If things are so bad, doing something about it
“Make improvements, not excuses. Seek respect, not attention.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
Too often we just accept the way things are. We may hate our boss and our job and yet we trundle into work every day to face what we proclaim to hate.
Or we complain about certain people we call friends (Really more like associates). Yet we continually seek their company only to be glad when our encounter is over and we complain about what a lousy time we had.
We act as though there is little or nothing we can do to change things and we just have to accept things the way they are. We find all sorts of excuses for our acceptance and wallow in our misery. And when others we know or are close to us do things we wish we would or could do, we get even more agitated and complain that they are just plain lucky and we are not.
Here are some things to start doing today to become a better version of yourself:
Take Ownership of Your Life
By taking ownership and responsibility, you should feel and be empowered to bring about a positive change in your life.
When you take ownership of your actions, you realize that you can bring about positive change and move on with your life. Otherwise, you are putting yourself in someone else’s hands, not a good thing to do.
Train Yourself to Be Optimistic
Everything that life throws at us is not in our control. But, we can control are our thoughts, attitude and reactions. We can either be cynical about the world or adopt a positive mindset and live a more peaceful and rewarding life.
Set Goals
Setting realistic and achievable goals is important when it comes to making a difference. This is because we are giving ourselves a positive affirmation that we can do it.
Focus on What’s Working
Ask people what’s not working in their lives and they can go volumes; but ask them what they are grateful for and they will pause to think.
There is a lot of change we can bring about by just changing our perspective. When we focus on the negatives and obsess over what is not going right, we miss out on the things we should grateful for.
By focusing on what’s going right we will realize how to attract more of it.
Be Open to Learning
We are constantly evolving and there should never be an end to learning. Having a flexible and open mindset is essential to thrive in every aspect of our lives.
Being a lifelong learner opens us up to so many possibilities, it makes life exciting and lets us look beyond our preconceived notions. We then look at situations objectively and are not afraid to challenge our thoughts and preconceived ideas.
Set Boundaries with Toxic People
Not everyone around us is a well-wisher. There are some people who are nothing but a source of negativity. We shouldn’t feel guilty about keeping them out of our lives.
It is not our duty to make it work with everyone. If there are someone(s) who make us feel terrible or unhappy, we are better off walking away from those relationships.
Don’t Take Life Too Seriously
Many of us take life too seriously. We get bogged down by failures and consider rejections to be the end of the world. We beat ourselves up over our mistakes and can get too caught up in the drudgery of everyday life.
How does it feel to look at our lives and see that we are living one of sadness, fears and regrets? Seize the day and enjoy the present moments because we cannot relive them.
“You make the world a better place by making daily improvements to become the best version of yourself.” ― Roy T. Bennett
By asking “How do I change for the better” is the first step to steering our lives in a positive direction. By making small changes in our attitude, perception, and habits we can be surprised to see how the road ahead clears out.
Life is what we make of it. The choice is in our hands.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter H. Christian was a founding partner and president of espi, a business consulting firm in Northeastern PA. Previously he was an Executive at Crayola Corporation. He has worked with 300+ clients in business development, profit improvement, operations, IS selection and implementation, and Project Management. He has 40+ years of experience in strategic and facility planning, CI, lean, and supply chain. He has helped companies to realize millions of dollars in cost reductions and profit improvements adding and retaining thousands of jobs. He has authored the Amazon bestselling business books, “What About the Vermin Problem?” and “Influences and Influencers” (4 out of 4 star review on Online Bookclub) and is published in a variety of professional magazines. He is most appreciative of Dr. Rodney Ridley and Donald Schalk of the O’Pake Institute, Alvernia University for their support in allowing him to teach this important course.
