The Life Drive Newsletter June 2013

Make something that matters : By Hugh McLeod

Everybodys worried about the economy. I suppose thats understandable. Everybodys worried being happier. That too, is understandable. But if youre making something that matters (and only you can decide what that is) you worry a lot less about both. Because youre putting something good in the universe that people need that theyll always buy from you, that will always make you feel like youre spending your life in a good way. I spent my entire working career trying to figure out how not to hate my job, how not to hate my reality, how to transcend the Life sucks then you die worldview. And Ive come close a few times to finding the answers. What I have discovered is that meaning doesnt run on autopilot, that to find it takes constant work, that its a constant dialogue. And the dialogue begins not with luck or good fortune, but with making a decision.

Decide.

http://lifedriveorg.blogspot.in/

shaileshdesh@gmail.com

The Life Drive Newsletter June 2013

Excerpt from the book The Warrior Ethos by Steven Pressfield

THE HARDEST THING IN THE WORLD

The hardest thing in the world is to be ourselves. Who are we? Our family tells us, society tells us, laws and customs tell us. But what do we say? How do we get to that place of self-knowledge and conviction where we are able to state without doubt, fear or anger, This is who I am, this is what I believe, this is how I intend to live my life? How do we find our true calling, our soul companions, our destiny? In this task, our mightiest ally is the Warrior Ethos. Directed inward, the Warrior Ethos grounds us, fortifies us and focuses our resolve. As soldiers, we have been taught discipline. Now we teach ourselves self-discipline. As fighting men and women, we have been motivated, commanded and validated by others. Now we school ourselves in self-motivation, self-command, and self-validation. The Warrior Archetype is not the be-all and end-all of life. It is only one identity, one stage on the path to maturity. But it is the greatest stage and the most powerful. It is the foundation upon which all succeeding stages are laid. Let us be, then, warriors of the heart, and enlist in our inner cause the virtues we have acquired through blood and sweat in the sphere of conflict courage, patience, selflessness, loyalty, fidelity, self-command, respect for elders, love of our comrades (and of the enemy), perseverance, cheerfulness in adversity and a sense of humor, however terse or dark .

http://lifedriveorg.blogspot.in/

shaileshdesh@gmail.com

The Life Drive Newsletter June 2013

About The Life Drive Newsletter

This newsletter is meant for someone who is interested in improving his or her work on own Journey of Personal Growth. I believe that that this Journey is about becoming the best that you can be and expressing yourself in a manner that is most meaningful to you. Each one of us has two inbuilt and perpetual drives that influence all that we do The Life Drive inspires us to create new things, seek out our true selves and engage with external world with zest and affection. At the same time, The Death Drive within us scares us, makes us harm ourselves, makes us find comfort in the lazy status quo and gets us to look at external world and other people with suspicion and violence. The Death Drive within us does anything and everything it can do to stop and derail our Journey of Personal Growth. To succeed in its objective, the Death Drive throws many traps at us, such as convincing us that the problem is not within but outside us and convincing us that the comfortable life of status quo is better than risking the challenges of self exploration and selfexpression. How well, and whether at all we progress on this Journey is entirely dependent on whether we constantly honor our Life Drive by giving life to newer expressions of our core self and whether we succeed in defeating that enemy within ( The Death Drive) every day. Nobody and nothing outside of us can make us do this - it can happen if and only if we take complete personal responsibility of staying true to our precious and sacred Life Drive. This newsletter is meant to be a small reminder- that hopefully will make each of us take a pause and ask this question to ourselves: Did I truly honor my Life Drive today?

Your comments and feedback on the Newsletter is most welcome. You can reach me at shaileshdesh@gmail.com

http://lifedriveorg.blogspot.in/

shaileshdesh@gmail.com