Hello and welcome to the podcast. My name is Patrick Dailey, and this is episode 3 of Dailey Life.
Hello and welcome everyone. No matter who you are, where you are or when you are listening or watching this, you are welcome here in this space.
Here we are in this place at this current time. We are in the middle of January, and we are still starting off this new year 2022. I hope that all of you are encouraged with this new year to live life to the fullest, to make this life the best that you can, to seek truth, and to be a light in the darkness.
What does this mean? It means that we should empower people and encourage people to be the best that they can be through improving little by little and making the world a better place by repeating the process.
In the first episode, I mentioned one of my favorite Bible verses. These words are the words of Solomon, and this verse inspires me, keeps me in check and helps me in my walk with God, and in everyday living.
“To everything, there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Yes, this is the quote, the reality, the verse from scripture. Now, I know that there is more to the surrounding verses and in the content of the verse, there are examples given for what “seasons” look like.
In my spiritual walk and journey, I have found that this verse speaks to our very existence here on the earth.
In everything, there is a season. Just as the sun rises, the sun will set. Just as there is darkness, there is light. Just as there is negativity, there is positivity. It reminds me of the Ying and Yang, and how there are opposites here in this level of existence. Even on the earth, there is the north and south pole.
Now, I do identify as a Christian and the way that I view the Bible is that the bible is not something that is just physical, but rather spiritual and metaphysical. And we can take the lessons from scripture and apply them to our lives. The Bible, like many books, has truths that are hidden within, and I would say, we should find such truth in this life.
As it is written, “it is the glory of kings to discover a matter.”
Anyways, going back to the quote, there is a season in everything. So, I would say that this truth is simply metaphysical.
Ask yourself this question:
What season are you at in life?
To place it more simply: Where are you at in your own life?
Have you ever asked yourself these questions before? Have you ever looked at your life to see where you are at? I know that many people do not, but I would say that it is perfectly healthy for anyone to look inwardly and think about such questions.
To help you find where you are, you must look at where you have been; to think, consider and reflect on your past actions, your past behaviors and even your past outcomes.
Are you happy with your life?
Are you living a life that is fulfilling?
Now, I admit, these are some deeper questions that not many people ever think about or care to think about. But when you do think about it, there are many people who live unhappy or unfulfilled. There are many people who live their life without giving such questions any thought and end up in an identity crisis. They may work at a job that they hate. They may not know who they are, or they may not know what they want to do. It is these kinds of questions, are ones that I believe that we all should think about. So, if you have not given a thought to it, take some time, when you can, even if it is a few minutes, to reflect on such things. So, I will ask the questions again:
Are you happy with your life?
Are you living a life that is fulfilling?
I believe that there are many people in this life who just exist, and there are people who do not take the time to think of these things. And to me, to be one of those people, it must be sad to live that way. No one should live that way.
Do you know anyone who just exists?
Do you know anyone who just lives life on autopilot?
Now that is an interesting choice of words, isn’t it? The word autopilots. There is a reason why I chose this word, why I chose the word autopilot, I want to go further into this:
There is so much that is going on in this world, political changes, social changes, economic changes, and even technological. Turn on the news, go on social media, or do a simple google search and you will be amazed at the changes that are happening in this world. Even five, ten, fifteen, or even twenty years ago, things have drastically changed.
Can you think of even a few things that have changed within your lifetime?
I think that one of the big changes that I can think of off the top of my head is computers and mobile devices. If you ever read the advertisements showing the power and speed of mobile phones, you will simply be amazed considering where we have come from. On top of this look at laptops or tablets, or any sort of computer. You will be surprised how far we have come and, from what I understand, there is still a long way that we can go.
Technology is one of those things that cannot be ignored. And you know what? I absolutely love technology and the advances that we have made. I was mentioning cell phones and computers, and honestly, these are just a few examples of what changes have been made.
It is interesting how there is such a cultural push to have things automated, automatic, and to place things on autopilot. So, I am choosing this word and the surrounding ones. Hang onto the word autopilot and you will see why I want us to pay attention.
McDonald’s and many restaurants now are pushing to have machines make their food. It was not that long ago that I was on social media, and I was reading and learning about how Artificial Intelligence can be used to cook food comparable to a professional cook. Now, I am in no way in a position to determine the quality of robot-made food, but I imagine that it is comparable. And it goes to show you that these companies, these corporations are serious in transforming entire industries. This is the same way that Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Amazon, Facebook, and other companies are really making an impact. It is incredible.
Think about the automobile industry, there is a push to have self-driving cars where we as human beings do not need to focus on driving, but to have cars drive us. What an amazing time that we live in. Just imagine, in the future, probably in our lifetime, we will go from people driving cars to cars driving us to and from work, to and from school and other places. That will be a whole new world to live in. Think automobiles changed the horse and buggy industry, well, this is no different. It will change how we do things. I am not saying that these changes are right or wrong, I am just saying that we need to be prepared for these changes.
Look even at the internet, games and how the web has changed over time. How in the world did we go from the world of pong to virtual reality, NFT’s and the metaverse? That is just amazing to me. In another episode, I am sure we can talk about some of these great things, I only bring it up because it just goes to show you how quickly life has changed, whether physical or digital.
And I am stoked to be alive in this time, at least when it comes to the world of technology. And you know what? These changes have happened within the past 40 years. Can you even imagine the technological changes that will happen within the next 40 years? Wow! That will be amazing!
Now, with technology, there is a push to have technology serve us, to help us along in the world that we live in. I think that is one of the beautiful things about technology, is that it can serve us and make our lives better. Of course, like anything, there are pros and cons.
I remember learning more about the Tesla Bot last year and hearing about how this robot is designed to help or to serve humankind. To me, this Tesla Bot is just the beginning. Once this bot is made available for purchase, we know there will be other companies who will compete in this new Helper Bot technology. And it does not even stop there. Imagine having robots who will cook our food, get our groceries, fight fires, help save lives? We are living in a new era, and this is just the beginning.
With all of that, there is this push for automation, to have life on autopilot, and for most, if not all our life to be automatic. So, we have the Tesla Bot and many of these other changes as examples.
So what else is changing? Well, I think about Amazon delivery, how you can automate it. It is easier than ever for people to make their lives automatic, and it does come with the question, where do you draw the line? Or what is it too much?
There are so many examples that we can think of how technology is ushering in a new era for all of mankind.
Now, here is a question: are all these technological advances good?
This is a very good question to ask. Because when we think about it, there is always a reaction to every action whether big or small. There is always cause and effect, darkness and light, death, and life. This is just one of those truths.
It reminds me of another metaphysical truth that is also found through scripture. It is the basic concept that as you sow, so shall you reap. And this quote is the basic truth that there is a reaction to every action.
So? What are the consequences of these technological advances? I cannot even begin to fathom the good or the bad. Just with the things that we have discussed, I feel that we have only scratched the surface of what can be for the future.
With societal changes, with cultural changes, and many things that are happening outside of us, comes the questions of the internal, the personal, and the question of us. And that begs the question.
So, what about us? What about the life that we live? Should we automate our life the point where we no longer control our very own lives? Now that, to me, is a very different question.
You see, the life that you are given is but a gift. Every single day we are given 24 hours to make the best of this life. I cannot even imagine the number of thoughts that we think, decisions that we make, words that we speak, and actions that we do to ourselves and to other people. And that is not even to consider the “automatic” things that happen through our very existence, such as our breathing, the blood flowing through our veins, the blinking of our eyes, and even our heart beating. Many of these bodily functions are automatic and I am glad I do not have to think about it every single time I need to blink or breath.
Most of the time, these things that happen in our body, are automatic.
Now, I want to say these words to you: Do not automate your life. Do not put your own life on autopilot. Life is far too short for you to place your existence on autopilot, for you to passively live. Your life is made for you to take ownership of it, to take full responsibility and to live your life.
To take ownership is something that many people do not do. For we are given full control of our mind, our body and what we do with our soul. Mind, body, spirit, all these things are gifts from above, and it is up to us to decide what we are to do with these things. Further, we have potential that is within that we are to explore and to grow, and to become more passionate about what we want in life.
To take responsibility is to look at where you are in life and respond to life. It is to see where you are, make corrections and adjustments, and move forward as one who is in control of themselves. For this, in my own belief is what God empowers upon you, to make choices for how you are to be, to live and to become.
To passively live, is to never to consider who and what you are; it is never taking time to reflect and learn from the past, be in the present, and move forward towards the future. To passively live is to exist, and even to allow others to live your life for you. Imagine being given a gift so great, but to squander it? Imagine throwing away your life because you let someone else control it for you. Live your life. Take ownership and responsibility for your life. For it is only you who can make such a decision.
Something I have told the Christians that I know is this in regards to this topic: If God gave you everything, why wouldn’t you want to give your all back in thanksgiving?
In the same way, if you were given every moment, every second, every talent, and everything that is unique to you, why wouldn’t you want to use it and be the best that you can be with what you have.
For therefore I say that we should do the best with what we have, living our lives in excellence.
Even in those moments where we make mistakes or do not give it our all, we can always learn from our past mistakes, forgive ourselves, and move forward. The past is gone, but we can learn the lessons from yesterday. Today is here and we only have it to live our best life. The future is always in front of us, but it is unseen, and we should not worry, but be excited for tomorrow.
I say all of this to encourage you, that you may live your life better.
So, what is the problem? What is sad is that this is a huge problem for many people. Many people do not do these things. As I mentioned before, they passively exist or put their life on autopilot, never enjoying the moment, letting life flee from them. What a waste of a life.
I do not know how many people are affected by this, but it reminds me of a quote by Thomas Edison.
The quote goes like this:
“Five percent of the people think.
ten percent of the people think they think.
and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.”
― Thomas A. Edison
The above quote always gets me, and I know that there are variations of this quote. It is one of those quotes that echo the pareto principle or the 80/20 principle. If you are unfamiliar with this principle, it is a great one to learn more about. Anyways, I think that this quote is very true, that there are so many people who do not think at all. These people do not think about their life, their actions, or their consequence.
To me, this is one of those discouraging truths in this life, and I am sure that many of you who are listening to this podcast or watching this video, know of people who are like this.
Imagine if you knew one hundred people. Only five would have the ability to think. Ten of them would think that they think, but the majority would rather die than think. Think of the mental image of eighty-five people in a line, and then ten, and then five. It is quite the image when you picture it in your mind. You see, many people just want to be told what to do and would be perfectly fine having someone determine what they do, how they live and what they think. I do not know about you, but I do not think I could live life this way. I firmly believe that no one should live this way. But even if you do live this way, at least be mindful of making such a decision.
Think of the words “Passive Living” or the words I said earlier, “Living Life on Autopilot”.
Do you live your life passively?
Do you know anyone who lives their life this way?
I certainly would say that this is something you should think about. I know that certainly, this is a hard question for anyone to think about because so often, people are comfortable in the way that they live their life. It is easy for anyone to live their life passively.
A lesson that is hard even for me to implement in your life is this idea: that to do nothing, is to do something. I do not know who originally said it, but I think in this, what we are talking about, that for someone to do nothing with their life is a decision unto itself.
We should all be aware of our life, how precious it is, and that we are all born with a purpose. We are all born with potential within all of us. To me, this is quite amazing. Because we all have some level of potential.
I am reminded of another quote from Thomas Edison. It goes on to say this:
“If we all did the things, we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”
― Thomas A. Edison
That quote also gets me as a great encouragement in this life because we are all unique. We all have different potential that is within us, and it is up to us to seek and find what those gifts, abilities, and potentialities are. It is up to us.
It all begins with an internal consideration. It all begins with us considering who we are and where we want to go in life.
I am not sure exactly where I heard or where I read this, but there is an idea that I wish to share with you, so I am wording this based on what I have learned over time.
If you do not know what you want in your life, then you should dedicate your effort and energy to finding out what you want.
Take inventory of what you believe in, who you are and what you stand for. I know it can be easy to think of such things, but the effort is worth it. It is worth seeking and finding out the answers, for it is the journey of self-discovery.
Earl Nightingale once said, and I love this quote “The big thing is that you know what you want.”
I want to challenge you with what we have gone over so far.
- Are you living your life on autopilot?
- Have you taken inventory of what you want in life?
This is where we need to be encouraged that we are rulers of our destiny. This is my personal belief and my encouragement to you. God has designed uniquely you to be who you are. And that you are made to live, you are made to become, you are made to take the reins and live your life. The fact that you are here, alive here at this moment, it matters. There is a reason to your life, and it is for you to make the best of it. To do your best and become the best version of yourself.
Live your life the way that you see is the best. And again, if you do not know what you want, see to it that you seek it out. Once you find your mission, and what you are capable of, become the best at that. Do not let fear or the negativity of others bring you down, for this is so common among many people. I know many people in my own life who never even started or failed once and never continued. Start, continue, stay focused and never give up on what it is you are supposed to do.
For me personally, I know that over the years, people have told me that I have a great way of speaking, a great way of communicating with people and that I should do this for a living, and for years I was afraid. I was afraid of what people would say, what people would think or how they would react to me. This fear of mine, unfortunately, I listened to it, and it held me back for so many years of my life. How much further along in my life I would be if I simply ignored the negativity of others. How often I have compromised myself by listening to people who I should not have. I let doubt enter my mind and allow others to win the battle of my own mind. I should never have done that, and it is one of the things I regret in my own life; listening to people who do not matter and not listening to those who do.
When we seek out our potential or when we go on the path of becoming the best that we can be, there are times that we do get scared, afraid, and anxious about going on such a journey. You do not have to do it alone. You can find people who can help you on this path. You can find people who will help you, challenge you, and even help train you.
Just as a child is learning and discovering what he or she can do, we too are like children. We must crawl before we walk. Oh, what lessons we can learn from children. With my wife Amber, we have five children and even though they are so small, just by mere observation, we have learned much. I originally thought that with the raising of children, I would do most of the teaching, but I am learning that they have much to teach me.
When a child is learning to walk for the first time, do they give up the first time that they fall? No! They may cry, they may get angry, and they may be overwhelmed, but they push on. I would be lying if I said that you will never be scared, but it is pushing on even when you are scared. I say these things because children do not give up very easily. Maybe we can learn a lesson or two from children.
We live, we learn, we grow, and we get better. We get better through our own experiences and through the experiences of others.
Why would you want to spend your life by having someone else dictate or force you to be someone you are not? So often, there are people who live this way. I hope and pray that you are not one of those people, that you act, that you go out and “do”.
For many of us, when we go out and do, we seek perfection and not excellence. Do everything in your life by doing your own personal best, for this is excellence. It is hard because sometimes we have an idea of what perfect is to the point that no one can live up to it.
In the times where I have made a performance, whether a musical performance or delivering a message, there have been times where I knew I have done my best and left it at that. Was it perfect? Absolutely, not, but I know that if someone were to ask me “did you do your best?” I could answer with confidence, “Yes!”. In the same way, I feel that many of us should live our lives in excellence.
This is part of being human, we cannot erase the past actions that we have done in past performance, but we can evaluate and change course, or the “how” we did something. This is how we can learn; this is how we can grow and do things differently.
When we fall or when we fail, so often we give up, but instead, let us look at what can be done differently and move forward. This is a part of personal responsibility. This is a part of ownership. This is a part of excellence.
So many people live in darkness, they live a life where they believe in a lie, so often, people believe that they are not good enough and they live in darkness. Let us be a light unto others, inspire people and let our light shine for others to become the best that they can be. For it is light that can shine for miles and impact the lives of many.
To everything, there is a season and I hope and pray that if you are in darkness, lies, or deceit, you will come to the light, life, and truth. May you become the best that you were meant to be. May you reach your potential and grow into who you were meant to be. Instead of living your life passively or on autopilot, take control of it, be active and go for the price. Consider where you are in life and what you have learned from the past. Live life now and look towards the future.
My name is Patrick Dailey, and this is the third episode of Dailey Life. Thank you.