“…is not worth living.” Socrates
I’m writing this with a sore throat and stuffed sinuses. Music is playing on my computer and it sounds like I’m in the bottom of an aquarium. I don’t feel positive. I don’t feel active. I don’t feel like taking charge of my life today. That makes it the perfect time to talk about the power of positive thinking.
This idea has been around for thousands of years. It’s not new. It’s not a secret. But it is possibly the most powerful thing you can do in your life to improve the direction of your life. All you have to do is think positively.
Wow, that’s easy.
Wrong: It’s a bitch.
And I’m not just saying that because of my post nasal drip. It’s very hard to life self aware. And it’s dangerous too. Once you become self aware you suddenly have to take responsibility for what happens in your life. That’s scary. It’s so much easier to have someone to blame.
In Budgeting we talked about removing illusions. Knowing the facts is always better than illusions: When we know the facts we can make changes and those changes matter. The same principal applies to the rest of our life. We must decide if we are the painter or the canvas; the sculptor or the stone.
“Take it like a man”
I got some great advice working as a line cook back in high school. I was in training, and when I didn’t get something right, I would tell the trainer why I made the mistake. She told me this, “Don’t give me an excuse for why it’s not right; just make it right.” I could have had the best reason/excuse in the world why something happened, but the customer didn’t care. They were hungry. It was better to just get the burger out.
When I look back at my life, my greatest successes have come because I took full responsibility for my failures. I fully believe people love people who take responsibly for their actions. Bosses, spouses, children, everyone. And it will get you that rarest commodity in this world: respect.
Play it forward
If you own the results of your life, don’t you also own the causes too? We know that we have control of our actions, we can also project that forward and control of what we do with our day. We can become proactive with the world, and not reactive. Just think what that is like: You are the cause of all things in your life, you control your happiness and your success.
Here’s how quantum mechanics back you up:
I enjoy playing poker. And I have played a myriad of hands over the years. I’m far from a professional player, nor would I ever want to be one. But I have learned one thing: A bad player will tell you how the fates conspired against them, and the dumb play of their opponent was rewarded with good luck. The best players will tell you what they should have done differently in a hand they lost.
Being proactive in your life isn’t easy. There’s no one to blame for what happens in the end. But then at least it’s your life: you are not forced to simply endure what the world throws at you.
My head feel better. I’ve been drinking fluids. I’m eating an apple. I ate yogurt and granola this morning even though I wasn’t hungry. I can tell I’m getting better. Or maybe I’m making myself better. Then again, maybe there was a chicken, or maybe there was an egg.
On average, women live longer than men. Some say it’s because they have two X chromosomes. The theory goes they work as copy protects against the minor mutations. That small protection adds up over generations. And maybe that’s the best you can hope for: On average, your life improves. You’ll still get sick, you’ll still pay stupid tax, you’ll still get cut off in traffic. But at least you will have a good song on the radio, and you can sing along.
“Give me lucky Generals!” Napoleon once said. People will call you lucky, people will call you blessed. They can’t believe anyone could be that magical. But we know we create our own luck. And, on average, our life will be golden.
Full 30 minute show.
