Daily Inspiration: “Your commitment to what matters in the short term is what really matters in the long run!”

“Your commitment to what matters in the short term is what really matters in the long run!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

My social media feed is a little bit like a time machine. Every day, Facebook reminds me of what I posted on this day, every day, back to 2009. Similar tools for my other social media accounts provide me the same type of historical feedback. It seems to take me on a personalized voyage of my mind, an examination of the many moments of my thinking.

It’s always fascinating to look back because that’s one way in which I look forward – it reminds me of how fast our world is changing! But wait – there’s more!

Right about now, those posts are a daily reminder of the cathartic circumstances I found myself in exactly a year ago – the pandemic was underway, my speaking business was collapsing, my future uncertain, my personal circumstances potentially terrifying.

All of us were in that mindset – at least, those of us who choose to live in the land of reality.

It’s been of particular interest to me to take a look at my ‘Daily Inspiration’ each day through the last several years, starting from August 2016. I now have a daily personal voyage into my mind for every day through the last four years.  For me, it’s quite fascinating, because it reminds me of where I was – and the mindset I was busy tending to in order to get to where I am perhaps today! I keep going forward at moments in time, by looking back.

Yesterday, for example, one year ago, I was reminded of the fact that s*** was getting real!

But for a brief moment, my commitment wavered. Read what I wrote one year ago today.

I remember getting up early that morning, feeling quite dispirited about things. My motivation was wavering, my optimism was on the verge of collapsing, my spirit was hurting. But I poured my morning coffee, opened my laptop, looked at the screen – and wrote something to myself that I thought should guide me forward.

And so here I am, one year later – optimism intact despite everything, though the short, sharp shocks of motivational setbacks keep on coming.

The moment matters – commit to it!

“You will always find a way to keep doing the things that matter to you, if you believe it’s important enough to keep doing it!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

Starting the first week of August 2016, I began my morning with a little bit of reflective thinking while having my morning coffee. I found a photo from a keynote where I was on stage, added a little bit of my thinking, and sent out a morning ‘inspirational quote.’ It resonated with a few people.

Over time, the number of followers has grown, I’ve stuck to my plan, and the quote has become a HUGE part of how I approach each and every day.

The rapidly unfolding global crisis has obviously upended everyone, and I’ve struggled with my plan. It also seemed kind of dumb to use the type of stage photos I’ve been using – when I’m obviously not on a stage.

So I built my own stage in the basement with a green screen broadcast studio!

These daily quotes are part of what I do.

As I wrote into the forward for my book based on these quotes (“Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast”) :

“In late July 2016, through a variety of colliding circumstances, the opportunity to focus my thinking into a message of hope and inspiration took on a life of its own. Since that moment in time, I have started each workday, without fail, very early in the morning, with my coffee, my laptop, and a moment of quiet reflection. They are a critical part of a very important journey, that of painting a picture of hope and optimism for what the day might bring. I have not missed one day, since starting this in early August 2016. I mark my personal progress and success one day at a time by my ability to inspire myself and others each and every day through this small personal thought.”

This morning quote is a part of what I do; it’s become my morning DNA; my early moment of reflection!

So I’ve figured out how to film a video clip in my home green screen broadcast studio, with a swapped in the background.

The results over the last week have been pretty cool – so I’m sticking with my plan!

And given that I can now generate an image with virtually any type of backdrop, my imagination mind is running on afterburners – probably a good thing in these challenging times!