Saturday evening my husband and I went out to a new restaurant for a celebration dinner.
Did something big and exciting happen that deserved a grand toast? No. But, lately we noticed we’re focusing more on what’s wrong rather than what’s right (there’s always a lot of “right” in our lives if we just take time to notice it).
Taking time to acknowledge that we had a great family meeting earlier that morning, we’re excited about some upcoming travel plans, my son is getting clearer on his college path, I’m feeling healthy and energized, and my husband is enjoying the support he’s getting through his men’s group— all felt important.
Years ago when I did individual career coaching with our sister company Career Strategists, I found it interesting to observe my clients’ mindsets. Invariably, they played the “What if ….?” up game (envisioning the best possible outcome) or the “What if …?” down game (planning for the worst that could happen). Some might correlate this to our level of self-awareness or happiness set point (read more), but regardless, how dirty or clean our lens is has an enormous impact on how we view our life circumstances.
This week I challenge you to consider:
What in my life is going well and what can I celebrate (however small that might be)?
Where have I observed growth or shifting in my key relationships in the last year?
What good thing am I currently experiencing that I could not have imagined happening 10 years ago?
Byron Katie, author of Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life, says, “I am a lover of what is, not because I’m a spiritual person, but because it hurts when I argue with reality.”
There’s no denying many of us are going through some bumpy times, but keeping a 30,000 foot view, accepting “what is,” and taking time to intentionally celebrate what’s working–can make all the difference in the world!
HOW CAN I SUPPORT YOU? HERE ARE TWO OPPORTUNITIES:
- Help your team, organization or employees find work/life alignment in 2020 so they can be more creative, focused and productive! Schedule me to facilitate a custom workshop or retreat on work-life harmony, resiliency or self-renewal. Learn more and email me at workshops@reneetrudeau.com to discuss your next event.
- Ready to embrace new ways of being in 2020? Check out my self-paced, personal, audio classes and find balance, connection and joy in the new year. Only $99. Learn more.
Subscribe here to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog written by mindfulness coach/author/speaker and self-care evangelist Renée Peterson Trudeau. Passionate about helping men and women find balance through the art/science of self-care, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, US News & World Report, Spirituality & Health and more. She and her team have certified more than 400 facilitators in 10 countries around the globe to lead self-renewal groups and women’s retreats based on her work. She’s the author of two books on life balance including the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and 17-year-old son. More on Renee here.
