Don’t live your life as just an observer

Are you watching the world go by? If you are, you’re not the only one, according to Jon Gordon in his article, "Get Flow," on GetMotivation.com.

Gordon (www.energyaddict.com) says that our culture is now filled with people who merely watch others doing things—that’s what reality TV is all about. Watching others fulfill their passions, take on adventures and accomplish their goals. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this, Gordon warns that it’s easy to become immersed in this kind of do-nothing state—and there is something wrong with that. Why?

Gordon says if we are merely living our lives vicariously, we risk missing out on the real joy there is to experience in life. That’s because we are not cultivating our own happiness and we are not experiencing "flow"—that feeling that you are in the moment when you are participating in an activity that you love.

Television statistics are startling. According to an American study by Nielsen Media Research, the average American spent nearly 1,700 hours watching the tube in 2004. What’s that pan out to? Almost 70 full days a year watching television. That’s a lot of missed opportunity to create your own happiness and adventure in life.

Gordon says to avoid this modern-day trap that when you catch yourself watching a TV show highlighting someone else’s achievements that’s the time to turn your energy back to yourself. Ask yourself what you’re good at—or what you’d like to incorporate into your life. Then schedule at least one activity per week that will accomplish this.