GREAT Morning Everybody!
“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.” – Wayne Dyer
We might not possess the power to control everything that happens to us, but we do hold the power over how we respond. I was reminded of this fact two nights ago while driving on the 91 freeway. My tire pressure light came on and before I knew it, I was riding on 3 tires! The rubber from my right front passenger tire was obliterated and I barely made it into the Shell Gas Station. It was 9pm, I had been up since 4:40am, and was ready for bed!
While waiting for the tow truck, I found myself consumed with stress and anxiety over my current predicament, resisting reality, and struggling to remain fully present. In the midst of this internal temper tantrum, I was hit by a sudden realization. While I could not change the fact that I was sitting on 3 tires, I was still in control over how I was responding.
My perspective immediately shifted from a negative state of mind to one of acceptance, positivity and gratitude. Grateful for the fact I was able to safely reach a gas station instead of being stuck on the side of the freeway. Grateful my phone worked and the tow truck was on its way instead of my camping out in my car all night. Grateful nobody was injured or hurt! When something is going wrong, hold some space for the fact that something bigger might be going right!
When we shift our focus from everything that is going wrong in a given moment to everything that is going right, we re-wire our minds to search for the positive, the joy, the good in every moment. The more frequent we practice, the stronger our minds become. So when you are hit with a little bit of adversity today (and you will be!), pause and identify 3 things in your life at that very moment that are going right! Remember, the key to happiness is the decision to be happy!
I will end on this quote: “The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them.”
Enjoy the day!
With Gratitude,
Rob
