Tag: positivity

Change and influence

Tony Gaskins was credited with saying, “If you can’t do anything about it, then let it go. Don’t be a prisoner to things you can’t change.”

I 100% agree with that statement. But I don’t want to just leave it at that. I would add that if you CAN do something about it, then do something. A lot of things are outside of our control, but inside of our influence. We have to take responsibility for our destiny by taking control of our effort and actions.

Did we try our best? Did we give it our all? Is something we’re doing (or not doing) helping produce the results we want? How is our mindset, our diet, exercise, and sleep? Are we learning new things? Are we feeling emotionally and spiritually fulfilled? What are we feeling anxious or stressed about and why?

It’s just like the Serenity Prayer…

“God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Stop saying “I can’t”

We need to stop saying “I can’t”…if it’s something you don’t want to do, tell the truth. Not “I can’t,” but “I don’t want to.” If it’s something you’re not sure of, it’s not “I can’t,” but instead “I don’t know how.” But don’t just stop there. Ask yourself a question. Ask, “how can I?”

How can you achieve what you want to? What thoughts, words, and actions do you need to change? Do you need to ask someone for help as a mentor? Do you need to ask someone for help as a business partner, workout buddy, or accountability partner? Do you need to read more about the subject, research it, YouTube it?

When you’re stuck, it’s not permanent. It’s just a temporary road block. Figure out what you need to do differently or who can help you learn how to overcome that obstacle.

Change your mindset.

On how to not things stress you out

If it’s not going to matter in five years, don’t let yourself stress over it for more than five minutes. Feel your feelings. You don’t have to be a robot. But if something isn’t going to matter in the grand scheme of things, let it roll off your shoulders. Why stress out over something that has already happened and that you can’t change? Try to remedy the situation or learn from your experience/get better so that same thing doesn’t happen again.

What you focus on grows

When you focus on the positive, you’ll see (and get) more positivity in your life. When you focus on the negative, you’ll find more negativity in your life. It’s really that simple.

This is why starting and ending your day with a prayer, thinking about what you’re grateful for, stopping and taking a moment of silence, etc is so helpful. These things can help you be intentional and focus on how great your life really is.

There will always be bumps in the road. Life is not always going to be easy. But at any given time, there will be something you can be grateful for…

So focus on the positive. Actively seek it out. Surround yourself with other positive people, read positive/inspiring quotes and books, listen to positive podcasts or books, and stop watching the news (which mostly conveys negative information). What you focus on will grow and you’ll tend to find more of that thing.