You see, when you wake up in the morning and go about your day some of us sometimes have a tendency to notice all the bad things or problems in our lives. Take it from a guy who certainly has several issues himself. We can find ourselves “stacking chips”.   So let’s review how this can happen and how thinking about yourself (being selfish) and your perceived problems can have a doubling affect.

Wake up…man my body aches and I don’t feel my best (chip stack). I am not looking forward to work today (chip stack). I have several things I have to do today that just aren’t fun (chip stack). Man, who drank the last of the coffee creamer (chip stack). My dog just had an accident on the floor (chip stack). Man, how did the lawn get so overgrown so fast, guess I’m gonna need to mow again soon (chip stack). My car has some issues and I just don’t have time or money to get it fixed (chip stack). I have to get stuck with needles and receive treatment today (chip stack). Our house isn’t clean and we have company coming (chip stack). You get my drift. I’m piling up and piling on a bunch of negative thoughts and perceived problems. The other thing about all of these statements is they are all selfish and about oneself. That internal conversation we talked about in the last post, 3 weeks ago, is finding problems and interrupting you in the wrong way.

Wake up…man am I glad to be alive and while my body may ache or I may not feel my best, I am sure grateful for another day of adventures and growth plus the suns shining and the skies are blue (positivity). I am looking forward to work today because I have a chance to make a difference in others lives in a positive way. (Positivity). I have several things today and I am going to feel so good when they are all complete, as it provides a sense of accomplishment or order (positivity). The last of the coffee creamer is gone, that’s ok because I can use  almond milk instead, it’s better anyway (positivity). My dog just had an accident on the floor but he sure is worth it, as he provides me with joy and happiness in his attention and unconditional love (positivity). The lawn needs mowing and this is my chance to put in the earbuds, get lost in my my favorite music and take in the beauty of my lawn and landscaping and all of the things I have been afforded in my life (positivity). My car is so cool and fun to drive, can’t wait to take it out for spin and get the oil changed (positivity). I get to be stuck with needles and receive treatment today which will provide me more time to do the things I love to do with the people I love to be with in a vast world I enjoy thoroughly (positivity). Our house isn’t clean but it provides a space for our family to gather and enjoy each others company (positivity).

The difference is in two words – “have to” or “get to”. We take such little things for granted that it’s easy to place, what on the surface appears to be a pain, into the chip stacking and negative thoughts category and guess what, your inner voice is again causing this by doing what it’s supposed to, which is settle these things for you so they are comfortable.

Growth doesn’t come from staying in the comfort lane just as positivity doesn’t come from staying in the negative lane.  Over time, if we continually “stack chips”, we start to become exactly what we think about. As my friend Edward J Dougherty used to always say – “startin to believe it”.   Always negative produces negative and vice -versa;  always positive produces positive. Now none of us is perfectly capable of remaining positive all the time.  It is our self awareness of our thoughts that allows us to determine just why things bother us. Each and every moment of your life you have a choice, find the good or be selfish and let your problems dictate your attitude. Unchecked, you will find yourself always feeling disappointment or lacking happiness and being lost in the problem. When in reality is it really a problem?  The positive must outweigh the negative chip stacking and you must understand the “I” in your life always has problems and when the list you have runs out more get added. In order to be at peace and find contentment in your life, the realization that those are always there or being replaced can assist you in not letting them take a grip on your ever present self and the life and world ahead of you.  Ask yourself what part of you does it bother and why do you have a certain problem and not be asking what should I do about it?  The latter means you have fallen trap into believing there is a real and present problem in front of you when most of our problems are minor but the sum of the total is greater than its parts.

Ask yourself who sees these negative things or inner disturbances? Only you. Being able to take note of these so called problems and not letting them lead your day is self awareness. If you had a friend that always talked to you negative, you might not talk to them anymore. Why do you let your inner voice talk negative to you then?

By becoming self aware when negative thoughts creep in and by turning that “chip stacking” into positivity and searching for why you’re bothered by certain thoughts,  you will then start to see the who and realize that these really aren’t problems but opportunities.  Take time today to recognize when you are focusing on your problems and don’t give them more respect than they deserve. These are temporary and there  will always be new ones along the way.  Work to consciously make your positive chip stacking bigger than the negative and you soon will begin to see you have fewer and less problems ahead of you.

Stay positive my friends.

Jeff