Marcus Lopés

Author

Writing Life

Are You Doing What Matters?

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Twenty years ago, “I don’t know” was my standard answer to two questions: What do I want to do in life? And who do I want to be? And it would have been a lie. Back then, I was scared — ashamed, even — to admit I wanted to be a writer. Expectations had been set. I was supposed to secure a steady, nine-to-five job, settle down, and live happily ever after. Not chase a ‘silly’ dream. Not do something with no guarantee of success. No, I wasn’t supposed to do what matters to me.

The Dilemma

do what mattersFast forward to now, and that silly dream is alive and kicking. Because I believed in it, believed in who I could become. Around my day job, I’ve built a regular writing routine. I realized it didn’t have to be one or the other. When I made writing a priority — cut out the noise around me — my dream began to take shape. Focused, I was able to do what matters most to me.

Life is busy, and there are huge demands on our time. Sometimes we convince ourselves that there’s not enough time to pursue a dream or our heart’s true desire. Yet we’re constantly picking up our phones and checking in on social media, bingeing on Netflix or Prime Video (despite my best intentions, that’ll be me when season 2 of Jack Ryan debuts on 1 November), or hooked on series like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

Do What Matters Most

What if we wake up twenty minutes earlier or stay up twenty minutes later to put a little time in on our dreams? (Some may think I’m crazy, but I’m at my desk by 4:30 am at the latest, and in bed before 9 pm.) What if we take the time slot for one of our favourite TV shows and dedicate it to writing that book or starting the series of paintings? (When my partner flips to Entertainment Tonight at 7 pm, I put in my earplugs and read.) What happens when we carve out that little bit of time in our day to do what matters most? (Sometimes I slip away to a coffee shop to write.) If we don’t make time to do what matters most, we end up watching someone else live their dreams instead of building our own.

Did you progress your dream today? What one small action could you take that would help you make that dream come true? Click Reply to let me know. I love hearing from you!

Language Matters

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Every morning when we rise out of bed, we can choose to be happy about what lies ahead or let negativity rule the day. It’s a choice between being a positive influence in the world and for the people who surround us or constantly criticizing them and cutting them down. And if we’ve learned anything over the past few years, it’s this. Language matters.

Language Matters

language mattersWhat if we choose language that lifts each other up and helps us reach our collective potential instead of the inflammatory, insensitive and incendiary speech permeating public discourse? What would the world look like?

In an age of negativity and increasing narcissism, language is a bridge that can unite us and change the course of history. Now is the time to use language that matters … if we dare to change the world.

Do you have a positive outlook on life? How do you maintain it? Are you surrounded by negativity? What are your coping mechanisms? Click Reply to let me know. I love hearing from you!

Comitted to the Cause

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Last Friday, I woke up earlier than normal because I still needed to get in my long run for the week. My distance goal that morning was 26 km. Even before I left the house at 4:36 am, I knew something was off. I wasn’t sure what was ‘off’ until I was about five kilometres into the run as the muscles in my legs burned, my hips locked, and I struggled to put one foot in front of the other. At that moment, I knew exactly what was ‘off.’ It was me. I wasn’t committed.

Visualize

committed
A brief stop during my long run to capture this view of Toronto from the Humber Bay Arch Bridge (21 September 2019)

Following my training schedule for the upcoming Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Wednesdays or Thursdays are dedicated to long runs (26-37 km). Last week, though, with my day job and dealing with jet lag, everything shifted. When it came time to run Friday morning, I wasn’t prepared mentally.

Five years ago, I wasn’t good at visualization. But two years ago, when I started ramping up my running, I found myself visualizing my long runs (at that point 13 km) the night before and in the morning before heading out the door. I could see the point on the Martin Goodman Trail I had to reach before turning around if I wanted to make the distance. In my head, I figured out where during the run I’d lose energy and the affirmations I’d use to dig deep and keep going. Before I even slipped on my runners, I was committed.

Noncommittal

When I hit the trail last Friday, I wasn’t committed. I hadn’t done any of my pre-run rituals. Hadn’t visualized the route or the challenges (mental and physical) that I’d encounter along the way. Hadn’t developed the mental toughness to push through the pain and doubt to meet my goal. I wasn’t in the game.

I tried to keep going, each step more painful than the last. And even though I kept telling myself I could do it, at the 10 km mark I turned around and headed home, running a total distance of 13.3 km. That was, to me, a failure. Because I hadn’t committed to the run. I hadn’t committed to doing my best.

Committed

committedWhether it’s with my running or writing, the way I succeed is by showing up committed to the task at hand. It is my singular focus. If I’m not one hundred percent present, then I become vulnerable to distractions and self-doubt. I end up ‘off my game,’ and my goals either take longer to achieve or fail spectacularly.

Aristotle told us, “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives — choice, not chance, determines your destiny.”

And I agree.

Do you show up committed to your goals and dreams? Do you have any rituals that help you succeed? Click Reply to let me know. I love hearing from you!

Is Technology Holding Us Hostage?

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Everywhere we turn, technology rules our lives. An exaggeration? Maybe. Most of us have a smartphone — iPhone, Android — that, if we were to lose it, we’d panic. Have a heart attack, even. Life would be over. Because the phone is our life. Photos. Banking. Calendar. Transportation. Social Media. Books. So many apps to run our lives, hold chaos and disruption at bay. And some days, you could say we’re held hostage by them.

Take a moment to think about how much of our lives we give over to technology. Apps like PC Optimum send us offers based on our shopping habits. Amazon analyzes our browsing habits and recommends products accordingly. Some apps know more about ourselves and our lives than we do, or so it seems. [Read more…] about Is Technology Holding Us Hostage?

Just Be You!

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In today’s world, there’s so much pressure to be someone you’re not. If you don’t follow the crowd, you’re branded weird, different, or strange. And as we’re documenting almost every moment of our lives on social media, judgment is sometimes swift and acerbic. That makes it tempting to be like everyone else. My golden rule is this: just be you. [Read more…] about Just Be You!