Is It Imperative To Me To Live An Inspired Life?

In 2014 I began this journey on Dream Big Dream Often.  I didn’t have many goals when I first started, other than taking over the world!  Seriously, all I wanted to do was build a platform that would allow me to purge my soul and mind.  I was curious as to how many people might relate or hold valuable the beliefs that I held as critical for my life.

Along the way this blog has taken a life of its own.  People from all over the world read my scribbles and I am still awestruck by the fact that hundreds of thousands of visitors find my site each year.  Who would have ever thought a guy living in North Carolina could reach so many people!

The main purpose of me running Dream Big has been to inspire others.  To lead by example and try to express to my readers that life might be tough, but humans are tougher.  If we aspire to inspire we can do amazing things.

I believe it is so important to live an intentional life.  At my core I must know that I’m making a difference.  I must know that I am seeking to add value to the world around me.  I must know that there are people out there who read something I’ve written and say “If this idiot can do it, then I can do it!”.

I have my own opinion on living an inspired life.  A few of the things I believe encapsulate this are:

1. A deliberate focus on helping others.
2. A willingness to put the needs of the team above the needs of self.
3. A willingness to step out of the comfort zone and do something meaningful and long-lasting.
4. The courage to stand on principles and have an opinion.

Of all my thoughts on inspiration these are the ones that I believe help drive me.

I’m curious to know if you think it is important to live an inspired life?  And what other factors might you add to my short list?

Danny

It’s Sad, But I Think Technology Is Making Us Lazy

This past week I sat in a sub shop eating my veggie sandwich and watching people.  There was a gentleman sitting in the corner of the restaurant on his mobile device.  Another gentleman sat in the opposite corner on his mobile device.  A couple sat behind me and barely said 2 words to each other as they scanned their mobile devices.  And each of the employees had their mobile devices out on the counter or within reach.

This phenomenon has revealed itself time-and-time again.  Ask someone to do simple math without their device and they are stumped.  Ask someone to spell without spell check and look at their face…”receipt” or “reciept”?   Google tells us when to use “accept” versus “except”.  Google gives us the answer to “Who was that guy that starred in that movie that time when I was eight?”

Are we evolving or are we devolving because of technology?  One of the simple criteria I use in making decisions is “does it make me better?”.  Sometimes I debate in my mind and wonder if technology is making us better.  I’m not sure where I stand on this point, but I definitely think technology is making us lazier.

Kids gaming inside for hours and having to be coerced into playing outside and then having to ask “What do I do now?” is a problem.  Spending countless hours per day staring at a computer screen has been proven to cause irreversible damage.  Mobile device addiction is a real thing.  Social media addiction is causing depression rates to soar to an all-time high in young people.

Are we better?

Then I look at the impact technology has had on the practice of medicine and I can say without hesitation we are better.  Technology has made the automobile more reliable and we are moving to a more eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels.  Air travel is safer than ever.  And in a weird way technology has made war safer.  Technology has connected the world in ways humanity never imagined.

And just when you think things are getting good…

…the smart phone enters the picture and begins to create isolation and separation.  People just love these devices and I’m a huge fan of my iPhone!  I can check the weather, watch YouTube videos, play games, etc.  It is a distraction from standing in line or waiting on a friend to show up to an appointment.

I don’t know if we are better off now than 100 years ago, but I am grateful that the chances of me dying from influenza are slim.  So maybe in some ways we are better off, but in other ways we are worse off?

Danny

It’s Not That I Hate People, I Just Prefer To Be Alone

I am melancholy by nature.  Lately I have been a bit more melancholy than usual due to some heavy issues going on in my life.  I’ve taken a step back from blogging every day.  I’ve taken a step back from a lot of things.  I’ve spent more time in introspection than usual over the last few weeks.

Websters defines melancholy as “a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.”  I think many who know me might be surprised to hear me describe myself as such because typically I have always been the life of the party; I’ve always been “fun Danny”.  The interesting thing is I’ve always felt like I had to be “on” and I really don’t like that feeling.  I’ve always been outgoing, but I’ve always felt like an introvert.  It’s a strange dynamic and a stressful place to live.

As many of you know I live by a rigid set of rules.  For instance, I don’t read fiction, ever, I don’t listen to music with much vocals, I do not own a television, I wake up 3 hours prior to my work day beginning, etc.  My rules serve some important functions, but the problem with my rules is they create a tremendous amount of rigidity in relationships.  This happens because I put my expectations on others who think differently, act differently and see the world from a different perspective.  Others have a different definition of success and they have different goals.

Nonetheless my rules impact my view of people which makes me want to spend a lot of time alone.  Other than Evelina I prefer to be alone, inside and away from the world.  The perfect day for me is to sit at home with a good book or my tablet to watch Youtube videos about ancient Egypt or Bigfoot/cryptozoology.  It’s not that I hate people, but I just prefer to be alone.  People complicate things and get in my way of doing things exactly the way I want them done in the time frame I want them completed.

When you combine my view of people with my melancholy nature it creates the image that I’m negative.  Or at least that’s how I think some people take me or understand my actions.

Maybe I am negative.  Maybe not.  As long as people leave me alone I’ll be just fine.

Danny