Be Extraordinary
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ex·traor·di·nar·y adjective \ik-ˈstrȯr-də-ˌner-ē\
: going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary
: exceptional to a very marked extent
This is one of my favorite words in the english language. It is what I strive to be, what drives my actions, what motivates my intentions. Is what I do today something I can call extraordinary? It doesn’t always have to be epic. It just means I am going one step further than the norm in doing what I feel is right.
The bare minimum has a deceiving appeal. Wake up, go to work, go home, watch TV, maybe have a drink or two, sleep, repeat. There is nothing actually wrong with this scenario. The bills are paid and I get to eat food every day. Success!… Well, sort of.
The thing is, I crave so much more. When I consider the time I am awake (about 16) and the time I spend working (about 8), on most work days I have about 8 hours of time to do whatever the hell I choose to do. How I spend my time dictates the quality of my life. Who I spend it with does just the same. I am continually reminded of how valuable time actually is. I can choose to waste it doing things that don't matter to me OR I can choose to maximize it; spend it on doing things I love that positively contribute to my life or those around it.
When I look back at individual years, my perception of their length varies greatly. The “shorter” years are the ones in which I did not deviate much from my ritual daily life. As this year is coming to its end, I can confidently say it has been one of the “longer” years for me. I did a lot this year that was out of my norm. From 30 day challenges in gratitude, kindness, and paleo, to taking a road trip across the country, to making changes in my career path, to relocating from NYC to LA, to starting a blog; this year has been full of amazing memories. It is within the quality of those memories that I perceive the quantity of my time. Extraordinary memories develop a life so rich that it can sometimes seem as if it is eternal. Time is going to pass by regardless of how we use it. Why not use it for something extraordinary?
“My invitation to you is to begin living every moment as though you are miraculous and deserve to live an extraordinary life. Fake it if you must and keep faking it until it's real to you. The gift you will be giving yourself is a lifelong journey of discovery, one that is infinite and infinitely rewarding. Begin the journey. Today. This moment. Now.”
-Robert White
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