I Dare You 2018

I Dare You #17 - CLEAN YOUR GLASSES - DEDICATE

DEDICATION: How to clean your rose-colored glasses.

Change is inevitable.

And because it is inevitable, some aspects are predictable.

Yes, there will be friction between the old and the new.

But remember: friction creates traction.

And like the car’s tires that use friction to not only steer clear from here, but to also get from here to there, you can leverage changes in your life to better your circumstances, as well as the lives of others.

Along the way, destroying bad habits, bad thoughts, and bad karma is not a bad idea.

Likewise, having rose-colored glasses is actually a good thing.

Just remember: windshields, thoughts, and even rose-colored glasses eventually need cleaning.

These next 10 Dares are a step-by-step guide to proactively clean your rose-colored glasses throughout the day and week.

Start, maintain, and end your day with these 10 practical steps to Clean Your Glasses:

- Dare #16 - Step #1 - Meditate
- Dare #17 - Step #2 - Dedicate
- Dare #18 - Step #3 - Separate
- Dare #19 - Step #4 - Educate
- Dare #20 - Step #5 - Integrate
- Dare #21 - Step #6 - Pollinate
- Dare #22 - Step #7 - Rejuvenate
- Dare #23 - Step #8 - Illuminate
- Dare #24 - Step #9 - Incinerate
- Dare #25 - Step #10 - Congratulate

Today we will clean our rose-colored glasses with daily DEDICATION:

Here's a question: To what are you truly dedicated?

My wife and I had dinner with friends last night.  The husband half of our friends has recently decided to retire from a well-paying government job.  Actually, he is retiring from a CAREER -- a significant difference from retiring from a job.

Late in life, within the comfortable confines of a good government job, this friend that I will call Peter has dedicated his life to an ideal: he is a life-long member of the United States military.  He and his family have dedicated their life to moving where they have been needed.  They have sacrificed a stable life among a stable community.  And, yes: over the years, they have dedicated every single day to the safety and security of our nation.

I salute him and his family for what they have achieved.  More importantly, I am in awe of their superlative resolve as they begin the process of shifting careers.  They are confidently moving from yesteryear to tomorrow... with a faith and dedication that often falls far under the radar of most people.  They are fully committed and dedicated to the "next step."

As you move forward from yesterday to today to tomorrow, I challenge you to survey your span of influence and ask your self a very important question:

To what have you honestly dedicated your self?

To be clear: I am not talking about mere contribution.

Contribution is great.  Without individual contribution, our families, cities, and countries would be far less synergistic, super, successful, and sovereign than we currently are.

But contribution and dedication are two entirely different things.

When you are dedicated to something, you are not only devoted and steadfast in your continuous contributions, you are also passionate and prosperous.  Your passion is in the continuous contribution.  Your prosperity is in the simple faith that your contribution is making a difference... somehow, some way.

Today, I dare you to dedicate... or RE-dedicate... your self to something GREATER than you.

Invest this day, and perhaps a few more days pondering the difference you can make somewhere in your organization, community, or country. Focus your actions and thoughts on a person, an organization, or a cause that is beyond your individual capability to fully solve.

On this topic, I must share a powerful allegory by Loren Eiseley:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, the man asked...

“What are you doing?”

The youth replied...

“Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said...

“...don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?

You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and tossed it back into the surf.

Then, smiling at the man, the boy said...

“I made a difference to THAT one.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When you dedicate a part of your SELF, you do more than merely give a portion of the life force that is you… you actually surrender your energy to something outside of your SELF.

Indeed, surrender is a very powerful concept. Because of a mostly negative connotation, the very thought of surrendering can be a very scary process for many people.

However, surrender is more about voluntary relinquishment of control than it is about loss or forfeiture of power. And when you cheerfully and consistently voluntarily give yourself (and your energy) to an effort, cause, organization, or event that exists largely outside of your concern for your SELF, you will reap considerable returns on your investment.

And though these returns are not likely to be tangible or readily available for your immediate recognition or use, when you dedicate yourself to something bigger than you, interestingly enough, you become part of that same larger-than-life effort, cause, organization, or event.

Thus, your SELF becomes larger than life.

You become larger than life.

You create a legacy that will last long after you are no longer here.

Today, I dare you to dedicate or RE-dedicate your self to something GREATER than you.

**********

Indeed…

It’s all about YOU.

But tell me:

What’s your role in your soul,
…your goal, and for whom the bell tolls?

Today, I dare you: DEDICATE YOUR SELF.  Make a difference!

Accept. Adapt. Achieve. ®

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