Die Empty

Todd Henry releases his new book "Die Empty" today.  It is a powerful book about spending your life with the intention of dying empty- all spent because you've given all your energy, talent, resources into the work and the people who mean the most to you.

His first book "The Accidental Creative" spoke to the thousands of people who create a living from their ideas, strategies, designs and words.  It was the book to forever get rid of writer's block, the blank canvas block, the leader's block, etc. and equipped creatives to be "brilliant at a moment's notice" by putting disciplines and practices into place to enhance personal creativity.

This is a book about stretching yourself to really create a life of purpose and meaning and stop saying, "One day I'll get around to following through with that idea or reconciling that relationship.

I can't think of anyone who wouldn't benefit from it.  It's one of those books that I want to grab three or four other people and have a book group/discussion about every Thursday at Starbucks over coffee doused with half and half.

A Cry to the Beautiful Fight

Chapter 6, "Step out of Your Comfort Zone" had me on the on super-alert and fast-note taking mode.

If you want to avoid the path that leads to apathy and mediocrity, at some point you are going to have to step outside of your comfort zone. Todd Henry

Todd debunks the myth of "live today as if it was your last day."  That attitude tends to encourage a lack of responsibility and the (dreaded) YOLO reaction to life.

Instead Todd presents the question:  "How would you act differently tomorrow if you knew that your actions and attitudes on that one day would be a permanent testament to your life?"

Basically, how would you and I act if someone followed us around for 24 hours and took meticulous notes on our lives, habits and practices and then used that day as a reflection of our lives.  Yikes.

It's an interesting concept because the big things people do are simply a sum of all the daily habits and practices they have been implementing for (usually) years.

"How does your imagined behavior compare with how you are actually living today?"

Instead of being discouraging, this exercise motivated me to assess the gap between where I am to where I want to go and reconcile the difference.  It helps me to act according to what I know I need to do and not according to my feelings- which are rather fickle things anyways.  Instead of looking at uncomfortable growth projects as an obligation, I now see them as an opportunity to move beyond where I am.

I also made a decision this week about an event I was going to avoid because it was "outside my comfort zone."  I realized I needed to step into this opportunity, be stretched and be willing to have something really good happen.

There is no guarantee that when I step out and stretch that I will  have a breakthrough or create something amazing.  But I won't know if I don't try.  And one thing for sure:  if I don't seek to grow I will fall into mediocrity. That's 100% guaranteed.

It's Not About Crazy-Busy Mode

Die Empty is not a manifesto for frenetic activity for a busy life.  It is a quiet, persistent invitation to create a meaningful life.

And meaning doesn't come with a lot of activity but with a paring away at busy work so we can focus more on what we want our life to be about:  the relationships that are most important to us and the work we want to last as our contribution.

Die Empty.

Give it all away- your energy, your gifts, the farm, all of it.

Don't reach the end of life and look back on regret wishing you had put more time and energy on things that matter.

Spend yourself now on what matters.

It doesn't have to be something that happens in the future.  I start "dying empty" every day that I win a battle, make right decisions and choose to spend myself on the most important work and the people I love.

Die Empty.

Spent.

Gone.

No more gifts left.

No more energy left.

Because it was given to what I believed in.  What I thought really, truly mattered.

You too friend.

I dare you to live so that when you die, all of you is spread all over the world.

Die Empty. It's a great book.  Don't read it by yourself. Find a group (I'm starting one) to wrestle some stuff out.

Gift Time

To celebrate the release of his book, Todd is offering several gifts when you send him the email receipt of your book.

Send your receipt to here.

"It's never too late.  Each day is a new opportunity to begin again; to move in a new direction or to reaffirm the one you're already traveling in.  If you're honest with yourself, you probably already know where you are falling short or playing it safe.  You cannot chase safety and count on emptying yourself of your best work. You cannot pursue greatness and comfort at the same time."