Hey! I’ve been laying here. My patience is good today. So we should go for a nice walk. Waiting…
Oh my, he stood up. I think we’re going. I hope he is not just teasing me. It’s important for him to exercise.
When I listen to his heart and lungs, I worry about those skipped beats. When he meditates or walks with me, the rhythm corrects itself. It makes me feel so good hearing that steady bump-pump-bump. I get overwhelmed with emotions.
Suppose you are at a buffet or some gathering with many friends. There are adults, children, and food — lots of food.
You see a child. They are at food line getting their plate as full as they can. When they move away from the line and head towards their seat. You are thinking, don’t drop it. Some of you might think where are this child’s parents.
All thoughts of food disasters, huge spills might go through your mind. Then you hear someone one say, “Jay, hold it steady and even. You got this.”
Positive Expectations
The person who spoke in this situation used language to express positive expectations. In your mind, it is possible you were thinking about all the different directions that food could go. Obviously, Jay and the person who said something had better plans.
Children and some adults are confident. But when someone lovingly voices their concern about a looming disaster, saying, “Be careful, do not drop that.” Or in other scenarios, lovingly offering backhanded support. “Are you sure you can handle this?” The lack of confidence in those phrases can create a break in self confidence or a bravado of confidence.
The break or the boost in confidence often results in unpredictable consequences. The child may drop it, since they believe it is for drawn conclusion. Or even worse your words could be seen as a challenge. Now, they will show you exactly how much and how quickly they can carry even more.
Pay Attention To Your Thoughts
Notice how often your mind goes to the worse case scenario. Start consciously changing the internal narrative. Gently reframe that thought by imagining the outcome you desire.
What a great idea Mister Filmore. You exemplified it even in your later years. They say, he wrote this affirmation when he was 94.
Can we get that same sizzle going? Sure, just remember to repeat the above. Bah! How in the… do you even expect to do that. I love the above affirmation and I want to face every day with that kind of passion. The most effective affirmations are backed by strong emotion and passion.
Finding Enthusiasm
It is like finding Waldo. It is there just hidden deeply in the crowd of other more “pressing” issues. This is how I found the passion to make Charles Filmore’s zeal my own.
I was talking with a friend of mine about work. How it was such a drag. I knew from the moment I got to the office door, problems would be waiting for me. How I would ignore some problems and eventually they would come back bigger and less manageable.
As I was lamenting, I could tell he wanted me to just stop. Instead of saying stop, he asked a question. “Why did you become a programmer?”
Remembering my initial enthusiasm
I reviewed my life. The changes, I went through to become a programmer, how excited, I was at my first job, and subsequent jobs. As a programmer, software engineer, I knew there would always be problems and challenges to overcome and that was freaking exciting knowing each day, I could learn something new. Those memories helped me, lifted me. Those wonderful old thoughts replaced my current thoughts.
It was like starting over, a new beginning.
Possibly just remembering your initial joy at work why you continue, even if it is just a paycheck. Replace those crappy thoughts with some fun stuff. A fun, positive thought will always override a crappy thought.
You can operate at a high level of enthusiasm through memory and future visioning. Recapture those feelings and use them. Focus on why you are doing what you do!