If we take a step back and look out ourselves from the outside in – we will see much room for improvement. We aren’t works of art that become masterpieces upon completion. We are, however, constantly growing and changing as we age. We can perhaps compare ourselves with a liquor that becomes better and more refined with age. With age, we gain many things, but it is also important to notice what was lost and what is missing. Perhaps you were in great physical shape in high school but have gained it ever since then. Maybe you have started to become more bitter in your relationships after you were a loving friend for years before. Then there is yourself. You used to be so happy and delighted to wake up each day, but somewhere along your journey, your days started to morph together and seem redundant. In this blog, I want to address those issues and share with you ways to feel abundant in all you do.

We suffer from a crisis that many people do not know they are in. We have been socialized since we were young and in school. We had to sit and listen and raise our hands to speak. Now, as adults, we have that underlying foundation that limits us to a certain point. We have to find the courage to look at how the world tried to shape us and instead transform into what we want. Many people are feeling like they are not enough and do not know how to get out of that funk. Though, they have all that they need to unleash their fullest potential and worth. The truth is it can be difficult to uncover alone. That is because your mind is thinking non-stop and telling you lies.

One of the major areas we lack and should focus on is respect. This can be the kind of respect for the people who are around us, but I would like to talk about self-respect first. Self-respect seems to be always forgotten because we can be critical of our mistakes and failures in life, and they can eat at us to the point where we feel completely inadequate. At this point, everything else seems to fall apart too. We don’t wake up each day with the same enthusiasm that we used to. We make excuses to validate the lies we tell ourselves each day. The truth can hurt, but it can also set you free.

Now, moving on to the other area of respect, and that is the respect shown to others. If you take a look back at the last time you truly respected someone or yourself, then you will understand the power your mind had. You were filled with all these great thoughts and ideas, and the world just seemed a bit brighter. Regardless of what darkness you were going through, you had this light shining and keeping you out of complete darkness. Now we cover that light and have let the darkness take over. We do not respect other people. Our words are filled with hate. Chivalry is not dead but is a dying trait no longer taught to the young leaders of the world. We have become too entwined in our own lives that we forget that there are others out there living just like us. People who also seek respect deserve and desire the respect we also want in our life.

So how can we fill our lives and actions with respect? The first thing that must be done is that we must be aware if we are not respecting someone or something. You should have the mindset that everything you do should be to leave it in a better condition than you found it. Be that small light that guides the lost and that hand that helps the fallen. Respect is simple in that regard; however, it is forgotten in its practice. So to add more respect to your life, just ask yourself if you made it better, whether it be a person, event, or even you! Have you made yourself better today?

Another area where I see people lack is love for their family, friends, relationships, and self. The love of self/others has some similarities in respecting yourself/others, but the main difference is the intense emotions tied to the act of love. You can respect an adult, mentor, or higher authority, but it doesn’t mean you have to love them. Love can be its own beast when we are looking at it from the perspective if we have it in abundance or if it is something we lack. I believe it is something that many of us can practice and learn to do better. I know this is an area I struggle in, and I do my best to make sure that I can love more than I hate. I want to create the experience of everything that is love with all the people I interact with daily. However,  sometimes it is challenging. People are stuck in their ways, and that can make loving them hard to do. The mind wants to have it easy and wants to make sure that it feels good. That is why we do the things that we like as often as we can. Though sometimes, those things can be negative, and our brain attempts to look out for us. However, it doesn’t help with the areas we lack.

If we are lacking in love in our daily relationships, then it is important to find ways to insert the love needed. We have to get to a point where the love we have is enough for all the people in our life. I know many people who love fully and do their best to spread that, but when faced with the question if they loved themselves, they are met with a realization that they have forgotten.  Even for me, the realization that loving myself was not at the top of my list was put into perspective by a yoga teacher. This lesson has shown me that the journey of life is meant to be shared so that you can learn from each other. This allows you to focus and be your best self without reinventing the wheel.

Learning to balance the lack of love in your life can be challenging, but it is essential to wholesome growth. You have heard that you can have all the money and fame in the world and not be happy. That is similar to having millions of people adore you but feel completely alone. As you can see, these don’t add up. If you have the fame, glory, and admiration of others, then you should be exactly where you want. However, we have seen and known that this is not the truth. Loving yourself is just as important as loving the rest of the world. Life moves fast if you let it, and it can be over before you get a chance to experience it fully. That is why addressing what you lack should be important for your life. You can live a life not respecting or loving others, but what comes from that?

After everything is said and done about what we lack, we have to look at discipline. That is the glue that brings everything together. That is one of the major components of being successful. You must be disciplined to learn, grow, and be better each day. You must continue to do the things in life that are good for you and others. You have to remain disciplined to reach your goal and live to your utmost each day. Being able to say you have completed the things you set out to accomplish feels great. You should want to feel great each day, and the progress you make today will lead from a lacking life to a life that is full and fulfilled.

I have spoken many times about discipline and what it can do for you. Creating the habits that eventually lead you to the place you most desire requires discipline. You cannot go around eating cake and ice cream and expect to have a summer-ready body. Though you might be blessed with an amazing metabolism that lets you get away with it, the body knows and remembers what you put in it. The body needs certain nutrients and exercises to perform at peak operating capacity. Do not let bad habits get in the way of your dreams. That is why discipline is so important. You must learn to push when you don’t want to be pushed and overcome your lesser self each day. You must get rid of the things that do not serve you and insert the discipline to get the things you want.

In the end, what you lack can be filled to the brim. You can fill your life with love, respect, and discipline without sacrificing who you are. I want you to be true to yourself, but I also want you to make progress. That means if you are a person who prefers to be lazy, then I want you to challenge yourself to do just a bit more. Each day make sure to do more than the day before, and the power of compounding will take effect. Time is both our greatest enemy and most treasured friend. I want you to use your time to create moments and memories that do not lack anything. I want you to be present and remain abundant in all you do. So what is it that you lack?

Until then,

Michael Rearden

Founder of Reven Concepts