Read this one last post, and you will realize that you don’t need anything to be successful that you don’t already have.  I know that sounds like a bold claim, and something crazy for a person to say that wants you to read their content, but I have been coaching and mentoring people long enough to know that it is the truth.  I know that the transformation in my own life proved this time and time again.  So what do I mean by reality?  Most of us listen to and react to our thoughts all day.  We have an internal dialogue going on that keeps our mind out of the present moment and constantly going back and forth between the past and future. It keeps us bouncing around in our heads most of the day.  I started a mindfulness practice, and it helped me to realize that I don’t have to respond to every thought I have, as a matter of fact life is much better when I don’t.  Imagine you have just done something you weren’t pleased with yourself about. Your thought is that there is some benefit to beating yourself up over it, but the reality is that there is absolutely no return on investment there. The best thing you can do with that thought is just to acknowledge that you had it and go back to focusing on whatever you are doing in the present moment.  You might think that you will never get better or correct yourself if you don’t think about and at least beat yourself up a little, but nothing could be further from the truth.  The reality is that you already know what you should or shouldn’t do, and you also know full well you will probably do it again.  We are all human.  In light of that you will be less likely to do it again if you just acknowledge that you did it, take responsibility and then go back to focusing on whatever you need to do. I don’t mean beat yourself up when I say take responsibility, I mean simply acknowledge that you are a perfectly imperfect human being, and give yourself some grace.  The positive turning point in most people’s lives comes when they realize that they are fundamentally OK and perfectly imperfect human beings.  

Keeping your mind out of the past and future is a key way to begin to recognize reality.  If you can successfully focus your attention on all the things you take for granted in a day, you will be amazed at how much of life you are missing, because you are so busy rooting around in the past, future, and in your own brain.  You will begin to notice things that you never noticed before.  You will also begin to realize that your value as a person is not tied to your thoughts, your past, or how you feel.  You will stop judging yourself, and just acknowledge your thoughts and get back to living in the present moment. 

If you take these words seriously there is one more thing you should know.  When I say acknowledge the thought, and don’t think any further about it, I don’t mean just push it down.  I mean give yourself grace and let it go.  Any persistent negative thoughts you push down will just come back up.  I also want to remind you that reality is not what you think about what is going on, it is simply what is really happening.  What is physically happening in your world at any given time is reality, anything you think about it, is mostly a story that is slanted to your past experiences.  True freedom is to get beyond those experiences, and pay attention to each moment.  You will learn to savor life.  

I am offering two more people the opportunity to take my “Live a Better Life Program” for free.  I am doing this because I want feedback on the content in lieu of being paid. It will include free bi-weekly coaching sessions for six weeks.  I am being picky about who I choose to provide feedback on this program, because in lieu of money, I am just asking you to share with me how the program is impacting your life, and asking your thoughts on what would make the program better. I am also asking that you take it seriously and do the work.  On top of that you will definitely notice some positive changes in your life if you do the work.  If you are interested in this opportunity, please drop me an email at bpinkston@brentpinkston.com and tell me what a better life means to you.