One of the scariest things about getting old is learning how little you actually know. One of the best things is discovering how little everyone else knows. So why have Jim and I set up RAW Life Australia and written this book? More importantly, why the hell did we think we could or even should? As Jim and I hobble into the, “get off my lawn” stage of life we’ve realized we’ve stumbled onto something very few people are lucky enough to find—success.
We say lucky because our lives could have just as easily turned out completely differently. The choices we’ve made have increased our chances of being lucky. But at the end of the day we’ve been extremely fortunate. A fact that makes us appreciate what we have even more and drives us to pay it forward.
It sounds pretty arrogant (and delusional) for two normal guys living in suburban Melbourne to mansplain about success. That depends on your definition of success. We’re not rich and famous—yet 😉 We don’t have fancy titles, and we don’t claim to be experts in anything. Neither are we social media influencers or marketing juggernauts. Which is just as well considering how much we loathe self-promotion and bullshit. We don’t have superhero physiques. We don’t compete in fitness events. We aren’t athletes, we don’t fight in the octagon, and we’re not special forces veterans. We DEFINITELY aren’t perfect (just ask our amazingly patient and forgiving wives). Truth is, we have a long, loooong, LOOOONG way to go. What we are however, is content.
In a world where awesome has become the norm and going hard mandatory, contentment might seem like we’ve set the bar way too low. Trust us, there’s method to our madness. Awesome is unsustainable. Hell, even achieving a state of perpetual happiness is unrealistic—not to mention exhausting—pauses to check social media. Chasing highs leads to the vast majority of your life feeling like one endless low. Life’s a roller coaster of ups and downs and ins and outs. We laugh. We cry. We celebrate and grieve. We get angry. We make mistakes. We hopefully love and regrettably hate. Sometimes we win. Other times we lose. At the end of the day when all is said and done and you’re balancing your emotional cheque book, if you can honestly say, “I am content. I am at peace. My life is balanced”, YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL.
But before we light the incense and start licking crystals you need to understand where Jim and I came from, who we are, and where we’re headed. Again, not because we drive Ferraris and have millions of followers. Not because we’re world famous athletes or bad asses. And definitely not because we have six pack abs or we’re strong in the ways of the Force—but because we’re the complete opposite (except the bit about the six packs, they’re hiding in there somewhere beneath all that contentment).
Every super successful person seems to have launched motivational platforms on the interwebs and written self-help books. Just like you, we’ve learned a heap from these people and continue to be inspired by them. But how many of these gurus are actually truly content? How many are the same people when the spotlight fades? And how many would be as ‘awesome’ if their stardom hadn’t launched into the stratosphere?
There’s no doubt we can learn a heap from these incredible people, millions have. But their journeys are so far beyond normal it’s easy to believe the chances of ‘winning’ are practically impossible. So we mount their books in our shrines to self-improvement and follow our idols to pass the time or alleviate our guilt rather than to learn and grow.
Chances are we’re not going to get Black Widow’s or Thor’s body, Nor will we become Kardashian or Bill Gates rich. The great news is you don’t need taught buns or private jets to be content. Just ask the most contented people on Earth. Most don’t even own a TV and very few have cranked out a burpee.
We DEFINITELY don’t have all the answers. However, we guarantee you‘ll become a better version of yourself by questioning what you assumed was ‘normal’. All we ask is that you think about what you’re about to read—REALLY think about it. Then chuck out what doesn’t work for you and incorporate the stuff that does work for you into your life. But please remember, with great power comes great responsibility. If two barely average guys can be successful SO CAN YOU.
Not convinced? Read on—and if you’re still rolling your eyes at the end of this you have our permission to tell us we’re full of shit. But be quick, it’s only a matter of time before we’re way too important to pick up our phones or answer our emails 😉
Kommentare