How deep and meaningful of a connection you’d like to forge with another person is more often than not, entirely up to us. That is, how far are you willing to walk for others? For absolutely nothing in return? Because that’s the basis and foundation of all deep meaningful connections. It’s the spark of the start of a real friendship and a long-lasting relationship when someone does something for you entirely out of goodwill and kindness within their hearts.
Recently, with all my ongoing new projects and campaigns, it really made me carry a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude for the people around me who’s involved one way or another, with them extending their help and expertise in more ways than one. Learning how to walk the extra miles in whatever we do whether it’s for ourselves or others, trains us to perform better in our daily activities. We go into it fully, and we engage with an inclusiveness. Just like our muscles require you to use them often in order to grow strong, build strength, and stamina, the extra miles are the same.
If you’re used to doing things with an attitude of reluctance and resentment, there will be no real substance or concrete evidence of your footprints left on anything you touch. Go all the way out above and beyond, or don’t lift a finger at all. Because how would you like to get to the end of the road, turn back and not see an imprint of the steps you have taken in this journey? You don’t recall where you’ve been, what you’ve done, or the fluttering moments that took your breath away, and made your heart skipped a beat. If every step you took that touched someone’s heart one way or another left a foot print on your path for you to rewind and go through each steps again when you depart this earth to take with you, allowing you to watch it replay on a screen, would you be willing to leave a couple more?
I will never forget Gerald Way’s words I came across a very long time ago when I was younger and it made me sit up and reflect on my own life choices and journey. He said, “One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” I must say, I started out from humble beginnings to be able to have so much contrasts in my life experiences that allowed me to have the opportunity to see it from two different ends of the stick. It made me learn appreciation so much more, when I stop looking at all the things I didn’t have. The more things I appreciated around me, the more I started to have.
I grew up believing that it was circumstances that made us who we are, and it took me a while to learn that it’s not the case at all. We all have a choice. A choice to become who we were meant to become against all odds and share our gifts to anyone who comes in contact with our work, our services, our real human flesh blood and skin self. The journey may not be a short one to get there but it’s a process that we all must go through in order to know what we want. How would you know what you want, if you don’t know what you do not want? Only old habits & beliefs that are not self-serving you in the best way is the worst way, and the only way that is leading you right up to a brick wall where on the other side, it is an “unknown” to you.
You can’t see it so you fear it, and you keep taking steps backwards instead of finding that sledgehammer and start to work on breaking it off bit by bit everyday. Small consistent effort really counts. If you stay true to our heart’s desires and firmly stick to it through and through, you’ll be happy no matter the outcome. Because you’d have fallen in love, and stayed in love throughout the process, and it wouldn’t even matter what happens at the very end. Whatever you do for yourself, whether it’s a fitness routine choice, a diet meal plan, budgeting and expenditure methods, sift through the options and try them all and find one that is truly customized to your liking and pleasing to you and “you” feel good doing it.
It’s the only way that you can start to learn to give your hundred percent undivided attention and have the excess wealth of knowledge or joy to share with people you meet, people you love most. That’s the true value of the extra miles. You can’t do much for others if you don’t make sure you’ve enough for yourself. How do you expect to run an extra 10 miles if the soles of your shoes wear and tear? You either spend the money to buy a new pair you’d come to love, or take good care of them right now so they stay in their optimum good condition to last you a longer run over a longer period of time. Either way, you’ve got to do something about it to ensure the rest of your path is easier for you. Be solution-oriented.
Going the extra miles comes easy when you have practiced and built up your stamina to ensure you have packed enough fuel and energy to sustain your journey. Everything comes down to practice. The only thing you need to practice in life to master anything you care about and want to learn badly is the skill of focus. Your ability to concentrate, and the ability to not take everything so seriously. Especially yourself! Of course that ties in closely with knowing how to have fun in the process to create enjoyment and happiness for you. Give yourself the space you need while doing these and you will find freedom emotionally. You’ll be able to touch people one way or another everywhere you go and leave a part of you with them. Kindness really goes a very long way, along with the extra miles you take.