Reframe your thoughts Archives - Page 77 of 104

Play To Your Crowd

Posted on August 9, 2021

If you want cheers, adulation and support, this is your strategy. If you want the easy route to happiness, play to your crowd.

It is so much easier to play to your cheering, adoring fans. You can bring them along and know what they like. You know their trigger points. Getting them to cheer you on and encourage your commentary happens with ease.

However, this often means they hold an opposing view on the topic compared to many others. So rather than rile people up into some agitated mob, you could use your power for good.

You could weave in elements of the topic which could bring some closer together. Not going for the dramatic in tone and vocabulary could take some of the emotion and heat out of the topic. Adding some useful and balanced information would help people understand the issue better.

The challenge is, this takes a very brave person to do it. Many people prefer the limelight and the euphoria. Few want to do what is better for society for fear of being cast out of their tribe.

When considering what is better, be clear if it is better for you or the greater good. You could help mend fences and build a better future.

Try to inform and influence rather than simply play to your crowd.

Action Gratitude Reframe your thoughts

Look For Light Everyday

Posted on August 6, 2021

Try this. Every day for the next 7 days find the good in everything you can. Look for the light everyday. Sometimes it can be hard to see. This is especially true if you tend to find something wrong or things that could or should be better.

Appreciate whatever it is for just being there. Remember that the world is just people trying to do their thing as best they can in their moment. Sure everything could be perfect. We should all think perfectly and speak perfectly and have perfect manners. Of course though, perfect in just the vision you have in your mind.

Your idea of perfect might be the opposite to my idea of it. You might think people should get free strawberry ice cream every day. I might think perfect is free vanilla ice cream.

But if you can look for the good in people, places and events, you will train your mind to be happier or at least more appreciative. If we train our mind one way, it can be hard to train it another way. So it is better if you can train it just once. Try to have positive thoughts.

Look for light everyday. Let it become easier with practice.

Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts

Science Is Not Natural

Posted on August 4, 2021

Nature exists. Science modifies or enhances it. Banana trees are natural. Breast implants are not. Science is not natural. It is not nature in its natural state. Many good things exist due to science and scientists. Although there have been a few less than desirable creations too.

People have greatly benefitted from scientific and medical breakthroughs. Insulin for diabetics is one intervention that is wonderful. Heart valves and pumps are other great contributions that have also greatly impacted lives of loved ones.

If it were not for the scientific discoveries, we would have far more babies, youth and aging people dying than we do. The population of the planet would be far less. Without hospitals, medical interventions, drugs and equipment, life could look a lot more like the 1600’s.

However, these are not natural, nor is it nature at work. Strictly speaking.
Yes, the ingredients come from nature as do the scientists who formulate or create the items. But, it is not nature itself. Science is kind of a form of cheating. We are changing outcomes based on unnatural interventions.

Science does help create a lot of good in the world. And the good seems to outweigh the bad.

Just to clarify though, science is not natural.

Action Reframe your thoughts Think About It

Start Together When Debating

Posted on August 1, 2021

Start together when debating. Ensure you’re both starting from The Alamo. Ensure you both want to get to Times Square. Once you’re clear on where you will start and finish, your discussion will be more fruitful.

Often I begin a conversation with someone and we do not set out the key point in advance. Casual conversations start this way most of the time. It is only when you get to a point where you don’t see eye to eye that any issues occur.

Before getting further involved in those conversations, it can be useful to be clear on what the different perspectives are. When I say to be clear, I mean get quite specific. Most often people will disagree on different points in the discussion. Without being clear and specific, you might think you are discussing the same point. However, I frequently notice that people are talking about the same topic but different points within it.

For example, let’s say the topic was crime. We could even be discussing the idea of whose fault it is that we have crime. Some people will consider it to be the fault of the parents, the person themself, the government for creating the laws, the police for enforcing the laws and a number of other things.

It is best to pick one specific item and discuss it at length. If you start together when debating, you may realise you have more in common then you thought.

Action Health & Fitness Reframe your thoughts Weight

Eat For Nourishment

Posted on July 29, 2021

Sometimes I eat for taste. At other times, I’ve eaten to procrastinate. Often we eat because of the time of day. However, if you eat for nourishment you’ll be on the best track.

Some people need to take whatever they can, whenever it is available. Other folks have food on tap all day and night. The challenge with that is that you might take more than you need.

If you take more than your body can process, you will gain some weight. Effectively, you would be using your body like a fringe and pantry. Rather than leaving the food comfortably near, you store it on you for future use.

This can be useful if you are about to swim across the English Channel. Having some extra body fat for warmth and energy will aid in your goal.

However, if you are not about to perform some endurance swimming, than try to keep things on the shelf until required.

Some of my favourite meals have been after being so very hungry. Food seems to taste better then. And eating clean, natural, foods with their tantalising taste, crispness and succulence can bring such pleasure to the mouth. Additionally, fresh food is so very good for your muscles, bones, skin and hair.

Eat for nourishment and you can thank me later.

Property Reframe your thoughts Time

Build Generational Wealth

Posted on July 27, 2021

Have you got a money plan? Do you have a clear and precise written plan for your future or just a general idea? To build generational wealth, you will need to be specific and intentional with your plans.

The main thing holding you back in this era is your mindset. Secondly, it is your follow-on actions. Arguably you can be doing the right actions with a poor money mindset. Although, the mindset usually comes first before the motivation and actions. Regardless, it is better if they are both aligned.

Are you earning money only to pay for your current lifestyle? Or are you earning, saving and investing for now and for ‘retirement’. Ideally you are earning, saving and investing, with thoughts of your years ahead without an active income. And then ultimately, it would be great if you were preparing to have sufficient investments remaining to leave in an inheritance.

Preparing your finances is an important item on your to do list. The earlier you start, the stronger the habit will be. In addition, you are much more likely to have more money for yourself and for your heirs, the earlier you start.

Get a separate savings account set up. Place some money in it every week without fail. Learn about investing. Take it seriously. Though you can make it fun and interesting too. Begin investing for the 20, 60 and 140 year horizon.

Build generational wealth.

Action Health & Fitness Reframe your thoughts Time

Go Camping For Fun

Posted on July 25, 2021

There are lots of ways to spend your time. Camping is a great one for kids. Especially if they have a friend or two with them. Go camping for fun and you will find it.

Like everything, camping has its pros and cons. Though some of its pros are the open spaces, learning to build and maintain a fire, hanging out with friends and getting away.

Some of the challenges can be the weather, the food storage, finding things you think you packed and late nights.

Now these can also be pros depending on how they are viewed. However, you may need to see them in a different light than you are used to.

We were camping this weekend and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. There were no tv’s or PS4’s but there were walks, pizza’s, marshmallow roasting, chats and lots of great stories, smiles and laughter.

It can be tiring too. There is all the prep, the packing of the car, the unloading, the finding of things and trying new activities. There is also the drive there and back and also around the area for food or activities.

It’s great to be a part of it, even with its challenges. You may even find yourself booking your next outing!

Go camping for fun.

Reframe your thoughts

Worrying Helps No One

Posted on July 24, 2021

Getting concerned about Covid? Perhaps tensions in the Middle East have you concerned. Worried about food shortages? Worrying helps no one so why do we bother?

Why do we read about things that we can’t or won’t impact? What is it that compels us to investigate, learn, debate and organise our thoughts for? We can become quasi experts in a field but not act on any of the information.

I used to watch a lot of horror films as a tween and early teen. I also read quite a bit about the supernatural, ghosts and such. I am not sure why I did that, though there are some theories kicking around.

However, I then stopped. No more spooky books and then no more horror movies. Life is short and I wasn’t enjoying those knowledge or entertainment moments anymore.

If I were to die tomorrow, would I have wanted to spend any of those final hours watching an unnerving movie? So if not then, why ever?

This thinking is also why I rarely read any newspaper articles and watch any news channel even less than that.

If I am not actively making an impact on some topic, why spend time worrying about the ifs and buts of it? I could fill my mind with wonderful things such as great memories, the progress being made in the world and funny jokes.

Worrying helps no one. Fill your mind with joyful thoughts.

Observe Reframe your thoughts Think About It Time

It Is July 2025

Posted on July 21, 2021

What will you be doing? How will the world be coping? What will be happening? Imagine it is July 2025 right now. Are you happy with what you see?

Rather than wonder what you will be doing in 4 years from now, try something different. You can either research what some prognosticators are saying or make your own view. Of course when considering your own situation, it is likely you will have a better idea of the potential.

Who will be in power in the G7 countries? Who will be running your country? What will we know about COVID? What stats will we have? How will different countries be living with this?

Where will you be in your career? What about your close relationships? What will your finances look like? How old will your parents be?

If you have never written this down, you may find it quite an interesting exercise. Every time I do it, I think of other options I would like to have be true. In addition, when you look at things in the long run perspective, you tend to reduce emotional decision making. You also, get a greater sense of what could be possible for you. Also, you are more able to use facts and data rather than stories and unhelpful self-talk.

It is July 2025. Describe it.

Action Gratitude Reframe your thoughts

Smile Through The Drama

Posted on July 19, 2021

Things sometimes go sideways. And they can go categorically wrong too. Those times that things don’t go well, smile through the drama if you need too.

Maybe the dog ate your homework, hat or cake. Perhaps you didn’t get the job you wanted, grade you needed or text you were waiting for. When these things happen, it can be easy to be annoyed or upset. Though I would encourage you to find something good or funny about the situation and smile.

Even if there is nothing good about the particular situation, that you can see in the moment, think of something nice and smile.

It is incredible how our thoughts can lead our body and our body can lead our thoughts. Just the simple act of smiling can start to make you feel uplifted. By making that facial expression, it is hard to not feel a little better.

This will also improve with practice. So if the first few times you do this, you can only manage a second or two, keep trying. The longer term benefits can be quite helpful in life. Being able to move yourself out of drama and into pleasantness will come in handy many times in life.

When life writes a twist in the play, smile through the drama.