One Life with Donny Raus

Have you seen the movie Zoolander? More specifically, the scene where Mugatu tells Derek "you're a monkey Derek. You're a monkey". As a result, Derek starts to jump around like a monkey. How true is that of life? When we're younger, we develop personalities based on what is going to get us the love and attention from our parents (or caretaker). You've got the usual suspects... There's the over achiever, the class clown, and yours truly, the people pleaser. Some people go their entire lives, unconscious to this childhood programing. Each time we take an action that violates who we are (we know this, because it just "feels" wrong), we feed into this false identity. The solution is to become aware and to speak our truth, however uncomfortable it may feel. Only in doing so will we strengthen who we really are and claim our true identity.

-If this podcast resonates with you and you'd like to get more clarity on how to create your One Life, I encourage you to reach out to me at [email protected].. Your life is waiting.... Live Now!

What would life be like if you just said YES? When life feels mundane and boring, it is likely because we've become too engrained in our habits. When we become too rigid with our schedules, we often crowd out the possibilities to meet new people, have new experiences, and learn new things. So if habits are the shovel that digs us in a hole, what's the golden rope that lifts us out? The answer is one word. YES. When we're asked to step out beyond our ordinary, our mind kicks in trying to predict the future and prevent us from any harm (physical or emotional). As a result, we live by the preconceptions of our past, thinking that we know what's "going to happen", when we haven't the faintest clue. Have you ever gone out against your well, only to have it turn out to be one of the best nights ever? Any idea why? Because you opened yourself up to new experiences and as a result, LIFE. Try it on for size. Next time you're invited out and it interferes with your rigid schedule, say yes. You'll be happy you did...

-If this podcast resonates with you and you'd like to get more clarity on how to create your One Life, I encourage you to reach out to me at [email protected].. Your life is waiting.... Live Now!

When disaster hits, we can choose to focus on the destruction or we can focus on something more empowering, such as what we can do, what's really important in life, and the generosity of others. As many of us wait this out in our homes, how we emerge is largely going to depend on where we choose to put our energy. In today's episode I share my account of how one simple interaction at a food store took me from a place of fear to one of gratitude. The same is available to you... Be safe and God bless! 

What if you had a year to live? What would you prioritize? Who would you spend time with? Time gets obscured through the busyness of life. We think that we've got all the time in the world, but then something happens that brings us to the realization that time is finite. Most people start to live, only when they know they're going to die. Let's not wait that long... Let us acknowledged this truth and instead chose to intentionally live. Something beautiful happens when we live from this place. We shrug off the small stuff and get laser focused on what brings us joy. The truth is, none of us knows when it is our time, so let's live the best life we can today.

-If this podcast resonates with you and you'd like to get more clarity on how to create your One Life, I encourage you to reach out to me at [email protected].. Your life is waiting.... Live Now! 

We tend to get caught in thinking that one outcome is better than the other, when the difference is just a matter of perspective. Each moment is full of infinite possibilities and when we close ourselves off to other possibilities, we close ourselves off from the magic of that moment. I learned this lesson in one of my travels, when I allowed the fear of others to infiltrate my decision and disrupt my itinerary. Forced to make a last minute flight change, I quickly learned that there was no such thing as "better". In fact, what I received as a result of this "change" was much greater than I could have ever imagined... What would the impact be on your life if you trusted that even if you don't get what you want, things will still work out in your best interest?

-If this podcast resonates with you and you'd like to get more clarity on how to create your One Life, I encourage you to reach out to me at [email protected].. Your life is waiting.... Live Now!

Success leaves clues. If we want to get results in any area of our lives, we usually don't have to look very far. If we're honest with ourselves, we've all be successful at some point in our lives, whether it be a great family, relationship, career, or our health. The The magic lies in figuring out what we did to get those results and applying that same formula to the other areas. It doesn't stop there. To achieve great results, we've got to be able to formulate new habits, learn, and make changes to our approaches. In this episode I walk through a few key take aways from my most recent physique competition and how they related to other successes I've had in life. After listening, I encourage you to do some detective work of your own. What were the key elements to achieving success in an area of your own life?

-If this podcast resonates with you and you'd like to get more clarity on how to create your One Life, I encourage you to reach out to me at [email protected].. Your life is waiting.... Live Now!

What if I told you there was a formula for happiness? You'd want to know it wouldn't you? What if I also told you that there was a formula for excitement, fulfillment, and love? Now I've got your attention. Uncovering this formula isn't as difficult as one would think. To do so we must first map out the experiences of our past that led to feeling the emotion we're after. Once we identify the triggers and key elements, we can then take the framework and apply it to any area of our lives to feel the same emotional response as the memory we evoked. Sound like fantasy? Listen and test it out for yourself. I was astounded by the results and I think you'll be too! 

What does it mean to be great and how do we measure it? The answer might not be as straight forward as you think. For many, greatness is attached to an end result, when in truth, greatness is the result of many great actions taken consistently.  Greatness is a mindset, not a destination.  Is it possible to be great in some areas, while struggling in others? Yes, but when we look at the focus and the actions put forth in those areas, the answer becomes clear. When we consider greatness as a mindset put into action, it is easy for anyone to be great and achieve great things, but it starts with a change in how we think...

What feelings come up when I mention the word "discipline"? I used to associate the word with lack of freedom, until I did some digging and found that it was only when I was disciplined that my life worked. Everything we want to accomplish, all those fulfilling dreams and desires, all require discipline to bring to fruition. Realize this and you won't have the same resistance to doing the tasks you know you need to do to get the outcomes you want. Listen to my story. How does my resonate with those you've had? See any patterns? Enjoy and hope it helps you have the best year of your life!

Who do you say you are? Who do others say you are? What's the truth? Identity is the strongest force shaping our realities. Whether that identity is positive or not will have a huge impact on how you experience life. Where does or sense of identity come from and is it true? More often then not, we'll notice that it was shaped by our environments instead of being consciously crafted. You're already the person you want to become, you just need to accept it within yourself and condition your true identity so that it is who you show up as daily. Do that and your life will transform. Enclosed is one simple practice that feels very difficult in the beginning, but gets easier with practice. Enjoy and I hope you will step into who I already know you are.