Why are you here?
This is one of the first questions I aks you when you sign up for my email series, 1 Week To Impossible. I believe your reason why behind what you do is absolutely vital to any success you might have doing the impossible so I ask this question and ask for you to respond with your answer. Some people do and some people don’t and every once in a while, I get a really good answer.
Recently, reader Steve recently signed up for the series and sent me his response. I really enjoyed it and asked him if I could share it. He went ahead and gave me the green light, so here’s his answer:
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Why am I here? Good question. I’m a bullet list person so here goes:
- I’m a teacher, coach, husband, father, fund-raiser, & wannabe endurance athlete who seeks to inspire and be inspired.
- I am in the 4th year of a personal transformation as I become an athlete again and improve my quality of life.
- Despite my constant efforts to be a positive, energetic person I need a constant battery boost and recharging.
- I started a scholarship program at the school where I teach/coach. The $$ is raised by normal people doing extraordinary things to improve their fitness and health and the eventual scholarship $$ will go to students who make significant transformations in their own lives.
- People like yourself energize and fuel me–your attitude is infectious in a most positive way!
- I’m a reader and new blogger. Your site is INTERESTING and informative.
- Like any food, smell, or song, I give it a 10 second test–if I like the first 10 seconds I continue, I explore. I stumbled on your blog trolling for some inspiration and ended up parked at your blog for about an hour this morning. Kudos to you. I’m fairly picky.
- I am fascinated by the power and capabilities of the human spirit, body, and mind. People amaze me.
- At age 46 I am trying to live each day like I’m dying. I have a family member who is dying (cancer) and I would feel guilty if I wasn’t trying to maximize my abilities and my alloted time.
- I’ve gone from fat and unfit four years ago to much fitter and registered for the Ford Ironman Florida Triathlon in November. This still seems “impossible” to me but I am determined to get it done.
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It’s a pretty straightforward answer to an important question but it was really inspiring for me to read Steve’s answer. Three things really jumped out to me:
He knows where he’s at:
I’m a teacher, coach, husband, father, fund-raiser, & wannabe endurance athlete who seeks to inspire and be inspired.
He’s identified several roles he plays in life and while they’re all important, he recognizes that the overarching theme to those roles is “to inspire and be inspired” by the people in his life.
He knows where he wants to go
I am in the 4th year of a personal transformation as I become an athlete again and improve my quality of life….I’ve gone from fat and unfit four years ago to much fitter and registered for the Ford Ironman Florida Triathlon in November. This still seems “impossible” to me but I am determined to get it done.
If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there – Lewis Carroll. Know where you want to go. Steve’s focused. He has a specific goal as a part of a longer journey that he’s experiencing and it makes for a great story.
He’s in a hurry
At age 46 I am trying to live each day like I’m dying. I have a family member who is dying (cancer) and I would feel guilty if I wasn’t trying to maximize my abilities and my alloted time.
You’re not guaranteed tomorrow. Steve knows this and he’s taking action now to get from where is currently is, to where he’s going. That might not sound like much, but in a world of some-day-ers, taking small actions every day is the key to doing whatever it is you want.
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I’ve said over and over that my favorite part of writing here is seeing people take action to change their circumstances for the better. It beats the pants off of any other benefit I get from writing this blog. Take Matt for example. After years of shoulding himself and tellling himself he should take his family to visit his extended family in Indonesia, he’s finally doing it this summer. I remember talking with Matt about this last June and he was just tossing around the idea then. Almost a year later now, and he’s actually doing it. Something about that, when ideas move beyond words and become action, is amazing to me. I’d rather see 50 people make meaningful changes than for 50,000 people to just read and do nothing.
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So it comes back to this question: Why are you really here?
- Maybe you just stumbled upon this article
- Maybe you’ve been reading forever
- Maybe you just like seeing me turn purple
Whatever it is, why are you here? What are you getting out of it and most importantly, what are you going to do with it? Reading is great. Taking action is better.
So tell me, why are you here? I’d love to hear your answer in the comments!
Also, if you haven’t yet signed up for The League, you can get in on the good stuff and sign up for $Free.99. It doesn’t cost a thing and I hate spam more than you do, so your email is always safe. Sign up for The League here.
[Photo by atelier_tee]
I am here because I get hula girls in the mail.
True Story.
There’s a true fan 🙂
Joel, I really like this and not just because you mention me there at the end. 🙂 Steve is right in that you are “infectious in a positive way”.
In fact I relate to a lot of what Steve wrote. My Grandma passed away last year and that loss really made me realize how short our time here is. I really don’t have time to waste doing things that lack meaning. This realization was really a big motivator for me to actually ‘do’ this sabbatical rather than just ‘talk’ about doing it.
Honestly though, when I come to BIT and see you doing all these incredible things like turning purple, it motivates and encourages me to be a better person and to do more with my life. And that is exactly what I am doing.
Who would have thought that turning purple could have such an effect on people :). Thanks for leading by example Matt
I’m here because I admire what you are doing, and I’m hoping a little of it will rub off on me. Like a lot of people…maybe most people…I’ve tended to let fear and complacency rule my life, but I’ve woken up now and I’m actively fighting that tendency. Like you, I want to have a life worth writing about. I need a kick in the pants once in awhile to keep me moving towards that goal, and I think BIT will provide that!
Also – I think it is incredible that you are not just writing about the inspiring stuff you’re doing, but going that extra step and pushing your readers to be accountable to our own goals by explaining why we are here. Thank you for that!
Thank YOU Rachel :). Let me know if you need help kicking complacency in the teeth 🙂
I’m here because I consider daily how I can get the most out of life and I seek others that feel the same as me.
Good to hear!
Just stumbled upon. Will be reading more. Beware–this may be long…
I’ve gone through two surgeries to try to fix a work-related injury + congenital problem in my hip, ongoing for 13 months. Last surgery was 2 months ago, and I’m still working on walking again, much less running, or returning to my Pilates business, or teaching fitness classes, or traveling the world as I’ve done before…
I feel like I’d just had a relative few good years, after a childhood of morbid obesity, an eating-disordered college and grad school life, a few obese years after that… and I finally got my health and body in line before this injury. I hope I get another chance.
I have big plans with my business involving Pilates and yoga as rehab for lower extremity injuries (which I may not have thought of, otherwise!) and, as a former science teacher, I’ve been trying to dream up a way to improve science education in rural areas of the US. I’d love to be more active, but I have to sit around and read/write to change the world, for now…
My friends are starting to relate to me less and less–“why don’t you just sit around and watch more TV”–and I’m starting to run out of answers… I’m glad there are a few other people like me in this world. 😉
Yes there are. Glad to have you on board =). Hope you stick around Brooke!
I am here to be held accountable. When I see you turning purple for your goals it makes me realize that is what I need to do if I want to achieve mine!
I think that’s definitely the premise for some future blog post :). Thanks Christina
I’ve been reading your blog for about 5 months now and I enjoy it. I read this and get some burst of motivation. You are part of the reason that I took up the 100 pushup challenge. I’m not there yet but I’ve made progress and that is what counts.
I’m really impressed by your drive and enthusiasm for life and I have become even more motivated by it. I’ve always been a self starter and fascinated with the human spirit and have driven myself to accomplish goals. And your blog just adds more fuel to my fire. You do a great job of setting goals, sharing them with total authenticity, and letting people know that it is ok to fail. And I think people need o hear that it is in the trying to succeed is where the success is!
So the bottomline is that I am here to try AND sometimes FAIL!
Good luck with the 100 Scott. They’re a beast, but it feels awesome when you knock ’em all out. Keep on trying (and failing) and working towards your goals. -JR
Hey Joel,
I’m here and keep coming back for inspiration and motivation.
Inspiration: Your writing inspires challenges my preconceived ideas on what I can/can’t do. I esp. like your contrarian viewpoints on topics (“instead of writing more, write less” and “I’ll never make a dime from this blog” come to mind 1st). Your writing style is personable and thanks too for commenting on our comments, that means a lot.
Motivation: You challenge me to not just talk a good talk but to go and do. You sharing your ups and downs with your impossible list is highly motivational, even though the 1st time you tried the 100 pushups, it didn’t go as planned. But you kept at it and spankin’ rocked that bad boy. Word!
Thanks for sharing your ideas and starting this blog. Peace.
Thanks for leaving comments that I can comment on Jermaine :). I appreciate the kind words man.
Oh snap, I didn’t say what I was going to do with why I am here. My “evil plan of domination” if you will: My biggest desire is to help people break free from the inside from all the pain, hurt, expectations, “shoulds” fears, and crap that hold us all back. And in the process, help other people do the same. I’m doing the same personally and I want people to feel loved and love other people. How to go about this, I’m still ironing out. So I’ll keep writing.
Keep working it out Jermaine. Sometimes just starting & trying a bunch of different stuff is what helps you figure it all out. Good luck.
Because sometimes, no matter our resolve, our determination, and our dedication to the thing that drives us – sometimes our motivation flails. Sometimes no matter how supportive and caring our friends and families are, we still feel somewhat lonely, misunderstood, or just… different.
And at such times, I find inspiration, and motivation, and comfort in reading your blog and being reminded that kindred spirits and likeminded souls can be found all over the world. That I’m not the only one. And that indeed – nothing is impossible.
Looking forward to meeting you in June.
So true Dagmar! Thanks for reading! See you in June!
I am here because not long ago I stumbled across your blog, and it was sort of a sign for me. It was a moment of a new beginning, but a moment when I was free and lost at the same time, positive but scared in a way. You truly inspired me, and helped me believe even more in things I often thought were impossible. So, as a result ( I’ll take only some of the credit) I just took an offer on a type of job I always forced myself to believe I couldn’t do because of my character and the type of person I am. It’s a huge challenge and I took it, surprised even myself. Not only that I see it very interesting now, but I also think it might be one of the best experiences for me, at least a great learning experience.
So, thank you Joel for saying it as it is. Nothing’s impossible.
Congrats on the job offer and for getting over the mental barrier of accepting it. Have fun & learn a ton. Thanks Frelos!
I’m here because I stumbled upon your blog and have spent over an hour already browsing it. I just finished my first year of college and found a ton of new things I had never done before, but now love to do. I was extremely jealous reading through some of the stuff you’ve done, not because I want to do the same things as you, but because you did not hold back and did what you wanted to do not knowing how it would turn out. I have always been a go big or go home kind of person, but sometimes I have trouble getting started. A lot of my motivation comes from people telling me I can’t do something, so I love that your blog is titled “Blog of Impossible Things.” I just started on making out my list, so thank you for giving me some motivation and inspiring me.
Awesome, Seth! Let me know when you finish your list and send it my way! I’d love to take a look at it. Keep doing the impossible!
I am here because I have been making some large transformations in the past 5 years…and now I am to my hardest hurdles, breaking my should habit.
I made the realization in December 2006 that I shouldn’t weigh over 300 pounds anymore (310 was the highest recorded weight…after 3 days of stomach flu). I made the goal of doing my first impossible thing, skydiving, in June of 2008. I had to lose 80 pounds to go. I made my goal of 230 pounds in June 2007! I also rode a 50k bike ride (finished in 4 hours) 3 days after skydiving the first time…two impossible activities down.
In August 2007, I realized I had no money, I needed to get a second job, so I languished, working two jobs, gaining back 60 pounds and just getting to another bad point after working upwards of 100 hours per week and having two knee surgeries in one year.
In January 2010, I quit my second job and haven’t looked back. I realized I was just wasting my money I was making there, I was no closer to any goals after 2 years.
In 2011, I set a couple small goals, ride a 100k bike ride (finished in just over 4 hours) and run in the Minneapolis Warrior Dash (finished in 56 minutes). In January 2011, I was almost 230 pounds again, the day I ran in Warrior Dash, I was 205.
I have since made new goals for this year. I gained 20 pounds throughout the winter, but I’m also working on upperbody strength training so I can run in the ToughMudder near Minneapolis in May. I also plan to ride another 100k ride, run another Warrior Dash, shingle my house, pay off my car and student loans, and either get a different job…or…get out from under my house, downsize my possessions, go back to an apartment, or live with friends.
Next year, I plan on doing the Spartan Race Trifecta. I will have to run a 3 mile Sprint, an 8 mile Super, and the 12 mile Beast. This will require me to travel to places I’ve never been before. I will need to plan all the travel required…something I’ve only ever done for work before.
My next impossible thing will be to enter the Spartan Death Race and finish it, I’m hoping for 2014 for this entry.
Throughout all the rest of this, I am going to work further toward getting certified as a skydiver and possibly go for the instructor permit. My friends and I are all going to work toward a specialty, one friend will go to be a pilot, another a SCUBA instructor, I will be the skydive instructor.
I may also include the occasional 5k, 10k, half and full marathons, and maybe a triathlon or two throughout all the rest of my goals.
I’m just tired of saying “I should” and want to be able to say yes more often and have a good story, instead of my same old rehash of very meager stories.
I can’t remember how I found your site, but in my daily life, I’m often surrounded by people who think I’m crazy because I’m always trying new things and wanting to challenge myself. I like putting myself into uncomfortable situations to grow. I’ve run 2 half marathons. I signed up for a sprint triathlon before I knew how to swim well. I’ve taken language classes just for fun. Just this past weekend, I did my first judo tournament – came in 2nd place, and I’ve only been training judo for 8 months (and I’m an over-40-year-old woman). When I found this site, it made me feel like there are other people like me, and that people who don’t challenge themselves are the crazy ones 🙂
“I’ve got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom”