Live like you could lose everything, but know theres nothing to lose

Live like you could lose everything, but know theres nothing to loseLive like you could lose everything, but know theres nothing to loseFor most people, the stakes simply arent high enough.Theres not enough reason to get up early and work, get off Facebook, or get into shape.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and morePut most simply, most people dont have a compelling enoughwhy.If they did, their whole life would be different. Life, apparently, isnt worth giving everything theyve got.Most people dont want to assume greater responsibility, and thus, greater freedom. Responsibility isnotsomething outside of you, nor is security outside of you, like in a paycheck.These things are internal. And the more responsibility and security youchoose to have,the more you are enabled to be, do, and have.When you chose greater responsibility over your life and the welfare of others, you cant help but be c ompelled to live at a higher standard. You have a reason, no,a responsibilityto be and do your very best in everything you do.Such a sense of responsibility provides more than enough motivation and urgency to push through exhaustion and sometimes despair. Indeed, yourwhywill empower you to endure any how, as Frankl explained.I can personally attest to these principles. Ive felt dark flaute and have been whipped-out. Ive been without answers as to how things would workout. But somehow, they always do, when Im connected to my deeper why.Heres the paradox, you have absolutely nothing to lose.There is NoDownsideWhen I had nothing to lose, I had everything. When I stopped being who I am, I found myself.?- ?Paulo CoelhoIn the book,Antifragile,Nassim Taleb borrows from Seneca to explain a way to live withzero downsides.To the Stoics, there is no downside. If you lend someone money and they dont pay you back,then it was your intention they have it.If they do pay you back, consider it a plea sant surprise. If your business fails, so be it. When youre antifragile, you actually getstrongerwhen you experience failure and defeat?- ?the opposite of being fragile.Ryan Holiday, borrowing from Marcus Aurelius describes this asturning the obstacle upside down.You often cant control what happens, but you absolutely can control how you respond. Might as well turn everything to your benefit.But theres something far more fundamental than mentally reframing things to always be in your favor. You were born naked, and you will also die naked. You cant take your possessions, or your success with you.Everything in your life is a gift. Being alive in the first place is a ridiculous and rare privilege.Being able to read, a gift. Not earned. Having any possessions at all. A gift. Indeed, feeling entitled to anything is the most skewed and confused perspective of reality.You cant earn the right to be alive or to have anything. Everything in your life is a bonus. If youre still alive in 5 min utes from now, then the next 5 minutes are an unearned bonus.There iszerodownside in life, only upside. You literally have nothing to lose. You only have to gain. Hence the need for extreme gratitude. Moreover, hence the need for extremegiving.Theres nothing more beautiful than improving the lives of other people. Again, its all a gift. Why not share in the abundance?Dont you see it?Everything is abundance.All around you, everything. All benefits. Seriously, look around your physical proximity. All upside. Said Max Planck,When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.When you realize that everything in your life is an unearned bonus, you dont get over-attached to what you have. You also dont get over-obsessed or jealous about what you dont have.Come what may, and love it.This isnt to say you dont have creative control over what happens. Quite the contrary, gratitude is the key to abundance. Responsibility is the key to freedom. Perhaps Thich Nhat Hanh put it most simply,There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.ConclusionLive like everything is on the line. Every moment is priceless. Dont waste it.Know intuitively that whatever you have in your life is a bonus. You have nothing at all to lose.This approach to life will allow you to ceaselessly respond to any and all failures. It will help you not get over-attached to your ego.It will help you appreciate, truly appreciate, what you have.The people in your life. They are a gift. Dont take them for granted. They are beautiful. Go over and above for them. They deserve it. Live your life for them.Dont waste this precious gift.How I Turned $25,000 Into $374,592 In Less Than 6MonthsIve created a free training that will teach you how to become world class and successful at anything you choose.Access the free trainingherenowThis article first appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the firs t seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people