This simple process helps you adjust the lens through which you perceive yourself and the World

Thoughts arise through focused attention and intention

Hi friend,

As I sit down to write this letter, I'm celebrating yet another complete circle around the Sun.

Commonly known as my birthday.

The advantage of having been born before the winter solstice is that it inspires me to review the year.

1. What are the things I want to do less of?

2. What are the things I want to keep doing?

3. What are the things I want to add to my day-to-day?

It's a simple START, STOP, CONTINUE framework.

Stupid simple.

Powerful beyond measure.

You can apply it to every task, project, and relationship.

So looking at 2022, it's been a big year.

Major shifts, painful experiences, hard lessons.

More identity deaths than I can account for.

Many tests of resolution and conviction.

If I would distill the learning into a digestible and actionable principle, it would be this:

- Keep things stupid simple

- Make decisions fast

- Take massive action

You may notice the style of writing this letter differs from how I typically write.

No fluff.

No adjectives.

No decorations.

No complex expression.

Why?

Because there's one thing you must understand.

Thoughts arise through focused attention and intention.

This process becomes the lens through which you perceive yourself and your relationship with the World.

This is what makes the difference between living in heaven or hell on Earth.

So if you're anything like me, you prefer heaven.

No doubt, you have experienced many mini episodes of your personal hell.

And while those experiences are key to understanding what you don't want in life.

It's not pretty.

You can get stuck in a loop.

These mental loops spin out of control.

And they keep you ruminating in your thought process.

That's what hell looks like.

And I've taken this ride in the amusement park so many times already that I learned to get off the ride once I recognize what was happening.

Becoming the observer of the character that gets lost in the narrative.

Relaying these observations to the character and stepping into the role of a conscious creator of your life.

And in doing so, I recognize my pattern.

I notice the identity level thread that had accompanied me on my life journey for decades.

And I make the decision to override this conditioned response program.

My default mode network immediately spun into cognitive overdrive.

It's no different from any other form of addiction.

Addiction to thinking.

This leads me to the learning point of 2022.

I'm reminded of the infinite number of times where I found myself in a certain situation.

Attempting to spawn a perfect strategy and tactics to reach a desirable result.

Sliding down rabbit holes, researching, and gobbling up the content of others who already achieved this thing.

If you gave me a choice today to assume a new identity, that unravels into a new behavior pattern, over time also known as personality.

To choose between being decisive and taking massive action on a half-assed plan. Or being doubtful, meticulous, and taking little action on a perfect plan.

I will choose the flawed plan.

I will choose to make stupid mistakes.

I will choose to pursue the target like a bull.

Because today I know that I need clarity.

The only way to create clarity is by getting results.

The only way to get results is by making decisions and taking immediate action.

What happens if the results are good?

Great news, I need to replicate the action to get even better results.

What happens if the results are bad?

Great news, now I know what not to do and what doesn't work.

It takes me a step closer to finding what works to get the desired results.

I have the first set of data points.

Making mistakes allows me to correct them.

With speed and precision.

Turing my failures into lessons, bringing me closer to desired results.

Which in my case is having more experience of life according to my ideal.

That individual ideal is the North guiding star inspiring my desires and direction.

This is a perception that I consciously choose to adopt.

To make it a part of my identity.

To exert energy in reinforcing it until it starts to run on autopilot.

What are some of your personality traits, beliefs, and identities that you see as detrimental to living closer to your ideal life?

Make a note of it.

Write it down.

Follow this link and join me for a guided meditation this Winter Solstice (Dec. 21st).

An opportunity to let go of identities that served you on your journey so far, but are limiting the version you choose for 2023.

Look forward to seeing you there.