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"There's an old saying: 'History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes.' That's especially true when we're thinking of our personal histories. Why? The circumstances of our lives change week by week, year by year. But we're still standing. And our habits of thinking tend to produce consistent results no matter what's going on in our work, relationships, or the world around us.

If our habits of thinking are beneficial, we tend to experience positive results, such as happiness, personal satisfaction, even material success. If our habits of thinking are counterproductive, however, we often experience the opposite: unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and the nagging feeling that the deck is somehow stacked against us.

The good news is that you can change the rhyme scheme. Even if your habits of thinking are already serving you well, you can experience transformative personal improvement in all areas of your life by upgrading your beliefs. When we focus on belief improvement, often our circumstances follow suit (p. 38-39)."

What are some things you do to change your thinking when you start having negative thoughts?

From: Hyatt, M. (2018). Your best year ever: a 5-step plan for achieving your most important goals. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
 

"There's an old saying: 'History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes.' That's especially true when we're thinking of our personal histories. Why? The circumstances of our lives change week by week, year by year. But we're still standing. And our habits of thinking tend to produce consistent results no matter what's going on in our work, relationships, or the world around us.

If our habits of thinking are beneficial, we tend to experience positive results, such as happiness, personal satisfaction, even material success. If our habits of thinking are counterproductive, however, we often experience the opposite: unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and the nagging feeling that the deck is somehow stacked against us.

The good news is that you can change the rhyme scheme. Even if your habits of thinking are already serving you well, you can experience transformative personal improvement in all areas of your life by upgrading your beliefs. When we focus on belief improvement, often our circumstances follow suit (p. 38-39)."

From: Hyatt, M. (2018). Your best year ever: a 5-step plan for achieving your most important goals. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

What are some of your ideas for changing your thoughts?

“When it comes to knowing yourself, you are likely to have some blind spots.  We all do.  Unfortunately, not seeing ourselves accurately can have negative consequences.  We may over-estimate our performance and then are surprised when we are passed over for promotion.  Even when the outcomes are not as consequential, we miss opportunities to change our behavior.  Underestimating our performance can also be detrimental.  We may have done well in others’ eyes, but having a low image of our performance can cause us unnecessary stress and may make us take actions that preclude opportunities that could have been open to us.

Fortunately, there is a way we can improve our self-knowledge. This is called ‘mindfulness’ – paying attention to our current experiences without evaluating them.  Being mindful without evaluating ourselves has two advantages: it gives us more and higher-quality information about ourselves and it overcomes our natural tendency to protect our ego (p. 38-39).”

“You are a unique human being, and there is no one else like you in the world.  You have unique gifts, talents, and perspectives that you bring to your relationships with others.  You have experience and knowledge that position you to make the world a better place. 

Consider all of the roles you play in the work you do and the life you lead.  Think about the difference your efforts have made to your networks over the course of a lifetime.

Your belief in yourself can form a steady cadence that drives your movement through this world.  It can help you honor yourself: your inner courage, your willingness to take risks and open doors, your ability to be vulnerable and extend forgiveness.  It can put up a strong barrier between you and those who would ask you to compromise your inner spirit and what you know to be right.

Your belief in yourself can illuminate your way forward when you’re surrounded by uncertainty or confusion.  When you believe that you are a naturally caring person, that you want to do the right thing, and that you are on a search to become the best version of yourself (p. 186-188).”

What are two gifts/talents that make you unique?

From: Reina, D. and Reina, M. (2015).  Trust and betrayal in the workplace: building effective relationships in your organization. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.