Do you choose to focus on what is going right in your life? It seems pretty much everything follows the 80/20 law, and I bet it’s no different in our lives. 80% of our lives are good, great or ok and 20% are other than positive.
Joyful people focus on the 80% that is pretty right, not the 20%! They acknowledge that the 20% exists and do what they can about it but they don’t chose to focus on those things.
Have you ever seen a youtube clip called First World Problems? It has had over 10 million hits and is well worth watching. It is a great spoof on the habit many of us have of focusing on really stupid things! And complaining about them, it’s worth having your whole team watch it at least once every 6 months. Watch it with your family as well because once you watch it, you become much more conscious of the ‘first world problem’ nature of what we are complaining about!
Like…my computer is so slow; the pool keeps getting dirty; our fridge is not cold enough; we have no ice in our drinks; I don’t have shoes to match this outfit; I have too many tools to fit in the box! And so on!
Are you guilty of complaining about first world problems?
What about your partner in life if you have one, or your friends, siblings or children? When you first met your partner, they were wonderful, everything you ever wanted! 12-18 months later, you know them better and realize they are human! They have ‘warts’, we all do. But they, and we, have had those warts all along.
The difference is that in the beginning we didn’t focus on the warts. Now we do! ALL the good qualities we loved are still there, we just focus on the things that annoy or irritate us! STOP IT!
Remember the good and focus on that!
Every day during dinner, have a conscious conversation around what went right in your day. Help others savor those moments by asking them questions about that experience and getting them to relive those great or good moments. It makes them feel closer to you and strengthens the relationships.
Maybe you can adopt a new greeting? Meet someone and ask ‘what’s going right in your world?’ I bet it sparks lots of great conversations and makes you a very popular person! LOL.
Once you start to focus on what is right you just might find yourself appreciating the small things more. Appreciate what people do for you and let them know; appreciate the love your family gives you; appreciate the beauty of nature and all the magnificence around you; appreciate the fact you have oxygen to breathe, heck just appreciate everything!
Even the difficult stuff in your life, it is there to teach you lessons! Appreciation is a powerful force in your body. The Institute of Heartmath does wonderful research on appreciation and shown how good it is for heart health, as well as other things.
Go forth today and focus on what is right in your world; what is right in the people around you (at work and at home) and truly feel appreciation for what you have.
Zooties!
Amanda
