As human beings we have the amazing ability to think about the past and the present which is pretty cool, except when those thoughts take us away from the present.
Studies have shown that our minds are prone to wonder which actually decreases not only our ability to focus on tasks at hand, but actually decreases our happiness.
When we can focus, and even more so when we can train our ability to do so (via activities such as meditation), we can improve our happiness in the moment and for the future 🙂
In my book, one chapter is dedicated to the fact that life’s small inconveniences (spilled coffee, stepping in a mud puddle, etc) can exponentially create an entire “bad day.”
We tend to overreact to small problems when compared to large ones.
In the book, “Stumbling on Happiness” by Daniel Gilbert, he discusses WHY these little triggers (as he titles them) can cause more havoc than big, devastating events.
We have a psychological immune systems, like many systems in our bodies, work with thresholds. When something is large enough to go over that threshold a defense mechanism is triggered and set into motion. We can rationalize a breakup with someone we love. We can overcome fractures, dislocations, and the links easier than we can overcome a slice to the pinky toe. We can move on stronger when we don’t get the job we sorely wanted more easily than we can overcome ruining our favorite shirt with a bbq stain.
When the attack is under our threshold, we don’t deploy our defensive “troops” to overcome the insult.
So what does this mean?
It means we are amazing, first of all.
We were created with extreme resiliency to overcome huge challenges.
It also means we need to be more vigilant in working through the little things in order to circumvent their effects.
Be conscious of life’s little cuts, and actively work to overcome them. The big stuff, most likely, we are already prepared for.
However, I don’t feel we NEED to love simply all the time. Doing some extravagant things (big vacations, big experiences) can truly be a gateway to happiness as well.
As long as we are doing them to savor and not to show off 😎
Find one thing on this list and expand it in your life today.
Great messages throughout, here’s some of the lines that hit me right in the feels…
“And I’m an icon when I let my light shine. Shine bright as an example of a champion, takin the advantage, never coppin out or cancelin. Run like a chariot, learning how to carry it. Maverick. Always above and beyond average.”
“Realize I’m supposed to reach for the skies. Never let somebody tell you otherwise.”
And the chorus:
“Theres something in your heart, and it’s in your eyes. It’s the fire, inside you. Let it burn. You don’t say good luck, you say don’t give up, it’s the fire. Inside you. Let it burn.”
I love the song because it ain’t just about “winning,” it’s about acknowledging your purpose, your inspiration, your fuel that keeps you fired up.
Not simply about the accolades.
And when you let your fire burn, you warm everyone around you, and you light up the world with positive change.
We need your light. Let it burn!
Focus on the fire (your why) and there’s no limit to the skies you will reach.
“Don’t be the center of attention at your office.”-Dr Greg Howard
This was said at the wonderful zoomcast conference this past weekend. Dr. Howard was bringing the point home that even though we run our chiropractic offices, we should not be the center of attention.
This can be applied to any job/position.
True leaders earn their position as a leader by focusing on the people they serve.
You can be given a title of “leader” by virtue of a job description, but people will not truly follow you unless you first put them in the forefront of your interests.
The world is full of powerful people.
They are not necessarily considered leaders.
In large corporations, there are CEOs, CFOs, Vice Presidents, etc. There are also an innumerable amount of leaders on every floor, in every group and in al situations.
Strive to lead others, by putting yourself second.
If we all focused on helping others, focused the groups we get to help (lead), I promise we all would be better off.
I attended (via Zoom) an amazing conference this past weekend.
There were a LOT of great speakers, but one of my favorites had these two gems:
“You need to be willing to give up what you want now, for what you truly want forever” and “discipline is the bridge between our goals and achievements.” – Dr Jennifer Knobbe
It was a great reminder and impetus for me to start re-building bridges to where I truly want to go.
It’s easy to get comfortable in the moment. It’s easy to do things that make us a tiny bit happier than putting in a tiny bit more work would.
It is imperative to refresh and to re-energize in order to succeed, but there are times and places for that.
I realized I was taking breaks when I should have been working on my dreams, AND taking breaks when I was supposed to be taking breaks.
Coasting never creates momentum (unless it is downhill).
We don’t need to push ourselves so hard that we give up. But, we all know when we could use a bit more push in order to succeed, and I am truly grateful for those reminders.
Thank you Dr Knobbe (and all the other amazing speakers, many of which I will probably quote in the coming weeks 🙂
“About 50 years ago a Pygmy named Kenge took his first trip out of the dense, tropical forests of Africa and into the open plains in the company of an anthropologist. Buffalo appeared in the distance-small black specks against a bleached sky- and the Pygmy surveyed them curiously. Finally, he turned to the anthropologist and asked what kind of insects they were. “When I told Kenge that these insects were indeed large buffalo, he roared with laughter and told me not to tell such stupid lies.”
The Pygmy had no concept of a distant horizon, he lived his life in a dense tropical forest. His perception drove his reality.
Sometimes we need to borrow others’ vision in order to see what is possible. Sometimes we don’t have a concept of a distant horizon 🙂
I believe that affirmations (especially in the morning) are powerful.
Our subconscious minds are constantly telling us things throughout the day anyway.
Our “little voices” tell us that we aren’t doing a good enough job, we aren’t good enough, we are lacking compared to “that man” or “that woman.”
If we wrote down all the negative self talk thay pops up throughout the day, we may be astonished.
So to combat…AFFIRM the positives. Create the habit of noticing how friggin awesome we are, how amazing life is, and how we are going to continue growing both (our awesomeness and the worlds amazing ness) by coaching ourselves a bit more.
This past weekend , my family and I had a wonderful trip to Folly Beach, South Carolina.
We breathed the ocean air in deep and enjoyed connection with each other.
In the meantime, mayhem was erupting (with cause).
I know I am privileged. I know my family is too. I do work hard, and we try to teach our children about viewing the world through others’ lenses as well. And I cannot imagine the amount of pain, and fear that a large portion of our population are feeling (and have been feeling for decades).
I am also afraid of the extremism that exists today. White, black, left, right, anti-(fill in the blank), pro-(fill in the blank), stay home bc of covid, re-open, etc. The divisions are real and very polarizing.
I believe the answers lie in empathy. We can have our own viewpoints but we should try to understand others as well. We can “stand our ground” but we also must try to see the other territory. If we can promote love, compassion and try for some understanding, the world will be more peaceful.
So try to do that a bit today. Have some conversations with others who don’t feel the way you do. Try to see their side. I can almost guarantee, they will have some valid points, just as much as I can guarantee you will as well.
Dissemination of Inspiration 