Limitless Monday – Are you an observer or a player?
I was listening to a podcast recently about the life of Ernest Hemingway, the great American author. It turns out he was also a man of action. While employed as a war correspondent, he would often take command of a small unit of men and go hunt Nazis. He is famed for liberating the Ritz in Paris from the Germans.
He is also known for his love of drinking and women. He shot himself because he believed his life had become dull: he could no longer read, his favorite pastime, and he had lost confidence in his writing. Hemingway could best be described as someone who yearned to be part of the action. He definitely wasn’t a casual observer.
As technology advances, as new and improved forms of entertainment capture every free moment of our time, we have become a generation of observers rather than players. We view hours of Netflix, YouTube and Instagram, watching others in action. Fortunately, many of us realize the importance of exercise in all of this, and more of us are joining gyms. Outside of this, fewer of us are interested in playing the game of life.
Yes we travel more than we used to, but what kind of traveling? An adventure holiday or a vacation in an all-inclusive resort where we sat by the pool for an entire week?
How about a skiing holiday or a trip to a new land, Central America or a boat ride up the Amazon River, for instance?
Rather than read biographies of successful business people and watch episodes of Shark Tank, have you done more than just think about starting your own business?
Do you spend countless hours playing video games at the expense of going for a walk on the beach or in the countryside?
Has your competitive spirit been beaten down by the politically correct society which we now inhabit where healthy competition is frowned upon and success is vilified?
It’s time to ignite your competitive spirit and your zest for life. It’s time to grow a pair and start living your life to the fullest. Making a living, saving a little, doing a little exercise and retiring to spend your remaining years pulling up weeds and planting geraniums is the life of an observer not a player. You are more than that!
Happy Monday!
Banner Image: Spectators at a game. Image Credit – Gabriel Vasiliu
Harry Maximillian
Harry is an author, coach, entrepreneur, comedian and a convicted felon. Harry was sent to prison for a financial crime where he spent five long years. Prison allowed Harry to realize the error of his ways. He decided to use his time productively and mobilize his extraordinary determination, dedication, drive, motivation and desire to focus on writing and the art of self-improvement. Before Harry’s enforced vacation he was one of the most prolific deal makers in the City of London.