Right … flexibility is key to success.

Thank you. I tried to lay off the books, but I bought a few while on vacation. I’ll have to move out soon … the books are taking over.

Now that is some beautifully prescriptive, actionable advice. I like the precision.

Yeah, just when you thought death was permanent, I captured some ghosts on camera while I was in Key West. We know life isn’t static, but I guess death isn’t static is either (those little buggers went through a spectrum of colors.)

@ Marie

Giving yourself a time buffer is a great way to get new perspective. I use to understimate the power of “sleep on it,” but now I get how a fresh perspective can help us see the forest from the trees.

@ Karl

Well put. Given how much inner dialogue we have throughout our lives, you’d think we would all be our best coaches, yet it’s so easy to be our worst critics. The shift from critic to coach starts by shifting our inner dialogue.

@ Juliet

So true. It’s self-fulfilling and a vicious circle, as well as a spiral down.

I like to think of my life as a portfolio of results, so that I can ride the storms and when some investments aren’t working out, I can shift focus to something more effective.

Finding the funny side of life is definitely empowering, not just for yourself, but it lifts everybody up around you.

Well put … I always thought I wanted to go down fighting, but chuckling sounds pretty compelling.

@ Jannie

Sometimes finding that silver lining is tough. I watched Married with Children last night and Al happened to mention every cloud has a “silver bullet.”

@ JB King

Great points.

You’re definitely the star in your life and I find a useful metaphor is to think that you’re the director in your life and you can choose what you point the camera at. Direct your best life.

Owning issues and driving them is empowering. Asking what can I do or how can I change this or what can I do differently next time are great questions.

This too shall pass comes in handy when things are beyond your control. It’s a reminder of the change of seasons and the cyclical nature of so many things. Sometimes it means accepting and letting go. Sometimes it means riding the wave. Sometimes it means not swimming against the current.

It’s funny how so many things aren’t personal, once you know how people work.

@ Positively Present

It really is a nice little concept we can use throughout our lives.

@ Patricia

Great point that we learn from our parents, who learned from their parents. We model what we see and our parents are our first mentors in life.

It’s great that you can identify and reflect on the pessimistic side and the optimistic side. To really know one, helps know the other, and it sounds like you’ve been effective at learned optimism.

I think the longer we let ourselves stay in the 3 P’s the more difficult it is to climb out.

It’s also why it’s good not to have only one focus in life. If you have several aspects to your being, when one takes a bit of a knock it doesn’t seem as if everything is on a slippery slope.

Juliet

When things really do seem permanently ugly, I tell myself to take another look in 24 hours . . often a little sleep, a little food, a little shift in focus causes things to look much differently.

Thanks for the great post!

- Marie (Coming Out of the Trees)

DIFFERENT SLANT

I did a story with a fascinating fellow named Doctor Paul Pearsall (I called him Dr. P) several years ago. He actually used the 3 ’s as a rule when dealing with bad news or toxic people.

Don’t take criticism or adversity Personally,

Don’t view setbacks in one area of of your life as Pervasiveto all other areas, and most of all,

Know that nothing is Permanent (except death and that’s still up for discussion).

Anyway — hope all is well.

Best

Steve