Ten years ago I was given a book as a gift.
Something in our conversation sparked a thought in my friend's mind that told him I would enjoy this book.
And he was right!
Reading that book was the very first step of my personal development journey.
Now, ten years later, I have read dozens of books,
listened to hundreds of podcast episodes,
and put into practice many of the lessons I learned from those I chose to listen to.
Recently, the author of that book asked a question in his weekly email that challenged me again, in a fresh, new way.
How would you use your 86,400 seconds today if you knew in 6 months to 2 years you would get the opportunity of your dreams? - Joshua Medcalf
That question stopped me in my tracks, and I immediately shared it with 4 of my closest growth buddies.
That question hit us all square in the face.
Deep questions have that quality to them, don't they?
You see, I have dreams and goals and desires of what I want my future life to look like,
what I want my future self to be,
experiences I want to create and to happen,
moments I want to celebrate and cherish.
Yet I cannot control the timing or the certainty of any of those things.
What I do have control over is the 86,400 seconds of today.
Yet even saying that, I don't have control over the 86,400th second when I am currently existing in the 2,000th second.
I only have control over the second I am currently living in.
This has become the key to any progress or success I have achieved in my life.
The most powerful moments and memories I have, the most rewarding circumstances were the ones when I was fully present in the moment.
While I dream and imagine the future I want to create, I do it by living fully in the present moment.
Am I perfect at this? No. Not yet.
But I'm a whole lot better than I used to be, which has resulted in more peace, less stress, higher satisfaction with my life, and more connection with those around me.
Because life is about the people, not the projects we take on or accomplish.
A year and a half ago I was given another gift.
This one was not a book.
This was a gift that most people do not ever get.
No exaggeration--most people do not receive this gift!
It was the day before I was heading into a 6 hour surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from my tongue.
Depending on how much they had to cut out of my tongue, it would affect how well I would be able to speak afterwards.
Being a man who has spoken life and positive words and encouragement into so many people in the previous 39 years of my life, this was a bit scary.
Would I be able to speak again?
Would people be able to hear me again?
Would I be able to speak clearly?
Would I be able to speak life and love into others afterwards?
We didn't know.
But the gift I received answered a deep question I had been asking for years: Am I making a difference?
The answer was a resounding Yes; in fact, it was an overwhelming Yes.
My wife secretly invited anyone who knew me (and even some who didn't know me) to record a short video of the impact I had on their lives.
As I write this, the emotions are coming back to the surface, reminding me of how grateful I am for that gift.
All of the videos were submitted to a company who organized it and set it to music.
The problem was, I couldn't listen to all of it before my surgery, because there was over 4 hours of recorded content as people told me how my life had an impact on theirs!!!
Whoa! That's a gift most people aren't given while they're alive.
Many times those things are said about someone after they die, but I was given that gift before I died.
I have made an impact on so many people because I had spent time with them in the present, listening and speaking and helping them in some way.
Do you know how to have a greater impact on those around you?
It's not to book a speaking event at the largest arena in the state so you can speak to thousands of people at once.
No. The greatest impact you will have is when you are fully present in your next conversation.
Fully present.
Be all there, in mind and body.
Listen closely.
Respond appropriately.
And engage with your heart to connect with them in that conversation.
When you create the habit of being fully present wherever you are, you create more satisfying memories that you will cherish for a long time.
And you will realize that you are living a life of impact.
Right now.
After that surgery, I published a book.
Yes, it was one of those goals I had on my list, but I poured my thoughts onto the screen in many individual moments as I wrote in the present moment I was living in.
The book asks you one question, over and over, about seven different areas of your life.
And it helps you gain the clarity you need to move forward toward the future you are creating.
Here's the good news: I have bought the book for you.
You can snag your own copy today.