Why Try To Get Out Of Your Box, When You Can Use What's In It?
You screw up and make a mistake. “Yes, and next time I’ll do X, Y and Z differently.”
You want to show another person you care for them. “Yes, I do love you, and I’ll plan to show you that I do today and every day.”
You want to become a professional. “Yes, I am a writer, and I will write every single day to prove it.”
Anything less than “Yes, and” is a form of hiding; a narrative that blocks us from moving forward.
Stay Positive & Yes, And I’ll Be Writing Again For You Tomorrow
You can wait until the going gets tough to express your gratitude.
You can wait for a holiday or milestone.
You can wait until you get something out of it.
Gratitude works perfectly well in those situations.
But let’s not forget it works perfectly well in every other situation, too.
When things are going smoothly. When there’s no holiday or milestone. When it’s tied to a moment, not a receipt of something.
Stay Positive & Don’t Wait To Express It
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The best writers read their work out loud before they submit it. Doing so helps them catch phrases that look okay, but sound weird. It helps them catch more proofing mistakes. Doing it also helps them double down on what’s most important. No more and no fewer words than they need.
When a boxer is learning new moves, each move is often numbered to help them coordinate combos. What helps the boxer out most though isn’t thinking about the numbers, it’s saying it out loud as she performs the combo. There’s far less mess up, far less downtime and much more speed and growth of endurance.
When you’re ready to make a commitment; it’s far better to say it out loud, too. It gathers accountability, defines what the ego will work toward and solidifies the commitment in our mind. Anything less is just thinking about it.
Stay Positive & Say It
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The beauty about feedback and reflection is that there’s no reason to wait for it.
No need to wait to hold a reflection session until after the project is complete. No need to wait until tonight to review the day you had. No need to wait for a 1-1 to ask for feedback.
The sooner the reflection, the sooner you can get back on balance, the sooner you can pivot, the sooner you can get ahead. In doing so, there’s less waste; less wasted time and less worry.
It’s not just that you don’t need to wait to reflect, you’ll benefit more by not.
Stay Positive & Quick, Reflect
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A surprise party can be a great event. But is it really a surprise? Doesn’t some part of you always wonder or think that maybe, just maybe, this year the party will be a surprise one?
We like surprises – good and bad – because we think they allow us to react instead of respond. It feels good to let whatever is surfacing to surface.
When a client comes back with direction that sends you down a completely different path you were on. You might act surprised. But are you? Are you really? Or are you just using the surprise as rational to let your negative emotions rise to the surface?
When someone finally purchases your art. You might feel surprised. But are you? Are you really? After all, you worked your butt off to get to this point. Certainly it can’t be a surprise. Or are you just using the surprise as rational not to feel proud and deserving?
Of course, not falling for surprises (real ones or made up ones) doesn’t mean complete apathy or suppression of emotions; it means honoring the real ones. Emotions like preparedness and excitement to work through whatever obstacle (or non-obstacle) lies ahead.
By all means, act surprised, but don’t use it as an excuse to act irrational.
Stay Positive & Boo.
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In the realm of meditation, we work to be present in the moment and let positivity flow. Everything else is bonus.
In the realm of our projects, we work to make change by listening to the target. Everything else is bonus.
In the realm of a shopping experience, we expect to get what we paid for. Everything else is bonus.
In the realm of a book, we plan on the last page being in the end. When it’s not, everything else is bonus.
As a consumer, we can’t guarantee there will be a bonus, but it’s likely.
As a creator, sorta feels like we can’t not provide one, doesn’t it?
Stay Positive & Add An Epilogue Always
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The holidays are better when it’s a combination of giving and getting. Just giving makes us feel left out. Just getting makes us feel selfish.
Work is better when it’s a combination of giving and getting. You give the project your all. You get flexibility to do work your way.
The future is better when it’s a combination of giving and getting. You get to look forward to a package arriving at your door. You get to look forward to sharing it with your significant other once it arrives.
If an event or action doesn’t quite feel right, the give and get ratio might be out of a balance.
And, if anything, gut-checking yourself that there’s both get and give in all you do will make it more likely for you to feel happy, fulfilled and positive.
Stay Positive & Sounds Good, Doesn’t It?
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