“How’re you doin’ Jack?” I asked a recreation-center friend last week.
“Same ol’, same ol’,” he said.
“Come on man,” I said. “We’ve got ski season in full swing. That’s got to put a spring in your step.”
“Probably so,” he said. “But I need something new to fire me up.”
This begged the question: Why do some people find great joy in living while others find endless labor in their lives? I think many beleaguered people pick up “leftover thinking” much like they eat leftovers from Thanksgiving. While it may taste all right, it doesn’t provide the vibrancy of the initial meal.
Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “We have the wolf by the ears; and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other.”
In this fast-paced age, we may harbor “leftover thinking” such as “I’m not good enough” or “Am I enough?” or “I don’t measure up to others.”
A great, well-known parable says, “We find two wolves fighting in our minds: the good wolf and the bad wolf.”
A student asked, “Which one wins?”
The teacher said, “The one you feed.”
This leads to the question: how do you change your leftover thinking?
“What you think determines how you feel.”
Remember that form follows thoughts. What you think determines how you feel. Thoughts create ideas and attitudes. No matter what your situation, you can choose to feed the wolf that will move you forward.
It’s starts with the P.A.C.E. Concept: Positive Attitude Changes Everything.
In order to become a person who relishes daily living, you make the choice to create a “Positive” mindset. You may feed the “animal” in your mind with your highest and best thoughts. You may be an introvert or an extrovert. By changing your thinking, you brighten and enliven every cell in your body. By changing your thoughts to positive energy, you create a positive outcome.
“How was your weekend, dude?” a friend asks.
“Man, we danced, bicycled, played games and went to the movies,” you respond. “Can’t wait to see what happens next.”
See the difference? The world or friends or even enemies may not change, but you change in how you handle and deal with them. Another philosopher noted that the winds may shift on the ocean, but it’s how you set your sails that determines your destination.
To further your feeding of the “good” wolf, you might engage the enlightened “Attitude” mindset. If it’s a rainy day, you may dance to a sunny attitude by appreciating that rains bring green grass and flowers. You get to release what doesn’t work. You enjoy a choice of “atmosphere” for your day. On the rainy day, you might dig into your favorite book, an old movie or Skype a dear friend. Feed the good “attitude” wolf inside your mind. The “bad” wolf lopes away.
Third on your list of the “good” wolf choices is the “Changes” mindset. By changing your thinking, you change your outcome. It takes some work, however, in time, you can re-groove your mindset into happy thoughts that bring happy enzymes to your cells, which saturate every aspect of your body. Let life know you love living by making choices that benefit you in any given moment.
Finally, your first three options create the “Everything” mindset transformation. One old friend of mine said it this way: “S + R = O.” In other words, “Situation” plus your “Response” equals “Outcome.” That simple equation changes everything!
“ …the winds may shift on the ocean, but it’s how you set your sails that determines your destination.”
With these four aspects of the P.A.C.E. concept, you can handle any drama, any world condition, any family situation, every challenge in daily living.
Finally, share a feeling of expressed gratitude daily in your meditation, prayer or quiet moments. You may be a humanist, spiritual person or very religious, but gratitude can work in your mind to comfort your spirit. Appreciate the gratitude within you, in front of you, behind you, to the left and right of you, below and above you.
“What’s happenin’ dude?” a friend asks.
“I’m feeling great!” you respond.
“Life is good!”
Frosty Wooldridge is an environmentalist, mountain climber, scuba diver, dancer, skier, writer, speaker and photographer. He has bicycled 150,000 miles on six continents and seven times across the United States. His feature articles have appeared in national and international magazines for 30 years. You can find his many books and other info at HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com
