Who Will Cry When You Die\?: Life Lessons From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari pdfdrive com

82.
Remember That Recreation Must
Involve Recreation
After a tiring day at work, it is so easy to curl up on the couch and spend the next
three or four hours watching television. The irony is that, if you are like most
people, you actually feel more fatigued after watching too much TV than you
felt when you first sat down.
Recreation is tremendously important to a balanced life. But recreation
must serve to re-create you. Recreation must restore you and bring you back to
life. Real recreation will fill you with a renewed sense of optimism and energy.
True recreation connects you to the highest and best within you while rekindling
your inner fire. As Plato noted, “My belief is not that the good body by any
bodily excellence improves the soul, but, on the contrary, that the good soul, by
her own excellence, improves the body as far as this may be possible.” Effective
recreation then must involve some pursuit that soothes your soul.

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83.
Choose Worthy Opponents
I read recently that after Olympic athletes return home from the games, some of
them suffer from what psychologists call POD (Post-Olympic Depression). After
being in the world’s spotlight and training for years to excel in competition, the
athletes who suffer from this affliction fall into a state of depression once they
get back to their daily lives. It seems that having achieved the pinnacle of
success, there is no higher target for them to aim for and so life loses its
meaning. A similar phenomenon was experienced by the Apollo astronauts who
walked on the moon. After achieving this, they grew dejected at the realization
that few things in life could match the excitement of traveling into space.
To maintain a healthy level of optimism and passion for life, you must keep
on setting higher and higher goals. On attaining one goal, whether it is a career
goal or a personal one, it is essential that you quickly set the next one. I call the
process of setting progressively bigger, more engaging goals “choosing worthy
opponents.” When I was practicing law, I spent much of my time in courtrooms,
representing the interests of my clients. Over the years that I argued these cases,
I always found I performed best when I appeared against my toughest
opponents. Those bright, highly prepared and exceptionally focused litigators
forced me to get to the core issue before the judge and deliver my argument
succinctly and effectively. The worthiest opponents compelled me to reach deep
within myself and do even better than I had previously.
In the same way, selecting a steady stream of compelling goals will liberate
the fullness of your talents. Remember, diamonds are created through steady
pressure. So make certain your goals are worthy of you. Make sure they are the
kind of challenges that will force you to reach into your heart and bring out the
best within you, helping you grow in the process. In the personal coaching
sessions I conduct around the country, many of the participants already have
achieved what I would consider success in both their careers and lives. They are
highly respected, influential and they enjoy what they do while leading balanced
and fulfilling personal lives. Yet they join my programs because they know deep
down that they can be more and that life holds greater rewards in store for them.
They understand that in order to truly manifest their human potential and leave a
legacy that lasts, they must keep raising the bar and holding themselves to a

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higher standard. And because of that attitude of constant improvement, life does
send greater blessings their way.

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