Are You All In?
“All In” as in reference to your life. Not to be a buzz-kill or morbid but I have to ask; Are you living life like this is the one and only one you have? What if there was not a “tomorrow”? Sure, you may have experienced moments or even seasons of “all in” but let’s get to the heart of sustaining this “all in” approach to living.
In the Olympics, athletes train hard, some for years or most of their lives, just for their moment to compete for their country to win Gold or to get on the Platform! Snowboarding caught my attention because the scoring system was different than I was used to seeing. Each Snowboarder has three chances to land their jump. The highest score of the three is their final score.
Several athletes attempted two runs and both times, they either fell or crashed at the bottom. Their scores were so low after both runs that they would not medal at all. But there was still one more run.
They decided they were all in.
What did they have to lose? It was now or never. Who knew if they would ever be on an Olympic field again. They were inspiring and amazing and one actually earned the gold medal!
When was the last time you were “all in”? Maybe it was a project that was due at work and a promotion was hanging in the balance. We seem to be “all in” when there is a reward or prize on the line.
But what if being “all in” in life is not about risk but more about asking yourself:
What, in my life, am I missing, or avoiding or even unsure of, that is preventing me from being “all in”? What is preventing me from fully living out my potential and dreams for this one life?
What does it look like to be “all in” in your own life?
Think about these examples below and ask yourself; Am I an active participant or am I on the sidelines of my own life?
- Am I actively involved in the lives of the people I love? OR Do I wish I knew more of what was happening in their lives and visa versa?
- Am making plans from my dreams, for my future? OR Am I simple dreaming my life away?
- Am I setting realistic goals to move forward? OR Are goals something that I avoid because it’s too overwhelming?
- Am I really having fun and playing? OR Do I find myself left out or even believe that play is for other people?
- Am I doing the things that take care of myself? OR Do I think that self-care is not for me?
- Am I working in what I’m passionate about? OR I’m not sure what my passion is.
You may realize that you have not been “all in” but you want to be!
Start here:
- Begin focusing on what you can do versus what you cannot do.
- Try something, take a risk. Don’t be afraid to fail; because you probably will and that’s ok. You are learning and moving!
- Be vulnerable with people you care about. It’s scary but worth it.
- Show up! Not only in your life but in the lives of those close to you.
- Do something that makes you laugh. I mean really laugh!
Life is way to short to spend it on the sidelines. The good news is it’s not too late and you can start today and I can help!
It’s time to be “all in”.