By Judy Gaman
Photo Credit: iStock
Have you ever wished that you could hit the reset button and start over? Maybe the last year or so of your life didn’t go as planned. Sometimes when we face disappointment or a setback, we can become angry or bitter. If we’re not careful, a bad day or two can turn into a mental infection that breeds like wildfire, rerouting your future. If you’ve found yourself derailed, here are a few things that can help you reset and get your life back on track.
Tame the Tongue. The best and worst way to frame your future, is to use words. The right ones, the positive ones, will help propel you, while negative talk will shut things down. “I can” and “I will” are far better than “I can’t” or “I won’t.” And if your “I Am” is broken – fix it. Only positive things should come after the words “I Am”. Often, the first step in correcting an issue is being able to recognize it. So, enlist a spouse, friend, or even one of your children to help you. If they hear you being positive, they can give you a hug. But, if they hear anything negative after the words “I am” then you have to pay one dollar.
Look at the Lesson to Be Learned. Adversity is inevitable. Many people feel they were dealt way more than their fair share in the last year and a half. You can either allow the frustrations to overwhelm you OR you can recycle your frustrations and use them for fuel. Dreams take energy, so burning off frustration as you dream a new dream can be one of the things that will take your life to the next level. Life is not stagnant, so you need to decide where you’re going to spend your time: on an old worry, or a new endeavor.
De-clutter Your Mind. Imagine walking into a hoarder’s house. Walking across the room, trying to get from one spot to the next as you step over trash and old clothes. This is exactly what happens when you leave things laying around inside your mind. You can’t get anything accomplished because you’re wading your way through all the trash and useless memories that no longer serve you. Regret is often the biggest obstacle, so clear it out first!
Change Your Mind About Change. Processes will change, families will change, relationships, jobs, and the list goes on and on. It will happen and most of the time there is nothing you can do about it. Accepting change and seeing it as a challenge is the best way to avoid frustration, anger, and most of all anxiety. While it may not feel like it in the moment, acceptance is freeing more than it’s limiting. People have lived with change, big change, since the beginning of time. You can too.
Drone over Your Life. Life can often feel like it’s one big corn field, filled with confusion. When the chaos becomes paralyzing, it’s time have to fly over and take the 20,000 foot view. Where are you going, what’s working, what’s not? While you envision flying over and looking down at your life, imagine being able to reach down and rearrange the things that are out of place. Often it’s health, relationships, work or finances that need an overhaul, and sometimes it’s a combination of two or more of these things. Just remember, it’s easier to solve a puzzle if you can see all the pieces and the desired outcome at the same time.
Take a Page from the Old Girl Scout Playbook. “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other’s gold.” If you’re circle of friends is filled with naysayers or negative energy, find a few new positive friends to spice things up. New friendships are a great way to learn more about who you really are and what you have to offer. And, if you find yourself, being the naysayer, do your friends a favor and lighten up. Life’s too short not to be a good friend and have a good friend.
Judy Gaman is the CEO of Executive Medicine of Texas and the author of five books, including the award-winning memoir, Love, Life, and Lucille. She speaks to groups of all sizes, nationally, on health, wellness, longevity, and a number of other topics. She also co-hosts, along with Dr. Mark Anderson and Dr. Walter Gaman, the podcast Stay Young America! which can be found in all podcast directories.
