7:10am
Saint Paul
It’s snowing here in Saint Paul.
I used to hate the snow, hate the winter.
And I made sure everyone knew of my misery.
See, I’m kinda always cold.
And while I’m not exactly Mr. Universe, I get plenty of comments that I should add some fat to my bones.
Poor advise from an old joke.
What I did instead was change my mindset.
See, I didn’t want to hear my kids complaining about the weather.
And I realized, no one wants to hear me complain, either.
I thought it was a funny part of my identity, to be the Cold Complainer.
But it wasn’t funny. Not really.
Luckily, how we see our selves —our identity and what we value— isn’t set in stone, or frozen in ice.
Instead, those values might end up costing us!
Now, instead of focusing on what I don’t like… I focus on what I do like about the winter.
Things such as—
- I like the pretty snowfall and the way the snow rests on delicate tree branches.
- I like the slower traffic to allow more time with my favorite podcasts.
- I like the exercise from shoveling and getting outdoors.
- I like that I can wear sweaters without ironing my shirt.
See, we can only really focus on one thing. Why leave space in my brain for negative thoughts?
Ah… but HOW do we squish out those negative thoughts?
Well, what do you do repeatedly all day long?
And how can you tie a positive attitude to it?
Maybe all day, you look at your phone. Set an inspiring wallpaper on your phone. (I’ve got a good example at the bottom of this post for ya).
Maybe all day, you sit behind the wheel of a delivery truck. Find a mantra that can align your energy with your task, and tape it to the center of your steering wheel.
I don’t have the perfect solution for you. But I know that I personally don’t like to spend time with complainers. When I recognized that I was one of ’em, I had to course correct.
One thing I do all day is type my work computer’s password. I type it out a dozen times before lunch, and easily a dozen more times in the afternoon.
Passwords act like a mantra, pounded into our brain.
So while I could make my mantra (password) something useless…
Rock&Roll-1972
…or even counter-productive…
IsItTheW33kendYet?
…a password like that shifts my attention away from work, pulls me away from the present moment, and (for that second example) even makes me want something I can’t have.
In short, a password like that creates my misery.
Much better to find a long term purpose and use that for my mantra:
MakeMoreMoney$999
MorePatience&LoveT0day
Now those are productive passwords.
Your subconscious absorbs the messages around you, and those messages are reflected in your beliefs and your actions. Fill yourself with productive and constructive messages. Cut out the negative.
A single failure causes most people to give up.
The greats don’t give up. They see failure as a stepping stone towards success.
More sales are made —or lost— because of the attitude of the salesman, not the attitude of the prospect.
If you believe you can do something, you stand a much greater chance of doing it.
Get inspired.
Jeffrey
PS Christmas is just a few short weeks away! My paperback Change State: 31 Tools to Change your Life! might be just what the doctor ordered to help you or a loved one get unstuck. You can find it here on Amazon.
(And if you’ve purchased a copy, I’d love to see a review posted to Amazon!)
Thanks again and be well.