Episode #180 - Make the most of your Dash

Episode Notes: 

Are there things you really want to accomplish in your life that you continually postpone?

Do you live life fully on your own terms, or conforming to what others would deem as “best” or “normal”?

If you only had 24 more hours on this planet, would your “dash” represent the life you intended to live?

In this enlightening episode, we dive into the profound concept of the “dash” – the tiny mark between the birth and death dates on a gravestone that symbolizes the entirety of one’s life. Drawing from my own personal experiences of loss and reflection, I’m sharing an inspiring message about making every moment count. 

In our quest for a fulfilling life, we explore how focusing on the journey rather than the destination can enrich our daily experiences. Discover the joys of valuing experiences over material possessions, the upliftment that comes from trying out new hobbies, and the peace that follows from slowing down to cherish life's small moments. I share practical strategies like nurturing meaningful connections and harnessing the power of gratitude to reduce stress and boost happiness. Reflecting on how the loss of my sisters spurred significant positive changes in my life, I hope to inspire you to start making your own positive changes today. 

Tune in for 5 Key insights and heartfelt wisdom on how to live fully and appreciate each day we’re given… life is abundant, and life can be short, we just never know how short… let’s make every moment count!


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Chapters

• 0:00 The Significance of the Dash
• 11:16 Live a Fulfilling Life Today
• 15:13 Embracing Life Changes Today

Transcript

Rick: 0:00

And you've probably heard this more than a couple times but when you look at somebody's grave marker or headstone, there's two dates born and died with the dash in between them, right? Well, the only significant part of that date combo is the dash. The dash represents what that person's life consisted of, what they did, what they loved, what they experienced, what they created, what they shared, who they loved and who loved them. Their entire life's experience, whether it was one year or 111 years, all is within that dash. And truth is life is abundant. What's available to us is unlimited, but life can be short, and we just never know how short. If we don't know when our last days are, why don't we live like we want to while we're still alive?

Rick: 0:54

Welcome to the MindWrench Podcast with your host, rick Sellover, where minor adjustments produce major improvements in mindset, personal growth and success. This is the place to be every Monday, where we make small improvements and take positive actions in our business and personal lives that will make a major impact in our success, next-level growth and quality of life.

Rick: 1:23

Hey, what's up everybody? Welcome to the MindWrench Podcast. I'm your host, rick Silover. Thanks so much for stopping in. If you're a returning listener and haven't done so already, please take a minute and click the follow or subscribe button and then rate and review the show. When you rate and review the show, the algorithms for Apple, spotify, google Podcasts, iheartradio, amazon Music and all the other platforms will see that it's valuable and show it to more people that have never seen it before, and hopefully it can help them too. I would really, really really appreciate your help, sharing this word with your friends and family as well, and if you're a brand new listener, welcome. I hope you find something of value here that helps you in your personal or professional life as well. Please make sure to click the subscribe or follow button so you never miss another episode.

Rick: 2:08

Most of you that know me know I'm an extremely positive person. I don't dwell on negative or sad stories or subjects. I just like to keep moving forward, encouraging others to grow, improve and stay positive. But, to be honest, I'm not immune to the heavier, more difficult subjects that affect us all. I just deal with them a little bit different and sometimes I use them as fuel to help or inspire others. So this week's message is anchored onto a little darker subject, but it's not a doom and gloom rant or design to bring the room down. This is just a gentle reminder of our own mortality. My intent is to use it to shine a brighter light on something we all go through at some point in our lives, and you've probably heard this more than a couple times.

Rick: 2:52

But when you look at somebody's grave marker or headstone, there's two dates born and died with the dash in between them, right. Well, the only significant part of that date combo is the dash. The dash represents what that person's life consisted of, what they did, what they loved, what they experienced, what they created, what they experienced, what they created, what they shared, who they loved and who loved them. Their entire life's experience, whether it was one year or 111 years, all is within that dash. This past week I had three funerals to attend. Don't they always say death comes in threes? A lot of them was an older neighbor, one was a friend's daughter whose life was cut way too short, and the last was a very good friend of mine's mom who lived to be almost 90. All truly sad indeed and all well attended, in fact, the neighbor that passed had the most attendees in that particular funeral home has ever had, and then, ironically, the friend's daughter was at the exact same place the next day, with almost an equal amount of people paying their last respects.

Rick: 3:59

So naturally, my thoughts around this took me back to 2020, when I had lost both my sisters within 30 days of each other during COVID. They were both in their early 60s when they passed and, after the initial shock and emotional pain subsided, it caused an awakening in me, a stark realization that I may only have a short time left. I was in my late 50s at the time and I felt I really needed to make some changes quickly. Honestly, it felt all too urgent, not something I could put off any longer. And truth is, life is abundant. What's available to us is unlimited, but life can be short and we just never know how short.

Rick: 4:40

It left me with questions, and I would bet you've probably asked yourself some of these exact same questions how much time do I have left? Will I even make it to my mid-60s or longer? More importantly, should I be a better steward of the time I do have left? Will I even make it to my mid-60s or longer? More importantly, should I be a better steward of the time I do have left? And if so, how do I do that? Where do I start If we don't know when our last days are?

Rick: 5:01

Why don't we live like we want to while we're still alive? Why don't we enjoy our days on this earth more while we still have them? Why do we constantly live in a state of hesitation, put things off till tomorrow? You know I'll get it later. Let's back burner this. For now. Let's just do this next week or next month or next year. It's so easy to put things off, to kick the can down the road a bit, isn't it? Instead of being our true selves, our original versions? Why do we worry about what others may think about what we say or what we do? What's normal, what's acceptable? Why do we worry about what others may think about what we say or what we do? What's normal, what's acceptable? Why do we spend our limited time trying to be what someone else thinks we should be or shouldn't be, should or shouldn't do Better yet or better question? Why do we imagine what others may be thinking in the first place? We have no effing clue, right?

Rick: 5:52

We are born with such great potential. All of us, and as little kids, we go after whatever crosses our minds right, tie a blanket around our neck and our shoulders and believe we're superheroes. We danced around, we would sing without a care of who could hear us, and we had big dreams of what we'd be someday. When we were kids, we truly lived in the moment, didn't we? We lived our little lives to the fullest and our possibilities were endless. Remember that.

Rick: 6:21

Yet as we grow up and become young adults, we slowly start subconsciously putting limits and restraints on what is possible for us. Our list becomes a little less endless every single year. As we get older, that list keeps getting shorter and shorter and shorter, doesn't it? Eventually, we end up living lives that are unfulfilling and monotonous. Now, I know not everyone goes through life this way. I've met plenty of people within this industry and outside of it that absolutely squeeze the most juice out of every day, every opportunity. They take chances, they face their fears head on. They'll have amazing lives and they'll have incredible stories told of them when they're gone. I applaud them, I'm inspired by them.

Rick: 7:05

I'm envious of them you know in a good way, and I strive to live more like that every day, but I'm still working on it. I'm not there yet. So I propose we do a better job with our own dash, make more of our dash. After the first 15 years or so of the beginning of that dash, we start making decisions that will move us in one direction or another. At first, selfishly, we do the things that we enjoy right, that make us happy, that utilize our strengths or our natural abilities and talents. But as we start to get a little older, we let that influence of others, like our parents or our teachers or our friends or coworkers or our mates, dictate what we do with our dash, don't we? And it consistently erodes from there and we lose the importance of each day we're fortunate enough to enjoy, until one day you're smacked in the face with a reality check, a heart attack, a stroke, a major car accident or the loss of a loved one, and you wake up and say, hey, wait a minute, I almost died.

Rick: 8:12

Or that could have been it for me. Oh my God. There's so many things I still want to do. I need to make some changes before it's too late. If you're looking for a competitive edge for your business or a more effective jumpstart to your personal development in 2024, I'll make your first step super simple.

Rick: 8:31

It is a fact that an incredible number of the most successful business owners, nearly half of the Fortune 500 companies, top-earning professional athletes, entertainers and industry leaders like Microsoft's Bill Gates, former President Bill Clinton, richard Branson, amazon's Jeff Bezos and Salesforce's Mark Benioff all have one thing in common they all have at least one coach and some have several that they work with on a consistent basis, someone that helps, guide, mentor and support them, challenge them, help them set and achieve goals that move them forward and then hold them accountable to follow through driving personal and professional growth. Working with a coach has many substantial benefits. Just for an example, 80% of coaching clients report improved self-esteem or self-confidence thanks to coaching, 99% of individuals and companies that hire a coach report being very satisfied and 96% would do it again. If, deep down, you know it's time to make those improvements in your business or your personal life that you've kicked down the road year after year. If you're tired of knowing there's a better version of you waiting to shine, but unsure of how to bring that version to light. If you're tired of wanting to enjoy a more successful business but not sure how to start. And if you don't want to go another 12 months without better results, but you don't want to go it alone, then take the first step. It's super simple, no-transcript. Much like the holiday movie A Christmas Carol when Ebenezer Scrooge gets visited by the ghost of Christmas Future, he finally sees his own grave. He decides quickly to change how he lives his life. Right? Remember that. Let's do a better job with our dash now. Let's not wait until that reality check.

Rick: 10:21

Okay, I know many will find themselves if they haven't already in this situation at some point in their life and have some of those same questions. We just take for granted that we'll always have the next day and the day after that, but that's not always true. The cold, hard fact is 150,000 people die every single day. The good news is you and I did wake up today. That's a good thing, right? So what are you going to do with your next 24 hours? If we knew we only had a certain number of days left, wouldn't we be a little more deliberate with our days? Hell, even with our hours and minutes, wouldn't we? So what can we do right now to start becoming more intentional with our time here? How can we make the most of our dash? Well, today, I want to share a few suggestions with you. Hopefully they can provide a little guidance to help you get started on your way. So let's take a look at five ways to make the most of your dash Now.

Rick: 11:16

It's an impactful realization that our time here is limited. Let's harness that awareness and create a more fulfilling experience and squeeze more out of our days. Life has a funny way of speeding up, doesn't it? One minute you're young, carefree and doing whatever you want, and the next thing you're wondering where the time went and why you haven't done the things that you wanted to do yet. Well, let's change that. Number one it's about the journey, not the destination. We've all worked hard for the things we have a newer vehicle, a nice home, a comfortable life but it's the experiences that truly enrich our lives. Remember that vacation you took that changed your perspective on something, or the time you laughed so hard your sides hurt. Those are the moments that matter. So, instead of focusing on accumulating more stuff, try making memories and don't nickel and dime yourself out of a more memorable experience. Either Pay for that whale watching excursion or swim with the dolphins experience instead of watching it from the side of the pool. It's always worth it. Plan that trip, take up a new hobby or simply spend some quality time with the ones you love.

Rick: 12:21

Number two slow down and smell the roses. I know it sounds corny, but this is true. In today's fast-paced world. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle, bustle and the get things done mode right, but taking a moment to appreciate the little things can make a big difference. We miss so much every single day because we're in a hurry. Take the back roads, detour once in a while, or the scenic drive whenever possible. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Try a little meditation, a little yoga. Simply taking a walk in nature can help, or even just sitting quietly for a few minutes each day. Pay attention to your senses. What do you see, what do you hear, what do you smell? What do you taste? What do you feel? This can help you feel more grounded and present.

Rick: 13:05

Number three rediscover your passions. Don't let the dreams and aspirations fade away. Remember that thing you used to love doing before life got in the way. Maybe it was painting or writing, or playing an instrument or rock climbing or whatever. I believe the enjoyment we experienced doing those activities when we were young didn't just go away. It got suppressed and buried by becoming an adult and focusing more on quote-unquote responsible activities like work and commitments. It's never too late to pick back up where you left off. Engaging in those activities that you enjoy can bring a sense of purpose and fulfillment to your life.

Rick: 13:45

Number four nurture your connections. Strong, healthy relationships are essential to our sense of well-being. We are social animals and connecting with others should be completely natural to us. Make time for the people who matter the most, whether it's a phone call, a coffee date, a drink with an old friend or a family dinner. Connecting with others can bring joy and support. Expand your network whenever possible. Don't be afraid to reach out to old friends or make some new ones.

Rick: 14:14

And number five focus on gratitude. This one's huge. It's so easy to get caught up in what you don't have, and comparing yourself to others around us is just well shit. It's the most harmful thing we do to ourselves on a daily basis. But focusing on what you do have can shift your perspective. Start a gratitude journal or simply take a few moments each day to reflect on the things that you're thankful for.

Rick: 14:41

I've personally been doing this every day for the past four years and I can tell you with no hesitation this has been one of the best daily processes I've ever adopted. This practice can help reduce stress and increase overall happiness. It's a fact you cannot be grateful and angry or stressed at the exact same time. It's physically impossible. Remember small, little changes can make a big difference. Start by incorporating just one or two of these suggestions into your daily life. You might be surprised at how much more fulfilling your days become.

Rick: 15:13

Let's not wait until we have that reality check or the visit from Christmas future to decide to make some changes. Why don't we start right now? Look, I'm still not perfect about doing this, but after losing my sisters in 2020, I did start making some changes that have allowed me to improve my dash to get a little more enjoyment and fulfillment out of every day since then, and I'm so grateful for that. Now, hopefully, you will be too. Well, that's all I had for you today. Thanks again for tuning in. I really appreciate your support and I hope you have a great week. I can always be reached at wwwrickselovercom, where you can find all my social media links, podcast episodes, blog posts and much more.