I learned a great deal from her.  I put that nugget of wisdom – putting things in writing –  into practice in the business world, with my family, as a musician, and most of all, in my daily personal life.

Not long after I left the company, I wrote down my first “Life Code.”

What is a Life Code?

My Life Code is something I look at virtually every day.

Yes.  Every day.

A few years back, I moved My Life Code from my journals to an easy to use App on my phone.

A Life Code is a guide to your daily life.

Courtesy, Deposit Photos

 

What you will do.  What you won’t do.

As men, we need light to guide our way.  We need boundaries.

We need guard rails.  We need reminders.

So, today I’m gonna open up a little private window of my soul, in the hopes of inspiring you to write your own Life Code.

First, besides being a first born creative, my brain is wired administratively.

Organization (and over organization) of details abound.

Only 3% of creatives have this curse LOL.  Actually, I’ve learned to relax and turn my admin brain into a tool to help me help others.

You can see above, My Life Code is at the top of my list (the Color Note App is free).

Even when I look inside my blue TODAY folder, there’s another reminder to look at My Life Code:

Questions I Ask Myself Daily:

I Remind Myself of Who I Really Am.

This step is so vital.  The world – the media – the social media – constantly bombard us with who we should be.

Nope.

We must know Who We Really Are.

I Remind Myself to Pick My Pitches.

I don’t swing at everything that comes into my eye gate, my ear gate, and definitely not everything that tries to blow up The Glowing Rectangle. 

I don’t let others dictate my time or my decisions.

You might laugh that sex is on the list.

I hate to say it, but I know more than one young man in My Circle who is too busy for sex.  Their lives are jammed.  They are stressed and exhausted by over committing.   Not picking their pitches.

So yeah.  Make time for sex with your spouse.

You know you want to LOL.

(If you are single, there may be other healthy ways for release.  And Porn is not one of them.)

Finally, Spiritual Disciplines.

Does anyone even read The Word of God anymore, let alone meditate on it?

What will you hold onto during storms?

When (not if) a Tsunami hits your life, what will your anchors be?

What Higher Ground will you stand on?

I’d like to say I hit these spiritual disciplines perfectly every day.

I don’t.

But I’d rather have disciplines and hit 80% of them, than have none and hit them all.

I also take a Sabbath.  A real sabbath.  I rest.  I don’t work.  I don’t run all over town.

Mark, that’s just not possible for me.

Don’t kid yourself.  God rested.

Outside of the husbanding and parenting duties, what and who can you say NO to?

 

Making it Real

Gentlemen, don’t waddle in guilt if your Life Code is weak.  Or if it doesn’t even exist.

Start today.  Write it out.  Get it on your phone.

Do it your way.  Make it your own.

Look at it every day.  Read it.  Follow it.

Do it for you.

Do it for your spouse.

Do it for your children.

Do it for those you mentor.  You do mentor someone, right?

Stop hogging your wisdom.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

What’s Your Life Code?  

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