I feel particularly inspired to share how I am feeling, but as I am sitting here on a Sunday, enjoying the Spring breezes through my balcony opening, I thought I would share with you something that a former Monk shared with 800 people at a conference I attended in Istanbul.

Life on earth is limited.

It is. We may live to be 80 and if we are really lucky, 100, but most probably, we will die before then. Therefore, we have only ourselves to blame for not making the most of what life has to offer us.

Prioritize things and people that are most important in life

It may be your family, your friends or people that just inspire you or make you feel better about yourself. For me, my family is very important, but yet, I work so much and travel so much, that often I put seeing them in person to the side. But if I was to die tomorrow, they would be who I would want to spend my last hours with.

I have many friends. Thousands if you take into account facebook, twitter and linkedin. But the real people that mean the most to me, that don't suck my energy are the people that not only deserve my time, but should be placed as a priority in my life.

I think without me really realizing it, I started to do this a couple of years ago. I spend less time with people who suck my energy or are negative, gossip or in general have a very bad outlook on life. Instead, I surround myself with happy people that are going places or at the very least, whom are happy with life and their "lot".

Devote enough energy to all the things you love in life

I love to travel, read, ski, play with my dog and listening to the world as it goes round. I don't mind a good bottle of red and I love food. Business is a hobby, so that fits the bill. I really enjoy people, their life experiences and stories that they share.

Spend time with yourself every day

This is something that I really enjoy doing. Just sitting by myself doing nothing. No television, no ipod, no computer, no noise. Complete silence. Just thinking about things and life in general. It's a great way to connect with yourself and understand what it is that is going to make you happy.

Love someone other than just yourself

This is important. I know people who care for no person other than themselves. They are miserable. They may pretend that life is all good and dandy, but be assured, they are lying. When you love someone else and you put someone else before yourself, there is no better feeling in life. It transcends anything you will ever experience or buy. It's better than any award you could win or any amount of money you may have in the bank. Loving someone and that special feeling of pleasure that comes from within, is the best reward in the world.