Making Something Out of Nothing

I was watching the local news on television the other day (yes, I will still do that). The stories left me depressed. I began to wonder if my home was one of the few islands of sanity, in what appeared to be a crazy world. Shaking myself out of my negative thinking, I began to think about what was happening. 

I continually remind myself and my team that we are in an ever-changing world. One of those changes is a world where our sense of reality is being manipulated increasingly to the point where manipulation has been turned into an art form to carry out someone else’s goals. I know manipulation has always been there. The issue is its greater sophistication today and our willingness to accept it. 

It seems the person with the most outrageous claims, or the loudest voice is suddenly who we look to for our guidance and information – why? 

The saying, “Making something out of nothing” seems to fit. Unfortunately, this current “Making something out of nothing” carries out someone else’s goals, which usually are not yours or mine, and at an extremely high cost to us.  

So, what does this have to do with watching the news and becoming disheartened, and is there anything I can do about it?  

There is. 

• We need to be more self-aware and less lazy about things that bother us. They don’t match our values. Too often, we sleepwalk through life. We need to wake up. 
• Realizing that something is causing us pain, frustration, and anxiety and doing nothing about it is the same as saying, this is ok and acceptable. It is not. You deserve better. I know the pebble in my shoe is hurting me, but I am going to just leave it there.  
• We must permit ourselves to take what may be the uncomfortable steps of correcting those things that are not allowing us to be happy, uplifted, and feel better about ourselves. By doing this, we will be setting ourselves and others up for greater long-term success. I think I will take that pebble out of my shoe because I can, and I am in charge. 

We must decide not to allow ourselves to be blindly led down a path that is not our choice. We need to take the necessary steps to allow ourselves to live the positive life we deserve. We must realize that something happened. Somehow, we handed over our right to choose, and we no longer have full control of our lives. The good news is that we have decided to take that control back. If we do not do this, we set ourselves up for less than we deserve.  

Life is Good – is it perfect? Of course not. We need to give ourselves permission to take off the blinders we are wearing and see the good things. I believe we become what we focus on. If we allow ourselves to focus on the negative, we become more negative, unhappy, and less desirable to be with. If our focus is on the positive, we will see the good in people, we will become more giving, and our health will be better.  

On our journey through life, we have been gifted with the ability to choose. I choose the path, not of least resistance, but the one that will provide me with the positivity and happiness I deserve. I would love to have you join me. 

Here is to the Good Life. 

Jeff