218 – Seasons Of Change, You Are In Charge

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Seasons Of Change, You Are In Charge…
Summertime is upon us.  This fact is more evident in some places than others; Phoenix was 119 degrees yesterday and Seattle was 75.  On the other side of the world in the Southern hemisphere they are heading into winter, but all over the earth people are experiencing the change of a season in one way or another.
Yesterday, June 20th, was actually the summer solstice, the longest day of the year if you are in the Northern hemisphere.  Now every day will get slightly shorter than the day before until we arrive at the shortest day of the year, which is in December.
As humans we don’t think about seasons in the same way we used to.  Our lives aren’t as affected by the weather and temperatures as they used to be.  I believe however, that season changes are a natural time for us still, to take stock of our lives.  To take a look at the path we are on and make the necessary adjustments. 
For our ancient ancestors the seasons and the weather were one of the biggest considerations they had.  When the summer solstice came along it was a huge reminder for them to tend their crops, to do everything necessary to ensure a good harvest.  They had to make sure they had enough fuel and food because the days were getting shorter and that meant winter was coming.  With the winter came darkness and cold, sometimes death and starvation.  The fact that you exist today is proof that your ancestors did a good job, they survived so that you can live.
Nowadays we barely notice the changes from one season to the next because we continue to eat and live the same way all year around.  That doesn’t mean the seasons are not still significant…it only means our perception of them has changed.  I am suggesting that as men we can still use the seasons to galvanize our action, to focus our efforts and attention onto the things that matter.
For example, now summer is here.  What are your plans for the summer?  What do you want to accomplish before Autumn gets here?  How will you make the best use of your time in the next three months?  It’s a great time to take a minute and reflect on your life.  Get a piece of paper and write down what your summer goals are.  Then write down how you plan to accomplish them. 
Use this summer season as a tool, a device to accomplish some positive things in your life.  Every day when you look outside you will be reminded that it is summer, and then you will remember that you have summer goals.
You can do the same thing for every season;  fall, winter, and spring.  It’s a very natural thing to do because it is the way our species developed.  Your summer time goals may be more inclined toward outdoor activities, while your wintertime goals might be more cerebral, and carried out indoors. 
It might be a little tougher if you live somewhere like San Diego where it is basically summer all year around.  The idea though, is not just to be influenced by the weather and changing seasons, but to break the year up into parts that are more easily managed.  The seasons are just an effective way to mark these breaks.
Can you see how it might be beneficial to sit down four times a year and make plans and goals for the next three months?  Do you understand that if you were to do that, that you will maintain more control of your life.  You will stay on top of things, nothing will slip by you, and you will be living an intentional life.
So that is my suggestion.  Use the four seasons of the year as a time for life planning.  Write it down, because when you write things down they become more real.  I need to do this better myself.  I always make plans for the upcoming season, but I try to keep it all in my head.  I need to get better at writing these things down because it will increase the chances of my success, and it will for you too.
The reason this is all relevant to Being A Better Man, is because the more control...

Seasons Of Change, You Are In Charge…
Summertime is upon us.  This fact is more evident in some places than others; Phoenix was 119 degrees yesterday and Seattle was 75.  On the other side of the world in the Southern hemisphere they are heading into winter, but all over the earth people are experiencing the change of a season in one way or another.
Yesterday, June 20th, was actually the summer solstice, the longest day of the year if you are in the Northern hemisphere.  Now every day will get slightly shorter than the day before until we arrive at the shortest day of the year, which is in December.
As humans we don’t think about seasons in the same way we used to.  Our lives aren’t as affected by the weather and temperatures as they used to be.  I believe however, that season changes are a natural time for us still, to take stock of our lives.  To take a look at the path we are on and make the necessary adjustments. 
For our ancient ancestors the seasons and the weather were one of the biggest considerations they had.  When the summer solstice came along it was a huge reminder for them to tend their crops, to do everything necessary to ensure a good harvest.  They had to make sure they had enough fuel and food because the days were getting shorter and that meant winter was coming.  With the winter came darkness and cold, sometimes death and starvation.  The fact that you exist today is proof that your ancestors did a good job, they survived so that you can live.
Nowadays we barely notice the changes from one season to the next because we continue to eat and live the same way all year around.  That doesn’t mean the seasons are not still significant…it only means our perception of them has changed.  I am suggesting that as men we can still use the seasons to galvanize our action, to focus our efforts and attention onto the things that matter.
For example, now summer is here.  What are your plans for the summer?  What do you want to accomplish before Autumn gets here?  How will you make the best use of your time in the next three months?  It’s a great time to take a minute and reflect on your life.  Get a piece of paper and write down what your summer goals are.  Then write down how you plan to accomplish them. 
Use this summer season as a tool, a device to accomplish some positive things in your life.  Every day when you look outside you will be reminded that it is summer, and then you will remember that you have summer goals.
You can do the same thing for every season;  fall, winter, and spring.  It’s a very natural thing to do because it is the way our species developed.  Your summer time goals may be more inclined toward outdoor activities, while your wintertime goals might be more cerebral, and carried out indoors. 
It might be a little tougher if you live somewhere like San Diego where it is basically summer all year around.  The idea though, is not just to be influenced by the weather and changing seasons, but to break the year up into parts that are more easily managed.  The seasons are just an effective way to mark these breaks.
Can you see how it might be beneficial to sit down four times a year and make plans and goals for the next three months?  Do you understand that if you were to do that, that you will maintain more control of your life.  You will stay on top of things, nothing will slip by you, and you will be living an intentional life.
So that is my suggestion.  Use the four seasons of the year as a time for life planning.  Write it down, because when you write things down they become more real.  I need to do this better myself.  I always make plans for the upcoming season, but I try to keep it all in my head.  I need to get better at writing these things down because it will increase the chances of my success, and it will for you too.
The reason this is all relevant to Being A Better Man, is because the more control and influence we have on our own lives, the better our lives will be.  If our lives are becoming better, then we must also be becoming better men along the way.  Better men then we were yesterday. 
So try it out, what do you have to lose?  Sit down and make some goals for this summer.  Decide what you want to accomplish and what you want to improve.  Then develop a plan to reach these goals and write that down too.
Remember to  check out the links on this page, below.  There is a link there called Patreon, on the Patreon page there is a video I made you can watch.  Basically, Patreon makes it possible for you to become a Patron of the show.  In other words, if you listen regularly, if you believe in the mission and the message of the show and think it should continue, then you can become a patron by pledging a monthly amount.  It doesn’t have to be a large amount, it’s up to you how much you pledge.  Whatever you do helps keep this show on the air and it lets me know we are having an impact out in the world, so please consider that.
There is also a link directly to my book, Forging A Man, if you have not gotten your copy yet, I highly recommend that you do so.
Now head out into the world and take some time to plan your life.  Write down what you want to do and accomplish in the next three months, and then put that plan into action.  By living your life intentionally, on purpose, you will also be a better man than you were yesterday.
Hey remember to to check out my new book, Forging A Man, available right now on Amazon.

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