Feeling Down And Out?… Here’s An Idea
March 24, 2007 by Editor
Filed under Happiness, Negativity
Stumble
I was watching television the other night and there was an interview with Bill Bartmann, a man who had gone from a billionaire to bankruptcy and back to wealth again. He was asked how he kept his composure and was able to pull himself out of an incredible hole and back to success. His message was the model of simplicity but very powerful.
On those bad days he didn’t feel like going on, when things weren’t going his way, he found a way to overcome those negative feelings with one simple solution.
As Bill sees it, we don’t have a problem remembering our failures. Its easy to remember when we screw up or embarrass ourselves or let someone down. But how often do we remember the good things we’ve accomplished. How often do we remember when we’ve helped someone or accomplished a goal or made someone’s day that much easier.
The usual answer is we don’t take the time to remember those days when everything goes right. We tend to focus way too much on our screwups. But here’s a very simple way to use those negative vibes and turn your focus back to a more productive way of thinking.
Make a brief list of your most cherished accomplishments. They can be small intimate things that make you smile or your larger career accomplishments that make you proud. Make your list powerful. Make it meaningful. Get your juices going. Whatever they are, write them down and keep them with you. Carry your list wherever you go.
Whenever your feeling negative or overwhelmed with failure, pull out your list of triumphs and read your successes. Remind yourself that you have done great things in the past. Pull those emotions into the present.
This simple idea, will redirect your focus back to where it belongs. I’ve written it before, but I’ll say it again… negative thoughts are essential in helping you keep your focus on what it is you desire. By being consciously aware of your negativity, you can use these down and out feelings as a signpost to pull out your list and remind yourself of how cool you really are.
Written by Robert Hunt
