Well, we sure got a lot of Gratitude Journals in motion as of last week. I hope yours is one of them. There is nothing better than this. Celebrate what you are grateful for and you’ll have a whole lot more to be grateful for.
To quote Zig again, “Unfortunately, there are many people who stand in front of the stove of life and say, ‘Stove, give me some heat and then I’ll put some wood in you.’”
That is what most people do with everything and everyone in life – they expect first to be served, instead of serve first.
Gratitude and positivity work the same way. The more of it you put into life, the more life will give you back in return. And don’t forget, be grateful for what you have because there are no guarantees in life – especially life itself – so celebrate and focus on the positive while you can.
Now, let’s move on to the advanced level of building your deserve muscles and increasing your own personal value.
The next step on your assignment is the action part: moving from reflection to motion. I want to challenge you to do, plan, enjoy, experience, commit to something that excites you.
You obviously must have things to look forward to. It helps you through the ups and downs of life.
It might be exercise, it might be a hobby, it might be a favorite restaurant, or it might be an upcoming vacation. It doesn’t matter, just have something that you are excited about.
Most people aren’t thinking much past tonight. The only thing they are looking forward to is TV and a Pillow. Don’t be that person. All life is hard. No one actually lives on easy street. So, there should be no feeling sorry for yourself allowed.
There are people that deserve sympathy. We can think back to last week’s news and find a lot. However, daily life, not so much; it’s a gift in and of itself.
It is up to you to make it what you want and to have things and people in it that inspire and excite you.
Make your list. If you want to really have fun with it you can make it a game where each week you can pick one item off of your list to do and then next week the next item. You can play this with your kids and with your spouse or you can just do it by yourself.
My brother and I had a similar game when we were kids. It was my absolute favorite thing to do. We’d each come up with 3, 4, or 5 things that we would want to do that day. Then we take turns narrowing down the list; he’d eliminate one and then I’d eliminate the next. Back and forth we’d go until we got down to one activity.
When we had the time, we’d just run through the whole entire list… board games, lots of puzzles, action figures, playing fort (not to be confused with fortnite – this was actual, real outside playing).
Today, there is a different list for my wife, daughter, and even my dogs. It is what I looked forward to most each day.
Everyone needs their list of the things you look forward to and that excite you. Hopefully it is more than just a TV show at night; though in moderation, there is nothing wrong with that too – just don’t let that be the only thing.
If you really take this to heart, you’ll find it will add some great positive energy and motivation to your entire life. It will impact how you feel about yourself and how you treat others.
Oh, and by the way, there could be a Team List for hitting goals and victories. There certainly ought to be the Patient list you do with every patient that includes the things that get them excited about seeing dentistry as something bigger than just their teeth. That should be fun – to inspire and motivate, to influence and educate, to help people.
When you are excited, your enthusiasm becomes contagious. You truly can make an impact on everyone you meet, just by having something extra special to look forward to.
So, what’s on your list?
