I’ve had this sentiment written on a sticky note in my planner for a few weeks now. I was listening to one of my favorite speakers, Jim Rohn’s audiobook, and as soon as he said it, I wrote it down.
Something about it just struck a chord in me. I liked it. Although, I am not sure I completely understood its concept until this morning.
When I got up this morning, I began getting my coffee pot going, and my thoughts started going south. I started thinking of all the things I didn’t have; I saw a messy house and started contemplating all the things I needed to do today and the rest of the things I need to do going forward. My thoughts and feelings were heading south quickly. And I had just woken up; what the heck, I am barely starting my day… I realized what was going on, and I quickly said, “No! We’re not doing that!” I finished getting my coffee pot ready and started brewing. I grabbed my Dyson and quickly vacuumed the house while my coffee brewed. By the time I was done, my coffee was ready to be poured.
When I sat down to enjoy it, I realized how this sentiment that has been in my planner really worked. If I had let my thoughts and feelings control me this morning, my day might have turned out completely different. I decided to face an entirely different direction.
It’s very simple, you see; we may not be able to control our thoughts and feelings entirely. It's easy to just think, right? Thoughts come and go. However, we can choose to continue thinking and experiencing these negative thoughts and feelings, OR we can take a sharp u-turn and change direction. Face a new direction. And I had chosen to do that this morning.
I look around, and my house is still a bit messy, unorganized, cluttered. Basically, lived in. Which makes sense—I am picking up more clients, I live alone (just me and my pets, who are not very good at cleaning their rooms). But I can either complain about all these things or choose to be grateful for my house, my mess, my car that needs to be washed, my lawn that needs to be cut.
We must have the ability to redirect our thoughts and choose a positive perspective. Life’s messiness and imperfections will probably never go away; I am sure my house and car will only get dirty after I clean them. My grass will grow as soon as I cut it, and my weekly planner will accumulate more to-do’s as soon as I cross the ones I’ve already done out.
This morning served as a gentle reminder that we hold the compass to our own happiness. So, as we navigate the challenges of our daily lives, let’s remember the simplicity of facing a new direction.
One more story before I let you go—2023 has been one of the biggest years where I completely changed directions. I've shared my story with you all. I was no longer happy in a job that didn’t value me; if they did, their words nor their pay said so. Despite being committed and loving the job, something rose up in me, and it wasn’t an easy u-turn. I have a journal that lives in my nightstand, loaded with pages where I was trying to figure out, what do I do? I prayed for direction, for wisdom, and insight.
Finally, I decided to do what I am telling you to do. I took a chance, a sharp u-turn, and changed direction. No longer was I going to stay somewhere I wasn’t valued. It's a good thing I did—my pay and value have tripled, my self-esteem and happiness have tripled. My life did a complete 180, and although it was hard to make the decision, I did it.
"We go the direction we face!"
Which direction will you face today?"
Very respectfully,
Well-Known Reyes
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This served as a really good prompt for an honest, insightful dialog with my daughter. 🙂