New Years, Know Your Mission

Your mission should you choose to accept it, New Years! Yeah that time when the resolutions start to get written out and planned. The energy is good and the will seems strong and ready. And then it all comes apart. The energy wanes, things go bad, and boom you're right back into the old patterns and habits.

So this is where I write about resolutions and how to set them, achieve them, and live happily ever after right? Not my style, sorry to disappoint. I'll reference what I am going to do as I transition from 2017 into 2018. I'm going to build my mission around continuing to grow from the successes I experienced in 2017. I'm going to focus on what's trending upward for me and build my energy on intentions designed to capitalize on those improvements and successes.Rather than focus energy on the downside of things I will be far more successful focusing energy on the upside.

My mission for 2018 is to leverage the lessons I learned throughout this year and understand the power from them. I am creating a powerful mindset that allows me to see that I improved, that I gained ground in many areas. It is a mindset that comes with extreme optimism and personal accountability. I am aware that I have choice, that is a powerful tool we all have to move the needle where we want it to go. And as I leverage those choices I create a chain of intention that moves the needle in the direction I desire.

Reflect on what was successful for you in 2017. There was something, and you can leverage that to build a mission for 2018. Be compassionate and self-loving as you do this. This is not an exercise in beating yourself up. It is the opposite, it is an exercise in building yourself up. Compile a list of your successes and build your mission around these. Create a mindset that takes the focus away from self-sabotage and turn that focus into a powerful intention to express your true nature.

If you read my last blog about I Am statements this is a great way to create your mission and intention for 2018. Create short, powerful I am statements about your mission. I am willing to do the work required to achieve my mission. I am able to do the work to achieve my mission. I am making choices that allow me to accomplish my mission. I am compassionate with myself if I make a mistake and falter. I am is a powerful way to build the mental energy to succeed. Mission accepted!

I wish you all the best in the New Year.

Blessings

Daniel

"Breaking the chains of ordinary and the curse of mediocrity."

I AM

I am that I am. Such a powerful way to frame who and what you are. I am statements own the very energy of your Vision and move the needle. By stating "I am" you are switching from passive energy to a living document of who you are and how your pursuing life. Its a living document because you are claiming your power.



I am authentic.
I am vulnerable.
I am an athlete.
I am living my Vision.



Stating I am in your life creates new Neuro Pathways that build links and chains that help you control your thoughts. The power in this practice can make you mentally tougher in areas that you desire to grow in. This is about controlling your own programming. You write the code.



I am capable.
I am enough.
I am inspired.
I am my Spiritual self.



Life is the desire to live your highest expression of yourself. In whatever you choose. And it is so important that you chose. I can control one thing in my life, me! I am gives us more control, powerful control and a chance for self-mastery.



I am living my divinity.
I am moving my needle.
I am pursuing life.
I am that I am.



P.S.



I am says when you think you're done, you still have more to give.



God Bless



Daniel

"Breaking the chains of ordinary and the curse of mediocrity."

Forging

In life you are either forging your way, your lifestyle, and your pursuit or society is doing it for you. It’s weird how much we do life on autopilot, walking through daily living in habitual patterns and habits. Going through the motions and not seeing the limitations we set on ourselves.

     Forging the lifestyle and person you envision is an intentional act. Forging is taking the attacking attitude and moving the needle each day. To forge is to make or shape by heating and hammering or beating to obtain the desired shape. Now we’re talking. But wait a minute! If we are not taking the initiative then life is doing the forging. Society has a way of trying to forge you in its best interests. Society has a formula and you are susceptible to it. Being a healthy member and contributing in a mutually conscientious way to society is important. Having your lifestyle, thoughts, actions, way and what you pursue defined for you is not.

     Back to hammering and beating! Take the mind you have and forge it in the way you see it allowing you to promote a lifestyle that supports your way. Beat the unnecessary distractions and programming out of circulation. Hammer the areas you know will make what you are pursuing a reality. Let's get over the idea that it's all sprinkles and icing. Some of it is bullshit and hard work. Well the things that really matter might take a lot more of that hard work. The easy way is a trap that leads to being forged. Find the fire that you can work in, after all it is the fire that produces the ability to forge the shape you’re looking for.

     It can be an unpopular decision to forge ahead with your pursuit. You see when you create an imbalance for others it makes them uncomfortable. That's for them to deal with. The ones who really get you will be on board. They will help hold you accountable and will support you. Don't let pressure enter into your furnace and change the shape of your energy. The heat is necessary, hammer out the things you need and don't accept any compromises. That which you are forging will not be built on compromises.

     Forge and attitude and a mindset unwilling to give up, let the fire that lights you up be an undeniable exuberance to see the shape you want become a reality. Take the junk out and let the abundance in. Forging is energy, you have a choice. Be proactive and create it, or get forged in a shape you don't want.

Blessings

Daniel O'Neill

Breaking the chains of normal and the curse of mediocrity.

Artwork credit in the photo. 

Maggie Slater

Instagram@industrial.growth

Defining Epic

Who defines what epic is? Is it a skewed perception of what is epic because of high profile events and media coverage? Is epic one of those things we judge based on the filters we see the world through? It certainly can be and usually is. We play small in our own minds because we see things others are doing and downplay our epic versus what we see theirs as.
      Epic is solely up to the person achieving the outcome of their objective. My epic will be different than your epic. What should be really important is to recognize a person's epic achievement and not have to pass judgement on it. Even more important is to not judge our epic achievements and down play them. Each of us is capable of defining what our own epic looks like, feels like, and what we get from it. Epic is personal so that we can be that in our lives. When judgement enters into the equation we minimize human accomplishment. Who cares if it is unimportant to us? Pass no judgement because it is not our place to do so.
     It takes courage to step up into your own epic. Allowing yourself the opportunity to

rise up into your epic is truly admirable. We as a Tribe need to make more effort to celebrate when someone decides to create and achieve their own epic. Look back over history to see how we have come so far in our collective achievements. The insanity architects have created epic and moved it out beyond the limits once thought possible. That is a key ingredient when you are looking at what defines epic for you. If it moves you out beyond what you thought was possible that is epic.
      Epic is that which we can achieve in every facet we desire. Living to a higher level of joy and exuberance can be the result of pursuing your own definition of epic. Play big in your life and be epic. Its a lot of fun to move through your days as an epic player on the landscape of life.

God Bless

Daniel

"Breaking the chains of normal and the disease of mediocrity."

P.S. The Hoody is courtesy of luvjamie
   

Consider Your Ways

What is it worth to you? The choice between success and not pursuing success is a small one. The actions required are minimal. The attention you need doesn't have to be inherited. The skills are within your reach. And the thing that will have you moving the needle is when you consider your ways.
     Don't make it harder than it has to be. This is not reinventing the wheel. A little introspection and some good old fashioned work is all it takes. What are you doing that is hindering you from achieving the success you envision? By simply considering your ways you can take command of the situation and move the needle of your life towards the required changes.
     Better yet what actions are you certain will help you move towards success? Focus on those ones and make them front of mind focused. When we focus on more of what we want, we overcome the lesser things we don't want. It's not rocket science, it is considering your ways. This is a challenge worth facing and taking on. Focus on the objectives you set and move. Don't sit around and wait for someone else to do it for you.
      Consider your ways is a personal operating system that is a difference maker. I believe this so much I had it tattooed on my forearm in Gaelic. Smaoinigh ar do chuid bealai, this way I an focused
on my operating system daily.






Blessings






Daniel O'Neill




"Breaking the chains of normal and the disease of mediocrity."

Disciplined Radical

Radical is not a bad thing, it needs to be Undefined. When we are radical, we are simply returning to the root. When we speak about radical it is about affecting the fundamental nature of something. When looked at this way we can turn radical around and use it as a means to discover ourselves, to explore our inherent nature, and to move out beyond the limitations we have come to believe about ourselves.

     I’m a radical, proud of it, and willing to express it in my life. We are beat down enough by society and the conditioning exerted on us daily from a young age. This is how we should behave and act. To go against the mainstream is not acceptable and is frowned upon. We are conditioned to be that which society deems proper and righteous. We’ll, on the other side of that fence is truth that can set you free. As long as you are harming no one else, never let society dictate how, or what you should be in your own radical pursuit. You define the truth about yourself, never give away that power.

Radical is a state of mind where we freely pursue the goals and Vision we have of ourselves and our life. To create a mindset based on radical allows energy to move continuously in the direction you want it flowing. Like a flowing river that has power, strength, flow, and peace we want to move like the water in the river. Directing our flow into a radical pursuit is taking charge of our lives no matter what age we are at or our personal circumstances. Building the discipline required to move your life in this direction takes deliberate practice. Set up daily rituals that speak to your heart and that will build the discipline required. Don’t be afraid to move out of the comfort zone and into the radical zone.

     Being a radical as you define it changes the equation. It changes it because you come up with and define this equation. It is not a societal equation you are thrust into. This radical gives you control of the one thing you can control in this lifetime, yourself. Take your radical pursuit to a new level, love it, nurture it, and kick ass with it.

Blessings

Daniel O’Neill

"Breaking the chains of the status quo and the curse of mediocrity."

The 4/4/48 Club

I read about this crazy challenge called the 4/4/48 in Jesse Itzlers book "Living With A Seal." The challenge goes as follows, you run 4 miles, every four hours for 48 hours. I love a challenge and July 17th was my 54th Birthday. I like to mark my Birthdays with a challenge, so challenge accepted.

Sunday July 16th at 19:00 I did my first run. I know from experience in my time doing endurance events that I needed to pace myself. Going out too fast in these early runs would cost me in the long run. Mental note, be smart and go easy. I had a plan to alternate between one run on the roads around our house, then a run on the local track just minutes away from our house. The track is a little more forgiving on the legs and that seemed to be smart planning in order to be successful in this challenge. In between runs the plan was to eat, sleep when possible, take ice baths, stretch or do some yoga, just be smart with my time and focus on recovery.

Spoiler Alert, I completed the challenge as I had set out to do. Here are some numbers from the challenge:
12 total runs
5 Road runs, 7 Track runs
7 sleeps for 13.5 hours
5 ice baths
14 NUUN Tablets
Alternated between two pairs of shoes for each run
Total Distance 48 Miles or 78.24 Kilometers
Total Time 9:34:40
One pretty big pile of laundry.

Running the track at night in the dark is really exhilarating.

There was no medal for completing this. No t-shirt or finish line with spectators or family waiting. At 16:06:24 on Tuesday July 18th my device clocked mile 4 and I pushed the stop button. That was it, me on an empty track having completed this birthday challenge. I only wanted to quit once. On Monday morning when I woke up for the 03:00 run I thought about how easy it would be to just go back to sleep, I didn't. There were some really ugly runs along the way as well. The 03:00 run on Tuesday morning was a mental challenge to say the least. This was a run on the roads and I was simply out of it mentally. I needed to take some walking breaks just so I could focus. I didn't want to quit, I didn't feel bad, I just was feeling tired and unable to get my mind into what I was doing. This was the worst mental moment of the challenge. This is pretty small in terms of what can happen mentally during such a challenge.

The final two runs at 11:00 and 15:00 on Tuesday were not pretty let me tell you. My hamstrings, hips and lower back were all really tight and didn't like what I was asking of them. But even with some pain involved I just didn't feel like quitting. I needed walk breaks and I did the final four runs of the challenge on the track. The track is so much more forgiving than the pavement. I was also surprised at how focused the running in circles made me during those runs. For much of Tuesday after 07:00 I was fatigued physically. Mentally I was surprised at how sharp I was. Spiritually it was an amazing journey the whole way through.

The purpose of any challenge should be to grow in some capacity as a person. I thought a lot about life and how amazing the gift of life is. I thought about my self absorbed complaining and how little I really have to complain about. I really need to work on that, challenge accepted. The metrics I measure my fitness by now at 54 are different than they were when I was 44. I simply can't go as fast any longer, I' alright with that because I am still doing it. The metrics I measure success by have also changed and evolved. Going slower is a good thing. Taking the time to look at life from a different angle can help us understand that we are capable of growing and changing. Moving the needle can mean looking at your own perceptions and digging into why they have such power in your life.

The challenge is to grow and make the world a better place. The challenge is to be an example to others. The challenge is to understand that you are a valuable part of the solution. When we accept the challenge we are saying I'm open to whatever may come. Life isn't absolutes and guarantees. Its mystery and I don't need to have all the answers, just the heart to explore it all with exuberance and a Spirit of joy. Hmmmm, what will be the challenge for my 55th Birthday?

"Live remarkable and follow the Spirit in your heart."

Daniel

You Made A Difference

I spent eight days on my bike last week riding in my third Tour of Hope. We went over 900 kms from Hope BC to Jasper AB and spent two days riding in Jasper. I am always taken by the extreme beauty of the Canadian Rockies as I ride through them on the Tour. Seeing all of the streams, creeks, brooks, rivers, lakes and uncountable waterfalls leaves me with immense gratitude for the health and ability to ride these distances. There are the usual inner complaints and grumblings. My butt hurts from the bike saddle. Riding in the rain really sucks. Those are small inconveniences when I look at the reason for this ride.

The Tour of Hope is an annual ride that raises money for the Kids With Cancer Society in Edmonton. What really sucks is that children are diagnosed with cancer. The impact to them and their families is unimaginable unless you are actually living it. The Kids With Cancer Society helps these families in so many different ways. The fact that this Society exists is not ideal. But the fact that this Society is there to help, support, and be there for these families is why I do this ride.

For the past three years I have met and heard three families stories and how this ride makes a difference. I say that I can't cure cancer but I sure as heck can make a difference no matter how small in these families lives. Hearing the stories of the children that have to journey down this path makes my inside complaints about the ride very insignificant. Every year after I come home from the ride I wish I could bottle the immense energy and enthusiasm I feel after riding with my cycling family for the week. The hearts of these cyclists are beautiful and as people I am blessed to be able to hang out with them for a week. Each of us rides for our own reasons, However the common goal is to raise money for the Society, to make a difference.

I have a renewed passion for my pursuit of life.

I want to thank each and every person who contributed to my fund raising and came out to my 24 Hour Ride. You all made a difference. Together when we have empathy and compassion we can and will make the world a better place.

Blessings

Daniel

Racing Death

Racing Death

An excerpt from ‘Racing Death, A Radical Pursuit’ coming soon.

It is radical to choose death in pursuit of life. Yet that death was what will provide us with life. Are you confused yet? It’s all part of the mystery. This mystery people have tried to prove and disprove for a long time now. It is one of those mysteries in life that each person needs to explore on their own and in their own way. The mystery is rewarding and it will provide you with great direction in your life and on your own radical journey. Mysteries kind of invite us to solve them; they invite us to figure them out. This mystery of faith however is one to be lived, to believe it and walk it out is to receive the reward and abundant benefits of the death that began the mystery. The part that will be solved comes after that earthly death we will all encounter. For myself I choose to be radical in how I pursue the mystery and it has been more than worthwhile.

The appetite for the path and our own nature to pursue this mystery is why it is a radical pursuit. We can all partake in this radical way of living, being, and chasing the death we deserve. In relationship with God there are unique and cool ways He comes into life. Activities, places, and messages which are unique to our nature that God called us into as a means to connect will be found as we journey. God wanted and still wants us to live with extreme energy and pronounced gusto. He has always known what we need, how our needs are tied into our nature and how we can best tap into these. We are more of a mystery to ourselves than we are to God. The mystery defines life designed by the death that allows us to explore ultimate experience with the Creator. It truly is a radical pursuit because we are connecting with everything in our universe as that energy is us.

What is it that creates the faith required for me and you to pursue this path, this relationship? Well simply put it is faith that drives the radical pursuit. Faith in the unseen and unproven by scientific standards of today; this faith comes from what I have seen and experienced in my life. (And continue to experience.) A big part of this faith is to question it, put it to the test! I don’t blindly follow a doctrine or a law for the sake of being right or for the belief I am better than those who don’t. Conversely I put this faith to the test, I question it, and I ponder it and full on explore it. I create my own scientific experiments to pursue this faith relationship with God.

This is what I have discovered through my experiments in faith. God pursues us much harder than we can pursue Him. I have experienced the grace, love, guidance, abundance, peace and joy of God in all areas of my life. ­ God has touched and created in my life in ways that I never could have created on my own. My life has become much more stable, rewarding, fulfilling and filled with goodness since my energy has been directed into my radical pursuit.

This is not an easy path to pursue. It is even more difficult to be radical about it. The Christian life is difficult and it can sometimes seem impossible. By that I mean in our society which is dictated in many ways by a non-Christian slant and attitude towards life it is tempting to be anything but Christian. I struggle daily with the path I have chosen to pursue. I have to admit some days I totally fail to achieve my goals set out on this path. I have to make a mental commitment to pursue the path and follow what the path requires. And I have to have deep faith in Gods truth and His absolute love for me. As I mentioned previously I have experienced Gods goodness on so many different levels of my life. It is an exciting feeling to experience the powers of the Holy Spirit moving through me and providing for me, Understanding how God is actually moving through the Spirit in my physical space and time still blows my mind. Feeling the Spirit create energy in me that then moves out into fields of action in my daily radical pursuit is phenomenal. Experiencing a moment of clarity when God comes into me in an experience, interaction or in the silent space in my heart still stops me in my tracks. Radical doesn’t have to mean rebellion or rebellious, it can actually be freeing and building.

The Choice

This is an excerpt from 'Racing Death, a radical Pursuit." Coming soon...

If it was easy everybody would be doing it. We have become reactionary beings instead of action based beings. Life in societal terms has been laid out in such a way as to dictate how we behave. The parameters we have to follow are dictated to us, we simply react and follow the herd mentality. The cost it costs us to live is we have become mindless automatons following the internalized conditioning that drives society. The way to symbolically buck the system is to point our finger at all the people and circumstances that have made us this way, that have created our own apathy. We drink the Kool Aid and complain about our results.

THE CHOICE gives you an opportunity to turn the status quo inside out and take back the energy of your true nature. This isn't just a simple act by default of raising your voice in protest then shrinking back into the flow of the status quo. Every person who holds this book in their hands can change the course of history when they decide to make a choice. Your history is worth the time and effort.

If what is happening in your life and the world around you isn't what you want, change it! No one is going to come to your rescue. And if they do you'll need to be rescued again down the river. This is an act of valor on your own behalf and you're the hero in this story. Write it and live it. Take note now of the excuse that is popping into your mind and eliminate that thinking and mentality. That thinking has been what's kept you in the energy loop that creates apathy because you believe that excuse is valid. That excuse needs to be eliminated and exposed for what it truly is, fear. Make the choice right now to see through the fear and its limiting value to the reality of your greater worth and potential.

That is the endurance path we choose so that we can recreate the truth we are entitled to. Endurance is the choice we have when it comes to deciding whether to whine and complain or to shut up and kick ass. Yeah that's right, to kick ass. Endurance is a choice between just being reactionary to all that happens or to becoming a proactive force in your own existence. Life is not and will not always be easy. We have endurance built into our tapestries and can call on that energy at will. Right now we have the choice to dig deep within our own hearts and rise above the chaff. It's your choice, endurance is not for the rich or the ones we think are special.

You are that special one with the ability to make a choice and open yourself to the greatness you have within.

Want to know more? Go to danieloneill.ca or email me at Nobody17IM@gmail.com