The Meaning of Life

-by Matt Leedham

If you’re reading this, it tells me something about you. At the very least, you have an interest in the topic. At the most, you are eagerly searching for meaning in your life and are hoping to find some glimpse of hope in here.

I’m sorry to report that I cannot tell you what the meaning of life is. I’ve asked a lot of people what the meaning of life is, or what their purpose for existing is, and I’ve gotten a lot of answers. Many people don’t even bother to ask the question because the answer seems so distant or complex.

I’ve heard:

• “To make the world a better place.”
• “To love others.”
• “To excel at what you do.”
• “To not be a jerk.” (Another variation: “To live in harmony.”)

I believe I have discovered my purpose, or are at least far down the right path. What about you?

What’s the meaning of life? What’s your purpose?

Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts.

Knowledge Without Action

-by Matt Leedham

“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
-Will Rogers

By no means have I got it all figured out. But I will acknowledge that I am good at learning something new and then, at least for a little while, trying it out in my life to see how it will work.

From time management skills, to communication methods, to exercise and diet ideas, to management techniques, to personal efficiency strategies, I’m always trying something new. I love to learn, but I love even more to experiment with what I have learned.

Not so strangely, this has not resulted in me becoming the perfect human. Far from it! But, what it has done is put a nice variety of tools in my little toolbox that I can use when I need them. For 10 years, I’ve been picking up little bits of wisdom from workshops, books, the internet, and all those bright people that have crossed my path. More importantly though, I’ve attempted to implement many of those ideas into my life as I learn.

I re-read the quote above this morning and couldn’t help but think of our latest class of achievers that attended our workshop this Saturday. After speaking with most of them, they’ve got a lot of thinking and reflecting to do. And that’s great! You should reflect on important matters like your who you are and where you want to go.

But it can’t stop there!

Try what you have learned. Share what you have learned. Try to teach someone else what you have learned. Put into action all that you have learned and you will make you, and everyone around you, better for it.

“The great aim of education is not knowledge, but action.”
-Herbert Spencer

Unstoppable

-by Matt Leedham

A very respected peer of mine recently introduced this concept to me as it relates to coaching (thanks Stephanie McDilda!). She’s built a keynote/workshop around the idea of being unstoppable, and although I have not yet heard the content, knowing her and the idea of being unstoppable, I have no doubt it will be a powerful experience.

I would love for Stephanie to write a guest post someday soon (hint, hint!), but in the meantime, let me briefly share what I believe being unstoppable means.

Being unstoppable means…

…that you have a purpose which drives an undying passion.

…that your passion can create undying energy in pursuit of it.

…that you have tenacity and grit.

…that you have encountered, embraced, and fought through external obstacles to your goal (e.g. money, time, connections, etc.).

…that you have faced, leaned into, and conquered internal obstacles to your goal (e.g. fear, insecurities, rejection, etc.).

…that you realize there is a forest beyond the trees, and small setbacks are not deal-breakers.

…that sometimes you have to climb the mountain and sometimes you have to walk around the mountain, and that the only thing that matters is that you get to the other side.

…that there are ebbs and flows to progress.

…that you stay the course in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, etc., etc.

Be your own juggernaut. Be an unstoppable force in your life. Be the purposeful, intentional, unrelenting, tenacious fighter that you are.

Are you there yet? Do you feel unstoppable? Tell us about it!

Why We Launched A Triathlon Training Program

-by Matt Leedham

One of my core values is “Purpose & Meaning.” I have defined that in 3 ways for myself: analyze activities and goals for meaning; strive to live my life for something big, and; help others discover their purpose. Essentially, knowing why I chose to do something, and doing it with intention, is very important to me. Time is limited, and I have so much to get done, so I need to be very critical with what I choose to spend my time on.

When the opportunity presented itself to create this Triathlon Training Program, we didn’t jump at it right away. We reflected on it, asked some hard questions and really thought about whether or not this had purpose and meaning for both Velocity as a whole, and for us personally.

As you can tell by our excitement in launching the program yesterday, our conclusion was that it was a great fit. And here’s why:

1. Walk the Walk – Jaime and I have been writing and teaching about personal achievement for some time. We’ve shared a lot of personal stories, successes, and failures. We encourage people to be great and live up to their potential. And we’ve received a lot of wonderful feedback from those that are inspired by what we write and those that have attended our live workshops. Well, now is the time to lead the charge and take action. We’ve been talking the talk and now it’s time to walk the walk. We started this program based on the passionate belief that regardless of current weight, fitness level, or physical ailments, anyone can compete in and complete a triathlon. Join us!
   
   
2. Common Denominator – The more we talk to people the more we realize two things. First, we are all so amazingly different, complex and yet simple. We perceive the world in a way that only we can – uniquely based our experiences. However, in spite of our varied perspectives, almost all of us seem to have one goal in common. I have yet to talk to someone where health or healthy living was not a priority. Whether or not we are actually living a healthy lifestyle, we all seem to want it. We all want to be faster, stronger, thinner, sexier, more energized, and more vibrant. We believe this program will answer the call for many of you. It certainly will for us!
   
   
3. Adult Recess – We are all guilty of taking ourselves too seriously sometimes (or not seriously enough). We can get into habits, routines, and ruts. We get distracted by “life” and all of a sudden our commitments pile up and we forget about one very important thing – ourselves. This program is designed to be fun! It’s opportunity to get outside, get active, and get healthy. Nothing feels better than the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. So get off the couch and come join us! Make some time in your life to invest in yourself. Spring is around the corner and we’re going to go have some fun!

I will leave you with this final thought. You may not be able to join us in our Triathlon Training Program for many reasons. You may not live in the area, you may have insecurities about your athleticism*, or you may not have the resources to join us. Whatever the reason may be, don’t stop here. Get out there, get active, and get healthy. You’ll thank yourself for it. And so will everyone around you that you inspire.

*please email us at answers@velocitygoals.com about your concerns - this program was created to include anyone, regardless of fitness level.

Who Do You Think You Are, Anyway?

-by Matt Leedham

Imagine me as a reporter with a microphone in my hand. Next to me stands a cameraman.

As soon as you step out of the house today, imagine me running up to you on the street and saying: “I’m under deadline and need to record this. I’ll give you $10K to answer this and it will be shown on national TV tonight: Who are you, what do you stand for, and what do you want out of this life?”

Could you do it? What would you say?

I often ask people if they have well-defined, written down, personal core values. I get the same response every time. Blank stares or a shake of the head. It’s time to change that!

Many of you are either in sales, have once been in sales, or have had to sell or represent your company at some point. And by represent your company, it could be as simple as one of your friends or family asking you what your company does. So, what’s your elevator pitch? If you’re in a formal sales role, you no doubt have a recording in your head that you can hit play on (anytime, anywhere) and spit out the 30 second synopsis of the great things your company does and why you’re the best. It’s critical to have this response nailed down for use at any moment because you never know when the opportunity may present itself.

It’s not good enough to have some vague thoughts or feelings about who you are and what you stand for. This is too important.

Here’s mine:
My values are family first, optimism, compassion and service, education, purpose and meaning, and creativity (I can elaborate on any of those, if you would like). My purpose in life is, first and foremost, to give my family everything I have to give. Then, it is to guide others, through alignment of core beliefs and personal visions, along a path of authenticity and optimism to discover fulfillment and happiness in all aspects of their lives.

Is this perfect? No. Will it change? I’m sure it will. That’s perfectly fine. All I know is, if I’m living that life – the one described above – I will be a happy man.

Don’t worry about making your elevator pitch perfect. Just put a stake in the ground and be confident in who you are and what you want out of this life. If you do this, you will notice that you will become the person you describe. And others will help you.

Passionate People

-by Matt Leedham

This world needs passionate people doing things they are passionate about.

There are people all around us that are doing what they are passionate about and living their “why”…and it’s making this world a better place.

Many of these people did not stumble upon this passion and uncover their purpose by accident. Typically it’s the result of much reflection, hard work, and planning. Many times, it starts with setting a simple goal.

I got to thinking about this the other day when my brother told me about his dentist. He told me how this guy was “the best” and he recommends him to everyone. Curiously, I asked him why? What has elicited this emotional reaction about this particular dentist? My brother told me when he first walked into the dental practice he signed in and took a seat. He looked around and saw all sorts of interesting paintings, diagrams, tools, and artifacts dating back years and sometimes centuries – all things related to the origins of dentistry. Although alarming at first (I mean, who likes to see primitive oral tools in a dentist’s office?), he quickly understood when he met the doctor. He lives and breathes dentistry. He’ll talk at length about the history of his profession and what amazing technological advances they’ve made. He really cares, is passionate, and it’s oozing out of him. And it all started with an idea, a spark of inspiration, an interest and desire to learn more, and finally a plan to explore it further and go for it.

This got me thinking about other people I encounter regularly. Other people that are clearly doing what they are meant to do. They do what they are passionate about every day and literally make other peoples’ lives better. I started jotting down the names of a barber, a doctor, a deli-sandwich maker, an ice cream server, and a bartender – all of whom I have encountered recently and have amazed me. And then over dinner last night, the most obvious example smacked me right in the forehead.

My wife is exploring a passion that has been welling up inside of her this past year. She told me that she wanted to go back to school to learn about child psychology. That would be quite the career change (from multi-cultural marketing), so I suggested that she spend some time volunteering with kids in her spare time. That quickly morphed into a more-than-part-time gig at an afterschool program working with immigrant youth. I knew that even though she is working two jobs (one of which she is the co-owner of the company), she is loving her work with these kids and that one day, she’ll be doing it full time. Over dinner last night, she said to me, “I think these kids are my therapy. I told them today that there is nothing I’d rather being doing right now than sitting here, talking with them, and doing this puzzle.”

I have to be honest, this amazes me. Since I do not have this capacity to work with kids in this way, it’s literally mind-blowing to me. I don’t think my wife understands what I mean when I say that I am as amazed by the technical skill and knowledge of astronauts, as I am by what she can do with kids.

That’s the difference. That’s what matters. Passionate people doing things they are passionate about.

I truly believe by virtue of being here…of living…you are a passionate person. Now that we agree on that, it’s time to figure what you’re passionate about so you can go make this world a better place.

The Biggest Loser

- by Matt Leedham

Last week, the live finale of The Biggest Loser was on NBC and I just couldn’t change the channel. In fact, whenever it’s on, I just seem to get sucked in. It got me thinking…

I think the program “The Biggest Loser” is popular because obesity is an issue that far too many people face in America. Many viewers can connect and relate to the competitors on the show. However, while my weight fluctuates daily, weekly, and monthly too, the real reason I watch the biggest loser is for the mental victories.

Without exception, the contestants on the show, and those that are currently overweight, are dealing with mental and emotional obstacles that seem overwhelming. What makes the show so interesting to me is the break-through moments, the awakenings, the paradigm shifts in the minds of those battling with a variety of tragedies and insecurities. Let’s face it, Jillian and Bob aren’t the world’s best trainers. They are very good trainers, but they are even better therapists. They help people reconstruct their perception of themselves and the world around them.

Rising to the Top
The show starts with many competitors, but only a handful seem to rise to the top. What separates them from the pack?

They have a purpose. They are fighting for something bigger than themselves. They are fighting for their families, for their children, and for their friends. They realize that they’ve made some mistakes and they owe more to the loved ones in their lives. They have a purpose…a reason to live and survive and contribute. They realize that the world is a better place with them in it. They realize that they have something to offer. They are now aware that they matter.

Are you struggling with a goal? Something you know you need to address but can't seem to get it done? Shift your perspective. Change your context. Start with why. Find your purpose for that goal and focus on that. Be relentless.

Be Strong

- by Matt Leedham

“You are only as strong as your purpose, therefore let us choose reasons to act that are big, bold, righteous and eternal.” - Barry Munro

Quick disclaimer: I typically research the quotes I use to be sure that proper credit is given. However, I have Googled and Wiki’ed the heck out of Barry Munro and cannot seem to find a note or description of who this person is or when he said this, but he is credited in multiple locations for this quote. If you have information on Mr. Munro, leave a comment!

Regardless of who Barry Munro is, his words are important to those that seek to set meaningful goals in their lives. In fact, it is perfectly aligned with my post from last week (Dare to be Powerful). The point being, all of us have the potential to be as powerful, strong, and influential as we want to be…all in service of our purpose and vision.

Munro goes on to say “let us choose reasons to act that are big, bold, righteous and eternal.” Don’t be confused. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t think this means that you need to be the next Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, or Mother Theresa. Your purpose doesn’t need to be ending world hunger, or stopping social genocide (although, hooray for you if it is!). We all have the ability to be strong in our own personal sphere of influence.

Your purpose from which you choose to act may be building a strong family, helping those in your community, sharing your thoughts and creativity with the world, bringing people together collaboratively, or being a great friend to those around you. Whatever your purpose may be, chose reasons to act that are BIG and bold. You might just be surprised how strong you really are.

Please share your thoughts on purpose in the comment section below.