I just finished filling out health care forms for 2023. Shocker. The price went up, and there is nothing I can do about it.
It was my daily reminder that so much is out of my control, and it is easy to complain.
They say there are two types of people. Some people see the glass as half-empty. Others see the glass as half-full.
I’m naturally a third type. I want to know who got out the glass and who’s going to wash it.
That’s why I’ve started working on my mindset over the last several years.
- I read books on positivity.
- I listen to podcasts and books by people like Zig Ziglar, Dan Miller, Jon Gordon, Earl Nightengale, Jack Canfield, and Hal Elrod.
- I begin my day with gratitude exercises. I read affirmations. My first walk of the day is in silence, noticing the subtle beauty of nature in my suburban neighborhood.
The progress is slow, but I’m grateful I have a sink, clear water, dish soap, and a glass to get dirty. (Hundreds of thousands of people on our planet would consider that a luxury.)
When you are in leadership, your job involves dealing with problems, which can wear on the human spirit. Add that to our culture of complaint. And it is easy to become a complainer.
But complaining and blaming will never lead to a better future.
So, do what you can to retrain your brain by laughing and smiling.
In his book, The Positive Dog, Jon Gordon writes, “Children laugh about 400 times a day, while adults laugh only about 25 times. Perhaps we need to be more like children and smile and laugh more. Research shows that smiling produces more serotonin in your brain and laughter reduces stress, increases your immune system, and causes your body to release “feel good” endorphins. Today I want to encourage you to find enough humor to make you laugh and smile for at least 10 minutes.”
So to become a better leader, cue up some stand-up comedy on Spotify and laugh your way to a better future.
