I actually enjoyed school because of the routine. This is a bit ironic because the one reoccurring nightmare I have is about college when I missed every history class for an entire semester!
As I’ve gotten older my routines have changed but I still have them. My “wake up in the morning and bedtime rituals” rarely change. I drink at least one cup of coffee on my way to work. And we like to go on a walk every evening, read a bible story together as a family, and say a prayer before going to sleep.
I also like my opinion and attitude toward certain things (don’t we all?). For example, I like where we live. I appreciate the small town of Abilene, it’s location, and the people here. I’m thankful there is very few traffic issues and you can get just about anywhere in10 minutes.
Changing my routine, my attitude, and my opinion is a very hard thing to do.
In the midst of all the negative news and people we are faced with every day we need to influence more positive change. That means we have to change our routines, opinions, and our attitudes. Here are three motivational tips to help influence positive change.
Point of View
Is your point of view or the lack of understanding someone else’s point of view keeping you from positive influence? Recently I listened to Dr. Kevin Elko in his “Monday Morning Cup of Inspiration” podcast ask his listeners if they are a thermostat or a
thermometer? He said some people are thermometers and when faced with a negative situation, gossiping colleagues, and depressing attitudes and poor culture they join in on that behavior and meet the temperature where it is. But a thermostat controls the temperature. People who are thermostats brings positivity, good feedback, and multiple
solutions to the table in hopes of influencing positivity and reconcile. They create a temperature that supports generosity, mutual agreement, partisanship, and positive
change.
Make the Choice
Sometimes when I hear of conflict in our world it blows my mind how so many people CHOOSE violence, hate, and negativity first. These actions come from fear and the desire to fit in with the crowd. It’s a choice. How we respond in every situation is a CHOICE. I’m not saying there aren’t times when we are human and get mad and say things we don’t mean. But time and time again it seems like bad choices are made and
hatefully words are used intentionally without any thought. I’m also not saying we shouldn’t have strong beliefs and feel passionate about those beliefs. Jesus did. There was no one more passionate about his beliefs than Jesus. But he chose to love first. He chose compassion first. He chose forgiveness first. In Dales Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” he says to show respect for the other person’s opinion and never say, “you’re wrong.” Be diplomatic and it will help you gain your point he
says.
Be Relentless
I love this word because it has energy. It’s not over confident but it makes its point. Relentless pursuit invokes change. It’s not necessarily fast either. To be relentless doesn’t mean to lack patience. It simply means to drive with a purpose. It means when you take aim you should “aim small and miss small”. It means you don’t give up or give in to negative people.
Several years ago a friend told me about a popular book, “Who Moved My Cheese” By Spencer Johnson. It’s a short book and almost reads as a children’s book. But the lessons that come from it are excellent. In the end he bullet points several quotes from the book but one of my favorite quotes is:
“See what you’re doing wrong, laugh at it, change and do better”.
If you don’t see what you are doing wrong it’s going to be hard to laugh at it. If you don’t laugh at it it’s going to be hard to change it. If you don’t make a choice to change your point of view, be positive, and be relentless then it’s going to be difficult to make the changes you want in your life.
by Jeremy Meeks
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