How to Turn Grumpiness into Gratitude:
I was 27 and on top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Valentine's day. Alone, with no prospects, and miserable. Very bitter indeed.
Then, this guy hands me a camera and says, can you take our picture, please?
I go, sure why not. He proceeds to propose to his girlfriend and now it is my responsibility to capture this moment.
Umm, NO THANK YOU. I went back to my hotel room in tears.
Looking back, I was bitter, when I could have been joyous and grateful.
You can’t stop feeling. Feelings are truth. They are there, let them be. But you can control the thoughts resulting from your feelings. When you control your thoughts, you are in charge of your behavior and your well-being.
This is easier said than done. It takes conscious effort first to:
Identify the bitterness. Be honest with yourself.
Actively replace the bitter thoughts with gratitude-thoughts
I wrote a little anti-valentines day article here. Give it a read for some ideas if you find yourself angry on valentines day.
The bottom line is if you are grumpy for too long, it becomes an ugly part of your personality. Don’t let that happen.
This Week’s Writing Tidbit:
Are you struggling to find the motivation to write? Bitterness can kill your creativity.
Try setting a specific writing goal for yourself each day. For example, aim to write 200 words or write for 20 minutes each day.
Make the goal intentionally small and achievable. Make your practice consistent.
If this means sitting in front of a blank page for 1/2 an hour every day and writing nothing, maybe a sentence, then so be it.
You are conditioning your mind and body to build a habit. Trust the process
What I’m Reading:
Power Listening by Bernard T. Ferrari
This book is teaching me how to build stronger relationships, make better decisions, and enhance my overall communication skills. The most interesting part so far is how it categorizes different types of writers. So you can identify what type of listener you are and learn to adjust your listening style.
Favorite Quote This Week:
“Self-doubt can be an ally. This is because it serves as an indicator of aspiration. It reflects love, love of something we dream of doing, and desire, desire to do it. If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), "Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?" chances are you are. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.”
―Steven Pressfield, The War of Art