Embracing Change

Posted on May 08, 2024 by David Luscher, One of Thousands of Performance Coaches on Noomii.

This week marks my 55th year on this planet. #54 was the year of massive action! I quit my job of 25 years, sold my home and car, got rid of half my belongings, and moved to New York City to be a solopreneur. Many have tried to convince me that it’s not a good idea to make such an extreme pivot at my age. Maybe, but I haven’t been this happy in years.

I don’t want to give the impression that my new life is all sunshine and rainbows. There are many challenges and obstacles one must face when following a vision. I believe that negative thinking tops the list.

It’s been said that negativity is like gravity, it’s constant. We must fight against it and condition ourselves against focusing on the negative. Otherwise, any effort we make toward what we desire will be undermined by the negative meanings we attach to the challenges we encounter. Meanings ultimately direct our behavior and produce the results in our lives.

Let me make myself clear, I’m not talking about “toxic positivity”! Refusing to recognize or admit that there is a problem is foolish. Those who engage in this behavior rarely produce any meaningful results. Negativity is all around us and it’s unavoidable. It’s not that we won’t ever have a negative thought again. It’s what we do with that negative thought that matters.

To counter negative thinking, it’s crucial to cultivate the practice of concentrating on the positives in our lives rather than dwelling on the negatives. We use negative thinking (or critical thinking) to recognize that a problem needs to be addressed. Then as we search for the solution, replace the negative with empowering questions that will produce positive results.

Notice that I used the word “practice” in the previous paragraph. Think about it the way an athlete or musician practices. They do so to condition a certain activity until it becomes natural. When they execute it, they do so without thinking about it. This is how we need to approach controlling our thought patterns for success.

I go into more depth on this topic in my 8-week Life Performance System at luschersuccesscoaching.com. For now, I would recommend spending at least 15 minutes each day thinking about everything great in your life right now. Focus intently on it and let the change in perspective transform you.