We own a lot of stuff.
I recently looked at a house for sale, and two thoughts immediately came to my mind, “Wow! These people own a lot of stuff. If we were to buy this house, how would they ever pack it all up?” The second was, “My family sure owns a lot of stuff, how would we ever pack it all up?”
Among all of the physical trinkets, items, and perhaps even necessities in our life, there are other ‘things’ we own that we are not even aware of that have a negative impact. They aren’t packed in a box or sitting on a shelf. We carry them with us everywhere we go. Becoming aware of the ownership of these things and taking small steps to remove them will go a long way in our own personal success and happiness, as well as the happiness and success of all the people around us.
There are three things that you own that are keeping you from everything that you want.
That’s a pretty bold statement, but it’s true, and one of them is a goat. Yep, a goat.
I’m as guilty as the next person. Owning these three things have prevented me from the relationships I want, the opportunities I want, and even the things I want in life.
Here are the three things you own that are keeping you from what you want, and what you can do about it: Click to Read More
- You Own a Goat: “No, I don’t,” you say, but you do. You own a goat that is so mischievous and stubborn that it is almost singlehandedly messing up every area that you want to see improvement. The goat I am talking about isn’t the rascally mammal we see on farms but the far worse scapegoat that we create in our minds. We construct a scapegoat, a person, event or circumstance, in our life that we blame for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults that we experience. Our scapegoat keeps us from submitting the application, working out, staying on a diet, finishing a product, applying for that job. You blame your dad, a teacher, a classmate, a childhood experience, lack of equipment, school, bank account, or a presumed physical impediment. You need to accept and understand that there is NO person, event or circumstance keeping you from what you want. You can easily find a multitude of examples in books, on the web, or on streaming services to counter any scapegoat you put forth. You make the choices. You are in control. No matter your previous or current situation, you can succeed. Quit creating scapegoats. Take action.
- You Own a ‘Tude: Short for attitude, your ‘tude is keeping you from what you want. You need to create the self awareness of how others see you, your facial and body expression, your tone, your words, your actions, and overall presence. People don’t want to spend time with someone with a ‘tude whether it be a job or a relationship. Your ‘tude becomes your mindset and dictates how you approach challenges and goals. Your ‘tude is what attracts all of the things you want in this life. Be self aware of you current ‘tude and start adjusting it to create it to be an asset rather than a liability.
- You Own 59 Minutes: I have had some incredibly busy days, and I know you have too. There may even have been a rare circumstance when I really did not have an hour to myself, but never two in a row. No matter what your day is like, I know that you can reserve and schedule an hour of it to do these four things: exercise, read, work on your passion project, and be still. What percentage you spend on each is up to you, but I know you would find great value in 30 minutes of exercise, ten minutes to read, fifteen minutes on a passion project, and four minutes of stillness. That’s 59 minutes. In a week’s time you would have worked out for three and half hours, read for over an hour, spent nearly two hours building a skill or creating something in an area of passion, and nearly half an hour of stillness, reflecting and giving gratitude. These primary habits will change our lives. Spend some time each day improving yourself.
My next read is Atomic Habits by James Clear. I know it will help me in all of these areas. You should check out his newsletter too!
I need to quit blaming others, situations and creating excuses and rather own that the only thing keeping me from what I want is myself.
I constantly need to improve my attitude. I’m often complimented for being a nice guy and my positivity, but sometimes the thoughts going through my head hinder me and eventually surface and create an awkward experience. We all need to work on our attitudes. Attitudes are king.
How I manage my time is an area for continuous improvement. I need to prioritize. I need to focus more on doing, than planning.
These are areas I am working on, and I thought they would be worth sharing with you. In the comments below I hope you will share with me something you believe we own that is keeping us from becoming the best version of ourselves. (You know I wanted to put smartphone in here. Just think how much time we waste on these devices!)
(Note: My next read is Atomic Habits by James Clear. I know this book will help me in all of these areas. You should check out his newsletter too!)
Always forward,
Kelly
Order Kelly’s books, Along Came a Leader and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library.
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