Would you die for it?

As you know, I was away for the last week. For part of my trip I was in Reno, Nevada at the National Championship Air Races. (Picture Nascar in the sky. Truly unreal.)

Before I arrived there were 3 fatal accidents.

These people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars fixing their airplanes to make them racing machines. And then risk their life actually racing them.

Clearly, when a car has problems it can stop driving. When a plane has a problem it’s a much bigger deal.

I heard at least 5 ‘Mayday’ calls while watching the races.

I wrote an email to my clients as part of my Daily Inspirations to them saying how amazing it was how passionate these people are to obviously risk their life (and give up their life) for something they love and live for.

One of my clients hilariously writes me back, “They are morons!”

Agreed. Albeit passionate morons.

I’m not saying you should die for something. But I do believe living for something is so important.

Whether it’s a charity, a business, a cause, a passion, a movement, a job; something.

I find I am the happiest when I have a mission. Growing up my mission was to excel in school and to make the NBA.

In fact, one of the reasons why I started working out in 5th grade was because I wanted to look more intimidating on the basketball court. Clearly, at 5’ 8” I needed every edge I could get.

(Coincidentally, I also fell in love with working out and being as healthy and fit as I could be. This became one of my missions in life.)

I’ve had many missions. And so have you. Looking back, my most happy and engaging times were when I was pursuing something.

When I was at Ernst & Young, I just felt like I was letting time pass by. I had nothing to struggle for. I had no business at the time. Nada. I was existing as opposed to living.

My mission now (to create the World’s #1 company for helping people stay consistent with their health and fitness goals) is worthwhile in my opinion.

I believe (and know) that when you eat right and exercise consistently you’ll feel incredible. I also believe life is too short to not feel incredible as often as possible.

But as long as it’s worthwhile in my eyes is all that counts. That’s what gets me out of bed every morning.

“What a man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal.” – Victor E. Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning.

[Some nice comments over at Brazen Careerist.com!]