The Great Life…According to Mark Cigos

When I first wrote the piece two weeks ago on things that matter to me, I was overwhelmed by the reaction it domino-effected amongst peers of mine from all walks of my life.

I couldn’t fathom at first how much people wanted to share the things that matter to them, and the curiosity it sparked as to the things that mattered to me, and what else I was going to share in addition to what I had already wrote.

I did promise a part 2 the very next day, it took me 2 full weeks to complete. Why? Because the entire process was extremely thought provoking and self-reflective.

I scribbled notes in my notebook, bounced ideas off the inside of my mind and others. I questioned myself, and others. I dug deep into my heart, and the hearts of others.

It was a great reflection, an eye opener and the spark I just may have badly needed to open my soul to an entirely more sincere and humiliating reality.

What I came away with in this 2^nd part startled and shocked me more than I may have realized or wanted to experience. Nevertheless, for me personally, it was immensely valuable and beneficial for the purpose and meaning of my ambitions, goals and vision moving forward.

The future can gleam clearer when you start to paint the picture with a sharper brush.

So what then, are the things that matter most to you?

Enjoy.

 

• Communication – with myself, with others. It’s all about the messages/the communication we create inside then play out to the world. One thing I repeatedly hear from motivational and business gurus is that the way we communicate with ourselves, determines the way we communicate with the outside world. I love to talk. Both to myself and to others. Communication makes the world go round. Without it, life would not be a chain of endless energy and feelings. Communication means so much to me, I truly forsee my future, my livelihood and undying passion in the arena of communication with purpose and importance to all those who will listen.

 

• Sports – much like life, sports can never be scripted. The last second diving save, the overtime goal, nothing and nobody can truly predict the play by play outcome of any game. Although the safe best lies on the favorite, it’s the underdogs people live to cheer for. Sports is entertainment in its purest and rawest form. The preparation, determination and will are uncanny. I’ve always loved and lived for sports. It’s fun, it’s serious, it’s rewarding, it’s healthy. I still play hockey and will until I’m 90 if possible. I cycle, I run, I lift weights. I’ll never stop. It’s the challenge, the thrill of scoring a goal or beating your best time, exceeding your assumed plateau. It’s hanging around your teammates before and after the game. Sports have been around since time can recall. They can bring a nation together and they can divide countries in the championship game. Nothing thrills the spirit like sports.

 

• My dog – he’s an angel in a little fur suit. He’s the happiest little bastard I’ve ever met. He means no harm to no one, asks for nothing but your love. Will give you everything he has to make you feel special. It’s unconditional love the way nature intended it to be. I once had a client tell me that if everyone greeted everyone the way a dog greets his or her master, this world would be SUCH a better place. It’s that simple. Take lessons from your puppy, your dog. They’ve got a lot more to share than flees.

 

• Time to myself – with all the things going on in our day to day, with the promises of events to attend, gathering and birthdays to show up for, time reserved for family and friends, does one ever allocate and box-off time for themselves? I do. And I love and value that time invaluably. The more I do in a day, the more I see the dire importance of getting away, solo, every once in a while. Walks in the park, in the old part of town. Runs by the water. Drives up through the mountains. Cracking open a great book or slapping out the notebook and pen every now and then. Getting away with you and only you can prove to be one of the most important moves one can make in our fast paced, ever moving society we run amok in. The time alone is a time to take it easy, reflect, and bounce back far sharper than you were before. This doesn’t only mean a great deal to me, it means almost everything to a better me. Time out! Reflect. Move on!

 

• Giving it away – my extra money, my extra time, my ideas, my vision, my help. Our community is what provides us the life we live. Without the support of many, we’d surely have very little. Giving back to those in need, whether poor or rich is what life’s meaning is truly all about. Helping others, volunteering, rallying and being at one with the people, is the greatest gift life can offer. It’s a combo of love and purpose. In a world where consumption and greed have fixed us all into quite a nice corner, giving back, giving it away, will prove more fruitful and highly beneficial for society now and forever. Remember, what comes around goes around and that goes for good and bad. Tread lightly. Give it away. Your talents, you spare change, your idle time, your love and capable hands.

 

• Fireplaces – it’s that one sweet spot where you always feel welcome and warm. They turn the coldest night into the warmest, the most nerve racking days into the calmest. There’s something about a fireplace that always radiates that true feeling of comfort.

 

• Sightseeing – what’s your definition of sightseeing? I don’t think there quite is a concrete definition, at least not in my mind. Sightseeing can happen in your own backyard, your own hometown. It could be as simple as a walk in the downtown streets from café to pub, to a walk in the park solo or with friends. Sightseeing is relaxing, its eye opening and thought provoking. Sightseeing can be as extreme as trekking the Grand Canyon to an afternoon walk in your very own neighborhood. For me, getting out and taking it all in is what keeps me levelheaded and stimulated. We sometimes take for granted the gems that surround us. You need not to hop a plane to appreciate beauty, the majority of the time its all around you staring at you as you nonchalantly pass it by.

I’ve got so much more to share, but I’ll stop here for now.

Gratitude is far too overlooked and neglected these days. It truly pains me to see how many people walk and live in total un-appreciation.

Perhaps we’re too smart for our own good. We know too much and have access to too much.

Simplicity and scarcity are forgotten words. Long gone realities.

Yet in a world where more is becoming less, less is becoming much, much more.

If you had 10 years to live, no cut that down to 5, what would you be doing differently today than you did yesterday? What fear would you plow aside and challenge head on? Which thoughts and moves would you make that would impact your life and the lives of others in a BIG, MAJOR way?

What would matter to you most? What would you magnet yourself to? What would you want more of and be so strongly focused on?

The real money question is, why aren’t we already doing that right now?

If you’ve got one shot to make it hot, what would matter most, what would you do and experience day in day out, as if your life depended on it?

Because doesn’t it already?

Live like it matters.