One of my all-time favorite books is called, Switch. It’s written by two brothers, Dan and Chip Heath. It is not a self-help book, but it helped me a great deal. The book is complex in nature as it is a book about change. The authors so were aware of how difficult it is to implement change, that while the most logical and obvious title for the book would have been Change, they instead selected a title that was less negatively charged. It is a brilliant read and I highly recommend it.
One of the many wonderful elements of this book is that it not only talks about how to get things
accomplished, it creates a very specific roadmap. And it talks about why a roadmap
is so incredibly vital if you need and want to get things done.
One element I want to talk about today is the concept of bright spots. It is very easy for us
to focus on the negative. Our media does it every day, in the desperate hope that you will
stay tuned to what they are spewing. If you’ve ever taken a class in advertising, you
understand and know that advertising works by presenting a problem and a solution,
ie, “you’re messed up, we can fix you.” So, we are constantly bombarded with negative
messages both from the news media and from advertising and that’s what we have come
to believe is normal.
I need to remind myself frequently the important thing to do is to look for the bright spots in my life.
The areas in my life that are working, that bring me joy, the things that help make my life better.
That’s what needs my focus. Not only that, but they need to be duplicated, replicated, reproduced, and procreated.
This is why writing a gratitude list on a daily basis is vital. After all, what exactly is gratitude list?
It’s a list of bright spots, wouldn’t you agree? The list I made this morning includes those activities that make me feel good, proud of myself, fearless. I’m going work on reminding myself that these activities are important to do and to duplicate daily.
My list of things that make me feel good.
Engaging with people
Progress in all it’s forms
Finishing my scheduled tasks
Completing the things I have agreed I will do
Eating healthy food and not over-eating
Moving my body: Riding my bike. Swimming. Spending time in nature.
I recommend that you contemplate and write a list similar to this.
Read it out loud. Then post it somewhere you can see it daily basis.
If you want to, you can place your list in the comments section of this post.
It’s your day. Go get it.
Namaste.
With love,
Pamela
Pamela Devine 