| This is a brief excerpt from my WSJ best-selling book, Unstoppable, that seems to resonate with a lot of people. I'm sharing it again now to help you focus on who and what matters most over the holidays... and give you a powerful perspective to overcome any challenges you face in the new year.
It was the summer of 2018...
And my twelve-year old pup, Bally, had taken a turn for the worse.
He’d lost so much strength that he couldn’t stand up on the slippery hardwood floor.
I put my hands under his belly to aid him across the kitchen…
Then I had to lift his hips as he walked over the doorway to get outside.
It was time for me to support him, just as he supported me all those years ago.
It seemed like just yesterday he was jumping on my bed, begging to sleep with “dad”, or wanting to go out exploring and chasing rabbits.
Now he didn’t move, didn’t bark, and was barely eating.
I didn’t know what to do, and it was the not knowing that drove me mad.
How much pain was he in? How much longer? How do you make that awful decision?
I wanted to yell. I wanted to cry. And I did.
We went outside one last time, and he sat down in the backyard and surveyed his kingdom.
It was where he had barked and sniffed as a young strong dog, and spent hours lying in the fresh cut grass.
He put his nose up one more time chasing a scent, and I caught a glimpse of that old dog wanting to get up and run. But he couldn’t.
And so he looked at me and I knew he was ready to go.
It was harder than I thought it would be.
You see, it’s not just the dog, it’s everything you had wrapped up in and connected to and invested in the dog.
The last twelve years of my life, from the anxiety attacks all the way to this book about overcoming anxiety attacks, and everything I had done in between.
The promise. The growth. The failures.
The evolution.
A dog does so much for you, and this little guy had changed the world for me.
He taught me to love unconditionally, to have more energy and enthusiasm for life, to welcome people with open arms, to get out of my head and give, and to be happy being me.
It sounds silly to say, but I was so proud of that dog.
Of how he chased deer through the fields without a hope in hell of catching them, but with this insane belief that he could.
I loved our morning ritual of having him climb on my stomach and lay his head on my chest…
… one that we started when he was a puppy and kept going until just a few months ago.
All of these things brought me joy, and got me out of my own head, reducing my anxiety, making me grateful, and giving me a greater perspective on life.
He was every lesson in this book packaged up into a giant ball of fur.
Bally the dog who never played fetch. The dog who gave every ounce of love he had. The dog who showed me how to live. The dog who showed me how to give.
The one, the only, Bally the Dog.
You were just what I needed.
But life goes on. New puppies are born. Children get a day older. Sales must be made. Books have to be written.
It doesn’t mean I’m not writing this with a heavy heart…
But I realize many people are going through much worse than I am right now, and they are persisting and never quitting as they travel on their own hero’s journey.
This knowledge doesn’t make me grieve less…
But it reminds me to get outside of my own head and that a big part of healing – from anxiety, from loss – is to do things that matter to others.
Today I am guided by my personal motto, the mantra of this book, and the one line above all that you must take away:
Action Beats Anxiety. Motion Beats Meditation. Work Beats Worry.
We all go through tough times. Bad things happen to good people. It’s inevitable.
But what I’ve realized, thanks to Bally, is the best way out of trouble is to give…
To look past your own troubles and to focus on solving other people’s problems.
It’s not about you.
When you finally get that - when you understand life is not about you and the money you make, the cars you drive, or the home you live in...
When you realize that it’s only about the people you help, the service you give, and lives you transform…
Then everything – and I mean everything – about your perspective in life changes for the better.
You can feel bad, let life get chaotic, and allow anxiety to build up inside.
Or you can use the exercises in this book to get aligned with your core values, to get clarity on your vision, and to structure your life and your days around what really matters.
If you’re struggling, which we all do, that’s OK, but it’s time to get back on track, one step at a time.
Not enough sales in your business?
Stop worrying and go out and give value to your clients, prospects, followers, and fans. Put in place a focused plan to change things and go out there and execute.
Wishing you had a fancier car because your competitor just bought one?
Stop comparing yourself to others and go out and give love, energy, time, and money to a cause that really needs it.
When you are down, give.
When you struggle, give.
When you are selfish, give.
When you’re anxious and thinking about something over and over again, get out of your own head and give.
Stop sitting and stewing. Get out there and start doing.
Action Beats Anxiety. Motion Beats Meditation. Work Beats Worry.
You got this. I believe in you.
*****
That book contains everything that got me through the lowest point of my life.
It can help you too, in both good times and bad.
It’s already changed countless lives and now I want you to have it too…
So you can grab your own digital copy for FREE right here (as well as BOTH my 2 other life changing books, Perfect Day Formula and Perfect Week Formula)
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Success Loves Speed,
Craig
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