Okay, maybe the title is a little strange but I assure you this posting is not. Because if there is one thing of which I am certain, it is that your thoughts most certainly shape who you are and what you will become. If you focus on all that is wrong in the world then you leave little room to focus on what is right. If you dwell on the ills that plague your personal life then you leave little room to dwell on the growth you gain from those tough times. If you highlight all the negative parts of your professional life then you overlook the value you could create for yourself. Don't become a victim of negative thoughts (yours or others). Be a victim of positive thoughts! You'll always have both but better to be a victim of the latter.
The best thing about our minds is that we have the power to control what we think about the most. To my knowledge, I don't think there exists a "Thought Demon" who forces us against our will to concentrate on negativity, past transgressions, and current frustrations. But hey, I could be wrong. But in the slight chance that I'm not, let's try to do something different. Let's take a cue from the technology industry. Like I always say, take your cue from the innovative individuals and companies of the world. Let's look at Tivo (www.tivo.com) and Slingmedia (www.slingmedia.com). In a nutshell Tivo is a "time-shifting" technology that allows you to record and watch a television program at a time that is convenient to you. Slingmedia is a "place-shifting" technology that allows you to watch your cable programming on any internet-connected device anywhere in the world. So cool those technologies are!
Why do I reference those technologies? Well, someone surely was frustrated at not being able to watch his favorite shows at a time and place of his choosing. And out of that frustration grew the creativity and innovation to bring to market something for the masses to enjoy. The people that created those technologies could have easily just lamented what they didn't have and couldn't do to see their beloved television programs. It really takes no effort to be negative and to focus on negative thoughts. Quite draining it is though. And I don't recommend it. But the "mental-shift" that preceded the creation of those technologies is what fascinates me most!
So what is Mental-Shifting? It's the ability to turn your negative thoughts and situations into positive, value-adding constructs. It's the ability to spend more time thinking about things that motivate you and bring you pleasure. It's the ability to not get bogged down in the trenches when negative things strike you down. Life is full of positives and negatives but the difference in those that find a modicum of happiness is the ability to transform the way they view the things that negatively impact them. Like the football coaches say, it's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get back up. You can find a positive in every negative situation if you just look for it. The trick is to just look for it! I will never forget during the 2006 NBA playoffs when the Detroit Pistons played the Cleveland Cavaliers. It must have been game 2 and Detroit was leading the series 1-0 in a best of 7 series. I remember that the Pistons had a huge lead on Cleveland in the second half of that game and were on their way to winning. And then inexplicably, Coach Flip Saunders of Detroit took out most of the starters and inserted the scrubs. Well, Cleveland made a huge run and made the game very close and competitive. In the end, the Pistons won that game and went up 2-0. But the mental-shift had already taken place and now Cleveland believed they could beat the Pistons. Instead of focusing on losing the game, they focused on how they were able to come back from a huge deficit and make Detroit fight for the win. What they did next was nothing short of amazing in pushing the series to a decisive game 7 in which they eventually lost. But in the ensuing years, they never lost to the Pistons in the playoffs again. That is mental-shifting and I implore you to use it in your everyday life. It will energize you and give you a reason to walk with a bounce in your step. Why? Because you will understand that there simply is no personal or professional advantage to dwelling on the negative. It's actually depressing at best and debilitating at worse.
You say you just got fired? Well, you told me that you hated the job anyway so now is the opportunity to reposition yourself for the career that best suits you. You say your car engine just burned out? Well, now you can finally get that "environmentally-conscious" car you always wanted. You say you just did horrible in your interview? Well, you told me that company didn't value what you do best so now you can focus on the companies that do. You say your job is boring but you love your company? Well, you can assess how to improve your job role in a way that adds value to the company and maximizes your skills.
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