“Experience isn’t the best teacher, evaluated experience is.” -John Maxwell

Life is like toilet paper, the closer to the end you get, the faster it goes! I can’t believe another year has come and gone! I hope 2011 was a great year for you. I would really encourage you to take these last two weeks in 2011 and evaluate your year.

Three years ago I wrote several posts that explain how I evaluate my year, you can read them by clicking on the following links: (more…)

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” -Seth Godin

 Too many people are living lives they want to escape from. Whether it’s  a week’s vacation to escape from reality or going to the bar every night after work to drink the day away, most people want to escape their current reality.

Then there are other people who absolutely love their lives. They love what they do, they seem to enjoy every moment of their lives. These are the people that most people envy and despise because they just don’t understand how they do it.

I have found that there are major differences between the person that wants to escape their current reality and the person who never needs to escape reality.

The bottom line is: People that love their lives make decisions that people who want to escape don’t make.

I have found that people who don’t want to escape from their lives:

• Do work that they love and are passionate about
• Make personal growth a priority in their life
• Spend time with people who add to their lives and not subtract, multiply, not divide!
• Are people of faith
• Are always looking at life as an adventure
• Plan their lives
• Make great decisions
• Have integrity
• Have boundaries
• Have people in their life to hold them accountable
• Make family a priority
• Are a part of something bigger than themselves (serving at a church, non-profit, etc.)
• Handle their money wisely
• Make memories often
• Are optimistic
• Always see the best in people and in circumstances
• Have found a purpose for their life

What are some choices you have made to create a life you don’t need to escape from?

I have found that people who want to escape from their lives:

• Are content pursue a job for money instead of for a purpose
• Are content doing things they are not passionate about
• Aren’t willing to try something new
• Are pessimistic
• See the worst in people and in circumstances
• Don’t make the decision to grow personally
• Don’t have people in their lives to tell them no
• They are not teachable
• Don’t have boundaries  
• Are not people of faith
• Are not confident in who they are
• Do not plan their lives
• Hang around people who subtract and divide in their life, not add or multiply
• Make decisions bases on pleasure and not integrity

What are choices you have seen others make that have created a life they want to escape from?

What are some decisions you can start making today to create a life you don’t want to escape from?

Thoughts?

On Sunday, November 20th, I am running the Philadelphia Marathon. 26.2 miles! This will be my 4th full marathon! I have really come to enjoy them!

In my previous 3 marathons, my goal was simply to finish and have a good time with the people I trained with.

This marathon is a little different for me though, I have two goals:

•  1.) To run it in under 4 hours!

• 2.) To raise at least $500 for Light of Life Rescue Mission

I have been working at Light of Life for 7 months and I absolutely love what we are about and what we do to help people who are homeless, needy, addicted, and abused.

If you would like to know more about what Light of Life is all about, check out this video:

I would like you to help me raise money for this great cause!

• You can donate any amount of money! Every $1 counts. If you can give $1 give $1! If you can give $500, give $500! Do what you can!

• Suggestion: You could donate $1 per mile = $26

• Suggestion: You could donate a meal to the homeless per mile = $60.84 ($2.34/meal)

It is the holiday season and I know that a lot of you give a lot during this time of year every year. I would encourage you to give to Light of Life. I can promise you, your funds make a difference here.

If you are able and willing to donate, let me know by e-mailing me at douglasasmith53@gmail.com.

To give, please mail a check made out to Light of Life and memo: Doug Smith’s Marathon.

You can mail the checks to:

Attn: Doug Smith

915 Western Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15233

Thanks you so much for helping make a difference! If you have any questions or concerns, let me know!

Love you guys!

Bubs