The Alcohol-Free Advantage with Andy Ramage

It is too easy in both business and life to charge off in one direction expending all your energy into something that you later discover is not what you want. Years spent climbing the corporate ladder only to reach the top and find out it's leaning against the wrong wall.

The following story had a great impact on me when I first heard it. I do not claim this story as my own and I have no idea of where the original came from, so I apologise in advance for not crediting the correct source.

My hope is that this little story might also have a big impact on you:

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One day a CEO was taking a break from his company conference at a beach resort near Mexico. In need of some fresh air, he took a stroll towards a little harbour where he noticed a few fishing boats jostling for position.

He decided to take a seat and watch the world go by. At the same time, a fisherman who had just finished pulling in his catch took a seat next to the CEO, stretched his legs and smiled.

It was just after midday and the CEO was intrigued to know if the fisherman was done for the day. So he plucked up the courage to ask:

‘Hi there, you seem happy with your catch, is that you all done for the day or do you go out fishing again?’

‘It is a fine catch and yes that’s me finished for the day’ replied the fisherman.

‘You’re a lucky man,’ said the CEO,’my day is only beginning.’

The CEO in full conference mode paused for a minute then asked another question:

‘Have you ever considered going out fishing again?’

‘No, why would I? I have enough money for my family and some nice food for dinner. My home is 2 minutes from here and looks out onto the great ocean. My lovely wife is waiting for me to return, so we can celebrate with a nice lunch, some loving, a siesta and wait for the kids to come home from school. Then as a family, we will catch up with the day's activities, share stories, eat some nice food, laugh, watch the beautiful sunset, maybe sing a little and then sleep likes babies.’

’Sounds nice,’ remarked the CEO he paused again.

The fisherman smiled and stretched his legs.

‘But just imagine if you went out fishing again - you could catch twice as many fish and make twice as much money. Fair enough you might not finish until 7 pm every day but you would have enough money to buy more boats.’

‘Hmmm ok,’ said the fisherman, trying to understand the point.

‘Once you have more boats you can employ other fishermen to do the work for you.’

‘Ok and what next’ said the fisherman.

‘Well you could expand your fleet. Of course, this would take years of hard work but there is no reason why you couldn’t create a massive business just like mine and if you’re really lucky, float on the stock exchange. I could help you?’

‘Ok and then what?’

‘Well by then you will be at retirement age and you could sell the company and buy yourself a house somewhere near the sea. You could kick back with your wife and grandkids eat nice food, take siestas, watch the sunsets, laugh, sing a little and enjoy the good life.’

‘I’m confused’ said the fisherman.

********

I hope this little story helps remind you of what's important.

I clearly remember writing my second book, “Let’s Do This”, which is all about the science of motivation and thinking - 

I need some bloody motivation to finish this book, if only there was a book I could read” 

It's true. We all lose our mojo at times, so I want you to know, it’s not your fault.

So don’t worry if you have lost some momentum. 

The key is to start back nice and easy and work your way up.

BJ Fogg, not to be confused with Phileas, founder of the Stanford behavior design lab, suggests you, 

“Take your aspirations and break them down into tiny behaviours”

So you start really small.

Rather than going all in.

Start so small that no matter what your level of motivation you simply have to do it.

2 years ago I commissioned a picture or infographic of my 2020 goals.

Yesterday another one of them came true.

And now it all makes sense I know exactly how the law of attraction works:

Let me quickly explain: Your brain would explode if it had to take in all the information that bombards you all the time. So it filters information based on your values. Or put another way - what you value you see.

When you set a goal you are making a statement to your conscious and subconscious mind that this goal is important to you. So you set up an internal filter for this goal. 

Then as if by magic you start to notice the people, places, things, books, courses, wise guides you need to reach your goal.

This is the law of attraction. 

Today I have a deep appreciation for my body. 

For too long, I abused it with alcohol, lack of exercise and poor nutrition.

An injury ended my professional football career in my early twenties.

I’ve carried these injuries ever since.

More recently, I’ve been told to stop running, moving, deadlifting…

But my body just took me on an 88.5 mile (145 km) adventure over four days. 

And I feel incredible.

Most anything is possible if you treat your body well.

“The true self is what you have built from your nature, not just what your nature started out with”: David Brooks The Road To Character 

Your true or authentic self is not a static persona that sleeps beneath your actions. You chisel your authentic self from the raw material of your nature. 

You are the sculptor of your being. You don’t have to allow life to force you into a shape of its choosing, you can carve our the person you want to be.

Life will knock you into shape if you allow it, but life is a second-rate sculptor. You are the master.

Days Left On Earth: 17492

“Never be that drunk guy at the end of the bar who says I coulda made it if it weren’t for the…” My dad.

Have you heard someone say, or have you said, something similar?

“I coulda shoulda woulda if it were not for the drink, the problem, the luck, the other person…”

We have all heard the tales of woe, after a few drinks.

Days Left On Earth: 17493

“I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost

Are you willing to take the road less travelled by?

Let me know in the comments

Days Left On Earth: 17494

A few years ago I was given this advice by someone I admired greatly, "Don't try to be someone you're not'. This well-intended advice was both totally WRONG and RIGHT.

The person who offered the words of wisdom had assumed I was the persona that alcohol created and I should therefore stick to being this person. 

But I was trying to NOT be this persona, I desperately wanted to be me.

Have you found that people confuse your authentic self with the persona alcohol creates?

Days Left On Earth: 17495

In the classic Robin Williams film, Dead Poets Society, where he plays the unorthodox teacher John Keating, he tells the boys to look at pictures of long past pupils and says,

“Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because you see, gentleman, these boys are not fertilising daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you... Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys, make your life extraordinary.”

Seize every day like it’s your last. 

Days Left On Earth: 17496

“You are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, into a prison that you cannot taste, see or touch - a prison for your mind.” 

Morpheus then offers Neo (Keano Reeves) a choice, take the blue pill and go back to your “normal” life or take the red pill and see the truth.

Morpheus offers one final warning, take the red pill and “See how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

If continuing to drink is the blue pill, then going alcohol-free is the red pill.

I took the red pill.

Once free of alcohol,  the fog lifted and I could see my truth.

Life was a thousand times better without it.

So what’s it to be, the blue or red pill?