{"id":16251,"title":"FREE YOUR MIND","description":"Design Your Life","content":"

\"\"What happens inside us creates our outer world.<\/p>

In other words, the pattern of our thoughts, attitudes, feelings, and actions is what creates our reality. Our external circumstances don\u2019t just happen. We create them.<\/p>

If we want to create a happy, healthy, and abundant life, our challenge is direct ourselves away from a flood of potentially negative influences every day. You certainly can resist them if you actively think about it but doing so takes a large amount of willpower.<\/p>

However, instead of trying to resist negative influences, it is much easier to make an active choice about not exposing yourself to them. There are countless ways to do this, but here are a few that work for me:<\/p>

Find something good in everything.<\/strong><\/p>

W. Clement Stone, a very successful, self-made businessman, formed an unusual habit in the early days of his career. He would say, \u201cThat\u2019s good,\u201d whenever anything happened, good or bad.<\/p>

There\u2019s tremendous power in seeing the good in everything<\/strong>. Sometimes it can be tough to see the good in things. But if you practice pausing<\/em><\/strong> before you respond, you will be able to find something good in any situation, even if it seems really small.<\/p>

Victor Frankl said it best in his excellent book\u00a0Man\u2019s Search for Meaning<\/em>. He said in every situation, between the situation and the way we respond to it, there\u2019s a space. Start training your mind to use that space to think of something good automatically.<\/p>

Eat a healthy diet.<\/strong><\/p>

What you eat doesn\u2019t just affect your health; it affects your state of mind and performance.<\/p>

Eating poorly can cause a lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating, decreased ability to handle stress, and even lower self-confidence. However, your mental clarity, performance, creativity, curiosity, and emotional well-being improve when you eat well.<\/p>

Drinking lots of water throughout the day improves brain function and decreases anxiety.<\/p>

Don\u2019t underestimate the power of food to help you feel better, think better, and be better on the inside and thereby helping you create or attract more of what you want on the outside.<\/p>

Exercise regularly.<\/strong><\/p>

Exercise at least three times a week consistently to increase your endorphins and give your body a healthy way to release stress. Try to find a workout regime\/routine you enjoy so you\u2019ll be more likely to commit to it.<\/p>

Working out helps you feel positive about yourself, others, and life.<\/p>

Go with the flow and choose growth.<\/strong><\/p>

Life is constantly changing. That\u2019s the nature of life. And sometimes, things happen that are outside of your control. But no matter what\u2019s going on, you can think<\/em>. And that\u2019s huge.<\/p>

No matter how much things change, don\u2019t let your productivity come to a halt. Choose to keep growing.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Instead of giving up on your goals and dreams, double down. Make sure you stay on track or get ahead on your goals.<\/p>

Maya Angelou once wrote, \u201cHope and fear cannot occupy the same space. Invite one to stay.\u201d<\/p>

Expect doors to open.<\/strong><\/p>

I read something by Alexander Graham Bell, the great inventor of the telephone, that shares an idea we should always keep in mind. He said, \u201cWhen one door closes, another opens.\u201d<\/p>

And then he went on to say, \u201c. . . but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.\u201d<\/p>

Every time a door closes, make a habit of thinking\u2014\u201dWow! That means a door has just been opened for me!\u201d Looking at closed doors from this perspective will help you actively look for something positive and bring you unexpected opportunities.<\/p>

Establish boundaries with negative people.<\/strong><\/p>

Though you may attempt to completely cut out negative people from your life, you may be forced to work with a negative person on a project or have a negative person in your family.<\/p>

When that happens, create boundaries, so you feel in control around the negative person. Limit your time talking to negative people, try to keep the conversation light, or communicate your boundaries, calmly and consistently.<\/p>

Try to maintain these boundaries, but if they are not respected, evaluate your options and take action. Even if the negative individual attempts to infringe on them.<\/p>

Strive for excellence.<\/strong><\/p>

It\u2019s hard to get caught up in negative influences if you strive for excellence in everything you do. That means maintaining the highest of standards and doing more than is expected. It\u2019s always looking for ways to be and do better and give your best.<\/p>

People who prosper aren\u2019t satisfied with doing things the way they\u2019ve always done them. They are always looking for ways to do them a little better. They continually push their knowledge, skills, and performance a little higher up the ladder.<\/p>

Your environment plays a significant role in your mindset<\/strong>.<\/p>

If you want to be successful, happy, and prosperous, you will have to cut yourself off from influences that will stop you from achieving these goals.<\/p>

Your environment includes your physical surroundings, the people around you, and your community.<\/p>

Surround yourself with individuals and a community that:<\/p>

\u2713 Believes in the life and future you are trying to create
\u2713 Is supportive of where you are trying to get
\u2713 Has the skills and knowledge that you are trying to learn
\u2713 Spends time doing activities that you are interested in
\u2713 Is successful in the areas of life that are important to you<\/p>

And most importantly, you want to be around people and be part of a community that supports and encourages you to continue to learn and grow.<\/p>

Negative influences can be devastating to living the life you really want. For that reason, be aware of what\u2019s happening inside and around you.<\/p>

Freeing your mind from negative influences requires making active decisions about which foods, people, and environments to expose yourself to and which ones to avoid.<\/p>

It also requires a high degree of self-awareness regarding what you are trying to achieve, what is important to you, and what is holding you back from achieving your desires.<\/p>

Ask these types of questions of yourself regularly<\/p>