I woke up at 3 am last night with a revelation. Isn’t it strange how the shiny ideas tend to arrive in the wee hours?
Lately, in the evenings, I listen to audio books to rest my eyes. This activity has the bonus of putting me to sleep as soon as I pop in the ear buds. So, I’m not sure how much I glean from the books, but some ideas must seep into my semi-conscience brain.
Macmillan Audio created my current book using excerpts of a series of lectures given by a 1950s self-help guru, Napoleon Hill. It’s remarkable and somewhat alarming how well his messages align to present-day. The emphasis, was then and still is, on financial success.
Sadly, money has never motivated me, but the following statement woke me up:
“Keep your mind fixed on what you want in life, not on what you don’t want.”
This got me mulling over present-day self-help advice that revolves around: don’t do this, abstain from that, and give up the lot. There’s a flood of guidance on how to:
x Cut back on sugar, caffeine, and junk food…
x Lose weight, break bad habits, and battle perfectionism…
x End self sabotage, depression, anxiety, chaos, and the rat race…
x Stop worrying, procrastinating, bingeing, and gambling…
x Quit drinking, smoking, scrolling, and screwing…
Why not flip this mindset? Instead of cutting back, we’ll move forward. Let’s engage in activities that bring joy… Go to bed an hour early… Start a new book… Write that short story… Learn a new language… Enroll in a course.. Take that half-hour walk after dinner…
Rather than losing, breaking, and battling, we might try to gain, fix and find peace with ourselves… Love more… Fixate on good habits… Breath deeply… Give thanks for your peaceful life… Hug a friend… Kiss the mirror…
In lieu of endings, why not zero in on beginnings? Don’t stop—start a new routine… Begin a journal… Join a yoga class… Practise meditation… Stretch your mind… Release that tension… Build serenity…
Then sit back and watch how the quitting takes care of itself. Let’s replace those don’ts with a do.
Comments
Excellent advice, Laurel!