8.30.

My "aftershave moment" is launching.

After my yoga and meditation practice, after my cold shower, finally, it arrives. It always arrives.

I can feel it on my left hand.

I take some aftershave with my right hand and start spreading it on my face. My dry skin feels it. It's fresh. I can smell it. My pituitary thanks it too.

Jazz music in the background.

No thoughts. No rush. Just feelings. My skin pores clap to welcome it. The sensations are priceless. Essential things in life are always priceless.

Slow massage. No rush. Time does not matter. Peace. Calm. Focus. Concentration. I'm in the mood.

Success usually lives in the most simple things.

Commute

Getting in the car. Jazz music. Commute.

I see cars passing by with angry drivers inside, listening to the news, fighting with an endless call… Mood, that's all that life is about.

Roundabout. Letting pass two cars in front of me. People gently smile. Two cars more or less in front of me. What's the problem? Drivers' smiles are worth it.

Engaging work

Office, coffee, writing.

Words run smoothly.

They're like the river that perfectly knows where he's going. He has no choice, but he doesn't need it either.

No need to think, just letting things go.

Feeling my fingers on the keyboard, surrounded by silence.

Just my thoughts, my keyboard, my screen, a white canvas in front of me.

"He" is ready to be disturbed by letters appearing all over the place.

I can only hear my mind, my neurons exchanging chaotic electric pulses to configure a harmonious result, full of sense, meaningful, easy to digest.

Words fall easily, like raindrops falling under the force of gravity. Words and sentences highlight my brain.

My white canvas is not so clean now. Having two large empty margins on each side help "him" breathe. Breathe. Flow. Mood.

Finishing my writing leaves that comfortable sensation of duty done. Again, good mood, good vibrations.

Now I can begin my day smoothly, quiet, calm, peaceful.

Working

Everything was planned the day before. I just let the river keep going, knowing where I'm going.

Unexpected event? A crisis with a client? A big problem slaps my face? Just go back to my aftershave moment.

What's the difference? Do I have less money? Will I die before? What's the change between this moment and a couple of hours ago? None.

I'm exactly the same.

I just copy and paste the sensations, feelings, and mood my aftershave moment gives me.

It's impossible to perform poorly in this state.

Takeaways

Mood, my answers depend on my mood.

The same stimulus receives a different response, depending on my mood. Let's take care of it. The better it is, the more accurate my replies will be.

Concatenating good answers, good decisions, day after day, one by one, is what leads to "success". It depends on 100% of the mood.

Life and success are, generally, just "being in the mood".

My aftershave moment is something deep inside me. Most of my senses are in it: sight, hearing, touch, smell. It's impossible to forget. It's a point to focus whenever my mind flies away or my mood changes.

My aftershave moment is a solid anchor that puts me back on my path to success. To the place I want to go.

Everything starts with my aftershave moment.

Everything finishes with something even better: having enjoyed at its most a day in my life.

Photo at the top courtesy of Brian Lundquist on Unsplash.