Why is it that we often look at life and are surprised by the fact that there are negative things that happen to everyone? It is almost like they jump out from behind the corner and we are startled by the fact that there is uncertainty within our world. Yet we can see that throughout history there have always been seasons of life.
Nature shows us this in a yearly cycle. We have the start of the planting season with spring, this is a time to work hard and get our ground prepared and get those seeds to grow into an opportunity. Summer we watch the growth happen, adapting to the environment and the challenges that happen within our timeline. Fall is now the time to reap what we have sown, to gather in the bounty of what the opportunity has offered. But then comes winter. The time when the environment, the supplies, and spirits are going to be a little tougher than the previous three seasons.
Our business is the same. We all are going to be facing the four different seasons, the difference is how you master the time and the season that is in front of you.
Mastering Negative is not a process of avoiding. Mastering the Negative is about embracing and running forward into the challenge that is placed in front of us. We know that the negative times will happen, and we also know that there are times that allow us to prepare for the negative times as well.
How do we master the negative times?
Four Steps to Mastering Negative:
Disgust: What will you do differently?
Disgust is the point of being fed up with the current situations that define your life. When you have had enough and you reach the point of refusing to accept what has been your normal. For each of us, this point will be a different triggering moment.
For me I have had several of these moments, resulting in several different changes that I made within my own life. One involved financial decisions, another focused on health, and while another focused on relationships. Each of these had one thing in common, I got to the point that I was disgusted with the way my life was currently going, a turning point where I made knew I had to make a decision. I was willing to accept it a moment to shift my thinking from mediocrity to embracing the idea of change.
What situation or circumstance are you feeling disgusted?
Negativity will create disgust.
Decision: What will be different?
The original root word of the decision is to cut off the other options. To make a move in the direction that you want to grow by eliminating the other actions and options.
When you are truly disgusted with your current life and situation, you will be willing to make the decision to change what has been your normal. Within the decision process, you will need to recognize the difference between the things that you can control and the things that are outside of your control. This is one of the greatest mind shifts, to focus on the things that are within your control and make the decision to change those habits, routines, and patterns to create a new way of doing life.
What is the one thing that you will decide to do? Your first step into a new way of living an extraordinary life.
Negativity creates disgust.
Disgust leads you to a decision.
Desire: How bad do you want it?
In order to master your negative, you need to find the desire that will begin to take your decision to grow and move it into a plan that you can implement. This is the fuel that will generate the momentum to move forward and grow into this new life. In order to continue to nurture the desire, we need inspiration. Inspiration comes from either external influences, like motivational speakers, sermons, books, or podcasts, or internal influences, like journaling, meditation, exercise, each of these will allow you to keep the desire to move forward. There is no doubt that the way forward is going to be hard. In order to push through those uncomfortable times and situation, you will need a burning desire to change.
What will you do each day to keep the desire in front of you?
Negativity creates disgust.
Disgust leads you to a decision.
Decision becomes active through your desire.
Resolve: How deep is your commitment?
Resolve is a deep commitment that begins within your soul, a will strong enough to endure the challenges you will face on the path toward growth. While you will feel the emotion of the disgust and desire and logically make the decision for change, it is the resolve that creates the determination to follow through to the end, no matter what comes.
Mastering Negative in our lives is going to be a daily, step-by-step, action that will lead us forward. Often we get caught up on the larger picture and get frustrated in the daily actions. It is during times like this that we need the resolve to do the next right thing. Resolve allows us to take the next right step, even when it appears that the negative will not change. It will if we continue to take the next step. It is time to change your verbiage to ?I will change? and ?I will overcome?. Don?t allow the emotions to weigh you down, feel them, and embrace the growth that comes from walking through the emotion.
Saying ?I will? allows you to get through the doubts and questions that come with the progress of growth. When you find the resolve to keep your commitment, to fuel your desire, to implement your decision, to remember the disgust, you will become the master of the negative within your life.
Negativity creates disgust.
Disgust leads you to a decision.
The decision becomes active through your desire.
Resolve allows you to complete your decision to commit.
The choice is yours. What will you do?