positivity | The Caleb Barney Collection

Your house and the White House

“What happens in your house is more important than what happens in the White House.” – Barbara Bush

Whether you feel happy, sad, neutral, or mad with the election results of the 2020 Presidential race, remember one thing. What happens in your house is more important than what happens in the White House.

The President, no matter which party he/she is affiliated with, will not save you, nor will he/she ruin you. You control your own fate. The decisions you make will have the greatest influence on how your life turns out. Why would you give that power to anyone else? Take ownership of what happens for you – good or bad.

If you like the results you’re getting, then continue doing what you’ve been doing. If you don’t like the results you’ve seen so far, change what you’re doing. And if you’re really unhappy? Just know that you’re going to have to work your tail off to get to where you want to go. Nothing matters as much as determination, grit, perseverance, and having a positive attitude. All of those things won’t always be easy, but if they were, everyone would do it.

Actions build your reputation

Act in accordance to how you want to be perceived. It sounds simple, but that’s because it is. For example, if you want to be taken seriously, you have to be serious. If you want to be given responsibility, be responsible. If you want to be viewed as trustworthy, do trustworthy things.

If you don’t know where to get started, here are some simple rules that I feel will benefit everyone:

Don’t talk about people when they are not able to defend themselves.

Look optimistically toward the future.

Always try to perform your best/make the most of what abilities you have.

Work hard.

Be respectful.

Do things because you believe that’s the right thing to do, not because someone wants you to.

Thoughts -> Words -> Actions -> Life

Your thoughts determine your perception of life and the outcome of your successes and failures. Change your thoughts. Change your words. Change your actions. Change your life.

Not: I need to do this.

But instead: I want to this this.

Not: I have to do this.

But instead: I get to do this.

Not: I should have done that.

But instead: I could have done that.

Not: I didn’t have time to do that.

But instead: I didn’t prioritize my time to do that or I didn’t make time to do that.

Not: I can’t do that.

But instead: How can I do that?

Be the thermostat, not the thermometer.

Be the person who sets the tone by their actions, thinking proactively, instead of the person who is reactive to everything around them. The thermostat sets the temperature, while the thermometer tells you what the temperature is and has no influence over it.

Don’t let someone else set the temperature for you. You can only control so much in life, but some of the things you can control are what actions you take, your attitude when you take them, and how you respond to external events. Be more like the thermostat, not the thermometer.

Feedback vs criticism

View feedback as a shortcut to success. If you only see feedback as criticism and shut down, you will limit your growth potential. If someone is being honest with you and helping you realize what needs to be improved upon, use that to your advantage. Either way the information is still there and it is still true. You can choose to ignore it and continue to be substandard at whatever it is they mentioned, or you can do something about it. This will also reinforce others to continue to give you feedback. It may not always feel the best, but you will always know where you stand.